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20 Dec 2008 07:20 pm

"Addict" Addicts

Vaughan sighs:

..it is not possible to be addicted to a medium of communication because the medium does not specify an activity. It's like saying someone is a 'language addict' or is 'addicted' to transport. It just makes no sense. Unfortunately, none of the so-called diagnostic scales or indeed, researchers, actually get this point...

This is not to say that there aren't people who use the internet excessively to the detriment of themselves and their families. But there are people who follow football in a similarly problematic way, and people who spend too much time going to folk concerts, and people who can't tear themselves away from the stock market.

This doesn't make them addicts and the sooner we stop trying to apply addiction to people as a clumsy way to trying to avoid the language of blame the quicker we can tackle their social and emotional difficulties in a more relevant and appropriate way.

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