One of THOSE studies

According to a study that was done out of Stanford I am probably addicted to the Internet but much more study needs to be done before that can be determined. Of course this are the preliminary findings based on a random telephone survey of over 2,500 adults in which researchers found that 56.3% (1 in 8) of those who responded exhibited at least one possible symptom that could be classified as an Internet Addiction. They asked 8 questions about the responder's Internet usage. These questions included whether personal relationships had been adversely affected by the individual's usage, whether the individual went online to escape problems or a negative mood, and whether the individual had tried or been successful at cutting back Internet usage.

One of the questions was if you find it hard to stay away from the Internet for several days straight which I do. I like to write this web log. I find that it allows me to do a number of things that I couldn't do otherwise. I have a record in real time of Caroline's life. Things that I had forgotten that she had done I have safely tucked away in the entries there. I have a record of the costumes I have done since I started this thing, which I never really had before. I have a record of my daily life, which someone might find interesting down the road. It is also a place for me to do brain dumps that help me immensely. I like the interaction with other people this web log has generated. I have "met" new people that I might otherwise never have talked to.

Through the Internet I can interact with people who share my interests. I have learned things that I think I would have never learned if there were no Internet. I have a number of brain trusts I can ask questions and get answers from which has saved me time and money on a number of projects. I have a doll-making group I belong to that is more than just talking about dolls. It is a support group for me in good times and bad and I am there to support the other members as well. I would have never joined the ICG without the Internet.

I find a lot of information out here in cyberspace along with a lot of entertainment. I probably would not be reading Dork Tower, Nodwick, or PvP except I found them through the Internet. I can keep up with what a number of my friends and fellow professionals are doing and their newest achievements. I won't have some of the cool stuff I own without the Internet. Of course that cuts both ways I also would have a little more money because I didn't buy that stuff on the Internet but it is really cool stuff that I am proud to own. I find out about movies, TV shows, books and comic books that I would have never run across except for the internet. Then there is fandom in general. I was hooked up with fandom before the Internet. But it was at conventions and get togethers with friends which was and still is nice. Now I can talk to fans all over the world about various forms of entertainment I am interested in.

The internet allows me to talk to my family and stay in touch. I grew up in a close family and we like that we can stay in touch. I keep up with my sister through her web log. I hear occasionally from my two brothers on what they are up to but then they were not great letter writers before the advent of the Internet. Caroline can talk to her grandparents in real time via a camera and I can put up pictures and stories so they can share in her adventures. Which I think is a good thing for all parties.

I am grateful for the Internet.