Question
Addicted to Technology?
Article
GMEOC-E11 Prep Boot Camp
Article
Needing the 'Net
SEATTLE, Washington. About a year ago, Ben Alexander was spending nearly every waking moment playing the hugely popular online game World of Warcraft. The young man, who had always earned good grades in school, dreamed of becoming a biologist. But as a result of his preoccupation with the game, he flunked out of college. Ben had an addiction to a video game. He was in desperate need of help.
"At first it was a couple of hours a day," said Ben, now 19. "By midway through the first semester, I was playing 16 or 17 hours a day."
Ben first sought help from a program that treated people suffering from substance addiction. It wasn't a good fit, however. He then completed a 10-week outdoors-based program. Still, he felt he had little control over his habit. Finally, Ben began searching for a program that specialized in the treatment of gaming addiction. That's when he found the reSTART Internet Addiction Program at a newly opened center near Seattle, Washington. The program aims to treat pathological Internet use. It is designed for people who are addicted to video games, texting, Facebook, eBay, Twitter, and other technology-based activities.
Similar treatment centers are common in other countries, where this type of addiction is taken very seriously. But the Seattle center is the first live-in treatment center for Internet addiction in the United States. Patients stay at the five-acre (two-hectare) center for the entire 45-day reSTART program.
Ben is the new center's first patient. He spends his days attending counseling sessions. When not in sessions, he stays busy doing household chores. He works on the center's grounds. Ben also goes on outings, exercises, and even bakes cookies. These activities are designed to help him sever ties with the computer world. He will also learn skills that are more useful in the real world.
Cosette Dawna Rae is a counselor and co-founder of reSTART. According to Rae, Internet addicts miss out on real conversations. Their hygiene, their home, and their relationships often suffer, she said. Addicts also don't eat right, sleep properly, or get sufficient exercise.
Some potential effects connected with Internet addiction are extremely serious. Some people lose their jobs. Those who continually text-message while driving often cause car accidents. Some people have died after playing video games for days without a break. These deaths are generally the result of blood clotting. Blood clots can form when a person sits for a long period of time.
Addiction warning signs include being preoccupied with thoughts of the Internet. Some people use the Internet longer than intended. Others spend increasing amounts of time online. Addicts also neglect relationships, school, or work in order to spend time online. Some Internet addicts lie to conceal the extent of their Internet use. Some admit to using the Internet to escape problems. Some use it to escape feelings of depression.
Experts suspect that Internet addiction is actually a sign of another condition. Therefore, they say, treatment should concentrate on the individual as a whole.
Dr. Ronald Pies is a doctor in Syracuse, New York. According to Pies, "many so-called 'Internet addicts' are folks who have severe depression." Many of these people, Pies said, have anxiety or social problems. "It may be that unless we treat their underlying problems, some new form of addiction will pop up down the line."
Whether the reSTART program will work in the long run remains to be seen. One potential problem is that Internet technology is so widespread. Avoiding it can be nearly impossible in today's world.
For now, however, Ben feels that the program has helped him. "I don't think I'll go back to World of Warcraft anytime soon," he said.
The Associated Press contributed to this story.
End of Article 1. Click Next to proceed.
Question 1
1 / 8
Take a look at the article called "Needing the 'Net." How would you describe Ben Alexander before he became addicted to video gaming?
Determined and loyal
Serious and hardworking
Lonesome and nonsocial
Thoughtless and hasty
Article
GMEOC-E11 Prep Boot Camp
Article
Needing the 'Net
SEATTLE, Washington. About a year ago, Ben Alexander was spending nearly every waking moment playing the hugely popular online game World of Warcraft. The young man, who had always earned good grades in school, dreamed of becoming a biologist. But as a result of his preoccupation with the game, he flunked out of college. Ben had an addiction to a video game. He was in desperate need of help.
"At first it was a couple of hours a day," said Ben, now 19. "By midway through the first semester, I was playing 16 or 17 hours a day."
Ben first sought help from a program that treated people suffering from substance addiction. It wasn't a good fit, however. He then completed a 10-week outdoors-based program. Still, he felt he had little control over his habit. Finally, Ben began searching for a program that specialized in the treatment of gaming addiction. That's when he found the reSTART Internet Addiction Program at a newly opened center near Seattle, Washington. The program aims to treat pathological Internet use. It is designed for people who are addicted to video games, texting, Facebook, eBay, Twitter, and other technology-based activities.
Similar treatment centers are common in other countries, where this type of addiction is taken very seriously. But the Seattle center is the first live-in treatment center for Internet addiction in the United States. Patients stay at the five-acre (two-hectare) center for the entire 45-day reSTART program.
Ben is the new center's first patient. He spends his days attending counseling sessions. When not in sessions, he stays busy doing household chores. He works on the center's grounds. Ben also goes on outings, exercises, and even bakes cookies. These activities are designed to help him sever ties with the computer world. He will also learn skills that are more useful in the real world.
Cosette Dawna Rae is a counselor and co-founder of reSTART. According to Rae, Internet addicts miss out on real conversations. Their hygiene, their home, and their relationships often suffer, she said. Addicts also don't eat right, sleep properly, or get sufficient exercise.
Some potential effects connected with Internet addiction are extremely serious. Some people lose their jobs. Those who continually text-message while driving often cause car accidents. Some people have died after playing video games for days without a break. These deaths are generally the result of blood clotting. Blood clots can form when a person sits for a long period of time.
Addiction warning signs include being preoccupied with thoughts of the Internet. Some people use the Internet longer than intended. Others spend increasing amounts of time online. Addicts also neglect relationships, school, or work in order to spend time online. Some Internet addicts lie to conceal the extent of their Internet use. Some admit to using the Internet to escape problems. Some use it to escape feelings of depression.
Experts suspect that Internet addiction is actually a sign of another condition. Therefore, they say, treatment should concentrate on the individual as a whole.
Dr. Ronald Pies is a doctor in Syracuse, New York. According to Pies, "many so-called 'Internet addicts' are folks who have severe depression." Many of these people, Pies said, have anxiety or social problems. "It may be that unless we treat their underlying problems, some new form of addiction will pop up down the line."
Whether the reSTART program will work in the long run remains to be seen. One potential problem is that Internet technology is so widespread. Avoiding it can be nearly impossible in today's world.
For now, however, Ben feels that the program has helped him. "I don't think I'll go back to World of Warcraft anytime soon," he said.
The Associated Press contributed to this story.
End of Article 1. Click Next to proceed.
Question 1
1 / 8
Take a look at the article called "Needing the 'Net." How would you describe Ben Alexander before he became addicted to video gaming?
Determined and loyal
Serious and hardworking
Lonesome and nonsocial
Thoughtless and hasty
Answers
GPT-4o mini
Before Ben Alexander became addicted to video gaming, he can be best described as **Serious and hardworking**. He earned good grades in school and had aspirations of becoming a biologist, indicating that he was focused and dedicated to his studies.