Take the Internet Addiction Test and substitute 'read' or 'reading' or 'book' for 'on-line', 'internet', etc. For example:
How often do you find that you
stay on-lineread longer than you intended?How often do you neglect household chores to spend more time
on-linereading?How often do others in your life complain to you about the amount of time you spend
on-linereading?How often do you block out disturbing thoughts about your life with soothing thoughts of
the Interneta good book?How often do you find yourself anticipating when you will
go on-linebe reading again?How often do you fear that life without
the Internetreading would be boring, empty, and joyless?How often do you snap, yell, or act annoyed if someone bothers you while you are
on-linereading?How often do you lose sleep due to late-night
log-insreading?
Over the course of my life, I have failed, and still fail, with both books and the web on all these questions — if failure is what is meant by answering 'often'. And so would just about any of my friends and family — for at least one, if not both, of the … er … addictive substances.
I've seen some evidence of the Internet Addiction Test being used in, or considered for use in, UK schools. If the aim is to convince our students that we really are very out of touch, then that's a good idea. Otherwise, bin it.
