Puritans

[JAMESBJOHNSON]

http://news.medill.northwestern.edu/washington/news.aspx?id=95681

The latest crusade of the Puritans.

 

[Boxlicker101]

http://news.medill.northwestern.edu/washington/news.aspx?id=95681

The latest crusade of the Puritans.

Personally, I don't believe there is such a thing as addiction to the internet. It's just something the shrinks made up so they can make more money.

As for the form the "addiction" takes - gambling, sex, etc.: Those things can be somewhat addictive, and the internet is just a way to practice them.

I like coming on the internet, especially to AH. I also like ice cream too, but I'm not addicted to that either.

 

[dr_mabeuse]

Oh, I think you can get addicted. See what happens when your DSL goes out for a week. I know I can't stand it. I have to go to the library or someplace with service to keep track of friends and things on Lit. I start crawling the walls.

 

[Guest]

Oh, I think you can get addicted. See what happens when your DSL goes out for a week. I know I can't stand it. I have to go to the library or someplace with service to keep track of friends and things on Lit. I start crawling the walls.

More than a month.

Don't even go there.

 

[keeblercrumb]

Rocket Man

Personally, I don't believe there is such a thing as addiction to the internet. It's just something the shrinks made up so they can make more money.

As for the form the "addiction" takes - gambling, sex, etc.: Those things can be somewhat addictive, and the internet is just a way to practice them.

I like coming on the internet, especially to AH. I also like ice cream too, but I'm not addicted to that either.

Oh I do, believe this is real. Like any other compulsive behavior, it is obviously rooted in other, more intensely personal problems.... low self esteem, loneliness, etc...

ANY compulsive behavior that detracts from your ability to deal directly with problems... well, at best, is not helpful. Everyone needs distraction, some way to reduce stress. But when that "distraction" becomes an end in of itself, when it consumes an inordinate amount of your energies which would probably be better directed directly to your real life, well... then it is compulsive behavior and not.... helpful.

Because of the ready access on computers at home and at work, this phenomenon it is a highly attractive, seductive and available distraction.

The internet allows us to be anonymous, create our own image however at odds with reality (or rather more to the point, how we perceive our own reality) and become absorbed into stuff and things totally unrelated to our "real" world.

Having said all that, it is not worse or better than any other compulsive behavior, other than this curious relationship thing, frequently built on the flimsiest of realities.... (as the Far Side once noted... The best thing about the web is that no one knows you are a dog" -quoted by a dog sitting at a computer). But that "relationship" thing.. having these "online" relationships actually threaten or disrupt our real world relationships... well THAT can be a serious problem.

Seems ironic about it talking with my friends here, but it is the truth anyway.

On that same subject, talking about the internet being the instrument of a compulsive disorder in THIS place, is pretty much analogous to discussing alcoholism in a bar.

I can and do only speak for myself here. In the past, this internet compulsion has had serious consequences for my "real life". Not the "cause" of my problems, but certainly the vehicle for them which allowed me go off the deep end.

Currently, to be even more candid and honest, THIS place absorbs a tremendous amount of my time and energy, far beyond what is probably good for me and my "real life" relationships. Sighhhhhh.

But it at least it is cheaper than going to a casino every night, I suppose. and the women are easier....

-KC

 

[DeeZire]

On that same subject, talking about the internet being the instrument of a compulsive disorder in THIS place, is pretty much analogous to discussing alcoholism in a bar.

You got that right.

I missed the Puritan angle of JB's initial post. I don't think the article was condemning the internet, it was talking about recognizing addictive behavior when it manifests itself in front of a computer.

A friend on another forum suggested limiting your internet time, or more specifically, your forum chat time to - whatever - thirty minutes a day. This seems reasonable. In other words, if that time limit would be an imposition on your lifestyle, what does your lifestyle consist of besides hanging out on the internet?

I've been observing my GF's twenty-something daughter, (especially when she's wearing her spaghetti-strap top and ass-crack shorts) and all she does is IM, surf the internet and text on her cellphone (with the TV blaring.) That's her whole life, other than going to work. They have a swimming pool in the back yard (another good time to observe) and she's only been out there a couple of times this whole summer. It's freaky. It's like she's going to spend her entire young-adulthood in front of her laptop with her cellphone glued to her ear. Back in my day, we spent our entire adulthood passing joints back and forth... and... and... now I can't remember the point I was about to make.

Oh! I remember. My GF's daughter and the swimming pool! I'd much rather watch her in her little bikini, with her peachy ass cheeks hanging out, and her top riding up, revealing the bottoms of her small-but-firm champagne-glass breasts than surf the internet. Does that mean I'm not addicted? (Yeah, I know it means I'm a pervert, but that's already been established.)

 

[keeblercrumb]

Rocket Man

You got that right.

I missed the Puritan angle of JB's initial post. I don't think the article was condemning the internet, it was talking about recognizing addictive behavior when it manifests itself in front of a computer.

A friend on another forum suggested limiting your internet time, or more specifically, your forum chat time to - whatever - thirty minutes a day. This seems reasonable. In other words, if that time limit would be an imposition on your lifestyle, what does your lifestyle consist of besides hanging out on the internet?

I've been observing my GF's twenty-something daughter, (especially when she's wearing her spaghetti-strap top and ass-crack shorts) and all she does is IM, surf the internet and text on her cellphone (with the TV blaring.) That's her whole life, other than going to work. They have a swimming pool in the back yard (another good time to observe) and she's only been out there a couple of times this whole summer. It's freaky. It's like she's going to spend her entire young-adulthood in front of her laptop with her cellphone glued to her ear. Back in my day, we spent our entire adulthood passing joints back and forth... and... and... now I can't remember the point I was about to make.

Oh! I remember. My GF's daughter and the swimming pool! I'd much rather watch her in her little bikini, with her peachy ass cheeks hanging out, and her top riding up, revealing the bottoms of her small-but-firm champagne-glass breasts than surf the internet. Does that mean I'm not addicted? (Yeah, I know it means I'm a pervert, but that's already been established.)

Great idea on limiting your time here..... I think I will start.... tomorrow....

Now.. Pass the joint and do you have any photo's of the GF's daughter?



-KC

 

[emap]

In many ways the internet is the new beer. Before there was an internet most men went to a bar to cool down after their long day of work.

Personally I would find a hunky guy to have sex with, though I worked in a bar so couldn't go to one to cool down.

Now with the internet having everything under the sun, in the sun and over the sun in it, people go home and go on the internet to cool down. Which is also something of the problem, so many using the internet for whatever there are way more people to talk to and have a thing for and of course, forget about the bad parts of their life, which used to be what beer was for. Trust me on that one, you would not believe some of the stuff I heard just getting beer for people.

I hate talking about it, but many times I found myself getting a beer for me while working because of the regular in one place, he was, might still be even a cop and would share the things he saw that day. Homocide detective, which is I am sure at least twenty times worse than any other.

Sorry I'm rambling I'll stop now.

 

[JAMESBJOHNSON]

DEEZIRE

The Puritans were run-out of England because they obsess about saving souls and controlling people. Scratch the surface of any do-good crusade and you'll find a Puritan. Or they whine in their articles about how bad all of us are.

They wont be happy even when they finally have ignition locks on our computers, refrigerators, phones, etc.

H.L. Mencken said that Puritans obsess that someone, somewhere, is having a good time.

 

[keeblercrumb]

Rocket Man

DEEZIRE

The Puritans were run-out of England because they obsess about saving souls and controlling people. Scratch the surface of any do-good crusade and you'll find a Puritan. Or they whine in their articles about how bad all of us are.

They wont be happy even when they finally have ignition locks on our computers, refrigerators, phones, etc.

H.L. Mencken said that Puritans obsess that someone, somewhere, is having a good time.

Where do you get this paranoia from? The ariticle discusses what is obviously a huge and growing problem and recommends treatments for individuals who suffer from this disorder. So??

In short this has nothing to do with outlawing the internet or sex or anything else even vaguely related to Puritans..

For that you have to go see your neo-con fellow travellers who are all about making sure no one has sex other than what they can buy in the privacy of their own toilet stall at the airport.

Get a grip, man! Or better yet.... treatment!

-KC

 

[JAMESBJOHNSON]

KEEBLER

I have the gift of prophesy when it comes to do-gooders.

I worked for the government many years, I've seen what do-gooders try and do.

The mental health industry loves fads. In the 60s they tried to cure all the queers. In the 70s everyone was addicted to sugar. In the 80s everyone was a Satanist or had a multiple personality. Then there was the explosion of anorexia-bulemia in the 90s. These agencies have staff that do nothing but look for grants to treat new problems. And if you have a grant, you need patients to treat.

I dont agree that the internet is a huge and growing problem. The internet is a convenient social-entertainment-work outlet for people. It is the king of multi-tasking.

I can sit here creating puzzles to sell, write my books, trade emails with friends-family, check the weather & news, buy airline tickets or books or whatever, and annoy the shit out of you. Parts of it are fad...like CB was in the 70s.

Addiction? Fuck no! People like to be absorbed in various things, and the internet is the one-stop place to be absorbed.

 

[R. Richard]

Hi, my name is R. Richard, I'm a pussy addict. I've been clean now, oh, for the past hour or so. Well, I don't know for sure that I'm a pussy addict. I think about lots of other things. [Whazzat? Well, I don't remember exactly wjat the other things are, but I have a list written down on a piece of paper I always carry with me.] Now, if any of you ladies want to volunteer...

What is this crap about Internet addiction?

 

[TheReapersWife]

I worked for the government many years, I've seen what do-gooders try and do.

Ooo! Wait! Let me guess: Something good, right? Ding-ding! Yay! I get a cookie!

 

[TheReapersWife]

KEEBLER

I have the gift of prophesy when it comes to do-gooders.

I worked for the government many years, I've seen what do-gooders try and do.

The mental health industry loves fads. In the 60s they tried to cure all the queers. In the 70s everyone was addicted to sugar. In the 80s everyone was a Satanist or had a multiple personality. Then there was the explosion of anorexia-bulemia in the 90s. These agencies have staff that do nothing but look for grants to treat new problems. And if you have a grant, you need patients to treat.

I dont agree that the internet is a huge and growing problem. The internet is a convenient social-entertainment-work outlet for people. It is the king of multi-tasking.

I can sit here creating puzzles to sell, write my books, trade emails with friends-family, check the weather & news, buy airline tickets or books or whatever, and annoy the shit out of you. Parts of it are fad...like CB was in the 70s.

Addiction? Fuck no! People like to be absorbed in various things, and the internet is the one-stop place to be absorbed.

De-nial!

 

[Guest]

Hi, my name is R. Richard, I'm a pussy addict. I've been clean now, oh, for the past hour or so. Well, I don't know for sure that I'm a pussy addict. I think about lots of other things. [Whazzat? Well, I don't remember exactly wjat the other things are, but I have a list written down on a piece of paper I always carry with me.] Now, if any of you ladies want to volunteer...

What is this crap about Internet addiction?

Isn't that strange?

I seem to be addicted to dick.

 

[Guest]

De-nial!

Indeed.

 

[Carnevil9]

I'm addicted to spuds.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LYKuirTH6cI

 

[Boxlicker101]

Isn't that strange?

I seem to be addicted to dick.

Dick who? That's a fairly common name.

 

[Boxlicker101]

Quote:
Originally Posted by JAMESBJOHNSON
DEEZIRE

The Puritans were run-out of England because they obsess about saving souls and controlling people. Scratch the surface of any do-good crusade and you'll find a Puritan. Or they whine in their articles about how bad all of us are.

They wont be happy even when they finally have ignition locks on our computers, refrigerators, phones, etc.

H.L. Mencken said that Puritans obsess that someone, somewhere, is having a good time.

Where do you get this paranoia from? The ariticle discusses what is obviously a huge and growing problem and recommends treatments for individuals who suffer from this disorder. So??

In short this has nothing to do with outlawing the internet or sex or anything else even vaguely related to Puritans..

For that you have to go see your neo-con fellow travellers who are all about making sure no one has sex other than what they can buy in the privacy of their own toilet stall at the airport.

Get a grip, man! Or better yet.... treatment!

-KC

I hate to say this, but JB is right on here. The Puritans, and the best known one was Oliver Cromwell, really did want to control everybody they could, and stop them from having fun. When they were in charge, that's what they did, as well as killing off thousands of Catholics.

The Pilgrims, who settled Plymouth Colony, are now looked on as heroes in the US, but in England, they were nothing but a bunch of busy-bodies who tried to control everything that anybody did or said. You may have been taught in grammar school that they left England in order to practice their religion. That was only partially true. They were kicked out because they tried to impose their own narrow-minded religion on everybody around them.

Their moral descendants are now imposing their will on anybody they can. They were behind Prohibition, one of the bigest failures in US history. They are behind the war on drugs, in alliance with liquor distillers. They are trying to oppress gays and lesbians and anybody who enjoys any kind of sex they find sinful. They have succeeded in getting seatbelts and motorcylce helmets mandated. They are also trying to get everybody to eat only dull, foul tasting food so they might live a little longer.

 

[Boxlicker101]

KEEBLER

I have the gift of prophesy when it comes to do-gooders.

I worked for the government many years, I've seen what do-gooders try and do.

The mental health industry loves fads. In the 60s they tried to cure all the queers. In the 70s everyone was addicted to sugar. In the 80s everyone was a Satanist or had a multiple personality. Then there was the explosion of anorexia-bulemia in the 90s. These agencies have staff that do nothing but look for grants to treat new problems. And if you have a grant, you need patients to treat.

I dont agree that the internet is a huge and growing problem. The internet is a convenient social-entertainment-work outlet for people. It is the king of multi-tasking.

I can sit here creating puzzles to sell, write my books, trade emails with friends-family, check the weather & news, buy airline tickets or books or whatever, and annoy the shit out of you. Parts of it are fad...like CB was in the 70s.

Addiction? Fuck no! People like to be absorbed in various things, and the internet is the one-stop place to be absorbed.

This is terrible. I am agreeing with JB in two consecutive posts. I said much the same thing in the second post here, except I wass less PC than he is being.

Shrinks would love to see anything they consider to be not exactly the norm classified as some kind of mental health problem. They gain money and powr through this, which is their primary agenda.

 

[keeblercrumb]

Rocket Man

This is terrible. I am agreeing with JB in two consecutive posts. I said much the same thing in the second post here, except I wass less PC than he is being.

Shrinks would love to see anything they consider to be not exactly the norm classified as some kind of mental health problem. They gain money and powr through this, which is their primary agenda.

Let me understand... so NOW this is not about Puritans wanting laws against the internet.... and looking for reasons for it.... It is the cabal of Psychiatrists seeking more mental illness to cure for the simple reason of enriching themselves. !! Or maybe both!!

I DO think there are people trying to control SIN on the internet because they think it is God’s work to do so….. And being against pornography seems like something that works politically,,, Outside of Larry Flynt, there aren’t too many people running for political office willing to come out in favor of porn on the internet… and Larry ain’t running, come to think of it.

I’m sorry…. I don’t really mean to be facetious, but clearly there is massive amounts of compulsive behavior being played out on the internet. Doubting it is… well, as the ReapersWife so eloquently put it…. DE-NIAL

It is hard to walk around any modern office and not find half the people chatting or surfing away on the internet…. Some companies have really cracked down on it…. But most will in the not too distant future…. Not for any altruistic concern for compulsive behavior, but because it is obviously distracting people from work.

How do I say this again? Any compulsive behavior is not a problem until it is a problem; until it fucks around with their lives further adding to the problems which probably drove them to distraction to begin with.

Watching soap operas can become compulsive and destructive…when the kids don’t get fed. Drinking, smoking dope, sex, painting, sky diving… all innocent distractions which MAY, if taken to extreme become destructive until some poor Dutch guy is chopping his ear off……or some drunk drives into a tree.

I have no desire to lay open my own failures and weaknesses and compulsive problems for debate here. I am sure I am the only person here that has had them.

But again, all the study and the good shrinks are saying is that the internet is NOT the problem… but it can be a symptom of problems if it has become a compulsion, which is seems to have become for a lot of people. I will leave it to jealous members of the cabal to peer review the study and statistics.

Anyone else here feel compelled to check their personal email first thing in the morning? Or feel compelled to check what is happening here on AH? As it ever interfered with family life or work?

Anyone else here ever abandoned their real life significant other on some level and become sexually and/or emotionally involved with someone no more than bits and bytes in the ether?

No? .

Than never mind. It’s only me. Good. I will continue to hang around as much as I can. Maybe all this mental health will rub off on me…

I can hope.

-KC

 

[TheReapersWife]

You're not the only one... I just didn't want to say anything, 'cause I'm....a dork(sorry, it's the only reason I could come up with). I have adjusted my sleeping schedule just to be online when my RP buddy comes on(otherwise, play-by-post goes really slow). It's become so that family and friends have begun to notice.

 

[gauchecritic]

No one ran the Puritans out of England, they left because the established puritanism wasn't rich enough for them. They couldn't get hold of any of the power because they were stuffy meanyheads so they just fucked off.

 

[JAMESBJOHNSON]

KEEBLER

You are sooo histrionic.

Most people are totally absorbed in something...religion, football. Before the internet came along 95% of people spent the workday on the phone or otherwise fucking off in some form or fashion.

 

[TheReapersWife]

Wait... aren't seatbelts and helmets good?

But seriously, I get what you're saying: people should have the freedom of choice, whether what they make decisions about will hurt them or not. Where in that article, exactly, did it say anything about forcibly restricting people?
And I don't even consider mental health to be in the same boat as politics. Since when has psychology ever influenced the making of new laws? I mean, besides the Andrea Yates case. But even then, that gave more freedom to those with bi-polar disorder. The freedom to kill your kids.