internet addiction

Who says you have to stay connected 24/7? Taking some time off to detox from your digital life may be hard, but it could also be good for your health and well-being. While some people use Facebook, Twitter, and other forms of social media to stay in touch with friends, others can't step away for five minutes without losing their minds. Are you one of them? Daniel Sieberg, author of The Digital Diet, offers up tips on how to break your tech addiction, below.

• Avoid tech turds — One of our own favorite tech etiquette tips says that, as a rule of thumb, you shouldn't leave your phone out on the table. Sieberg has a more colorful way of saying it, calling these situations "tech turds": "Don't just dump your smartphone on the table at a restaurant or at home. Keep it in your pocket or purse unless it’s critical to have it out. If you must have it out, acknowledge its presence and inform your companions that you’ll check it only in an emergency. It's a courtesy that you'd appreciate, too."

See more tips after the break.

March 2nd marks the official National Day of Unplugging, which is designed to force the technology addicted to put down their devices for a day of rest.

As much as we love (and I mean love) our smartphones, laptops, tablets, and more, we can all agree that we need a break from them from time to time. It doesn't help that some of us spend more time looking at devices than doing anything else. Here, four concrete ways to break free of the digital chain and enjoy what's in front of you, other than a screen.

• Tech-free retreat: Sure, you could take a trip to a place with no Internet service if you really want to go without your gadgets. But the thing about a retreat like this one, aptly named Digital Detox ($500-$950), is that not only do attendees trade in their smartphones for four days, but they also focus on personal wellness and finding peace of mind. How? By taking up activities like yoga, meditation, and hiking on a peaceful ranch in Ukiah, CA. The ultimate goal: "rediscovering what living in the moment truly feels like."
• Happy hour: Thanks to the same folks behind Digital Detox, you can check your phones at the door while enjoying board games, a massage lounge, live music, and libations at an event called Device-Free Drinks. While these public happy hours usually take place throughout San Francisco, you can email the company about hosting a private one at your own office or party. Now you'll have to face those awkward moments of silence without the help of your cell phone. Who knows? You might actually enjoy them.
• Hotels: What better time to take a break from tech life than when you're on vacation? Many hotels throughout the country have made the separation anxiety easier by taking your devices and offering board games and other fun activities instead. The tranquility suite at the Hotel Monaco in Chicago is one oasis, as is the Hotel Renaissance Pittsburgh where gadgets are surrendered at check-in and the TV, phone, and docking stations are replaced by literary classics.
• Apps: Of course, there are ways to quit your smartphone addiction using, well, your smartphone. An app called Digital Detox (inspired by the retreat and only available for Android users) lets you completely disable your phone for however long you choose. The same concept lies behind the app Sabbath Manifesto (available on iOS and Android). Oh, the irony.

Refreshing your Twitter feed for breaking news is one thing, but becoming a slave to your social networks is another. While some people use Facebook, Twitter, and other forms of social media to stay in touch with friends, others can't step away for five minutes without losing their minds. Are you one of them? Here, five signs you may be addicted to your social networks and what you can do about it.

• You're constantly checking for updates — Checking Facebook or Twitter for new updates a few times a day is one thing, but if you're checking on the bus, as soon as you get to work, constantly hitting the refresh button on your browser, and several times at night is going overboard. Sure, slacking off at work every so often has been proven to increase productivity, but if you're missing deadlines and getting into hot water with the boss because of your incessant need to examine your networks, you could have a problem.

Get the rest of the symptoms after the jump.

We all get a little lift from new gadgets, websites, and apps, but the addiction can escalate pretty quickly. A tweet here and an Apple store splurge there can spiral to an all-night Retail Therapy bender or Singstar marathon. Next thing you know, you're hiding the signs of staying up all night with makeup and venti soy lattes. Are you in a danger zone and in need of a techervention? Here are some telltale signs.

1. Your boyfriend surprises you with a couples spa weekend package and the first thing you say is, "Babe, does the hotel have WiFi?"
2. You own a Nook, Sony ereader, and Kindle.
3. Sleepingtime.org says you sleep less than five hours a night.
4. You know what Sleepingtime.org is.
5. You've wished for a tub shelf so you can soak in the bath and use your laptop at the same time.

For five other signs you're in need of a techervention, keep reading.

Researchers at the University of Maryland recently asked 200 students to leave their social media, news, and Internet connections behind for a full day, and what resulted were feelings of anxiety, loneliness, and inability to function — similar to those found in alcohol and drug related withdrawals. Is the Internet a drug? Possibly. Internet addiction is not a new idea. It's been said that kids are more susceptible to becoming hooked, prompting Internet rehab centers to pop up all over Asia. One student in the Maryland study proclaimed that she felt totally out of the loop with what was going on in her social circle after ditching her media outlets: "Texting and IM-ing my friends gives me a constant feeling of comfort. When I did not have those two luxuries, I felt quite alone and secluded from my life."

I admit that during waking hours I'm constantly checking up on my social media accounts, RSS feeds, and email, however, I don't feel these feelings of loss and disconnect when I take a vacation from the Internet. In fact, I look forward to unplugging. How about you — do you feel anxious or disconnected if you go too long without texts, IMs, email, or news?

Hi, my name is FitSugar and I am an Internet addict. Not exactly, but between my job, iPhone, and home computer, there are days that I can spend a lot of time on the web. While this may not be entirely bad — surfing the web may slow down dementia, after all — it's not all good either.

As much as I love all the great blogs, online communities, and fun time-wasting websites out there, I know that stepping away from the computer is a good thing. So I'm going to start shaving more and more time off my Internet usage, and may even make the weekend an Internet-free zone. For those of you not already doing this, I challenge you to do the same! You'll have more time to be active, visit with friends, and give your peepers a break from staring at a screen all day.

If you think giving up the computer may be too hard for you, here are a few tips that may help with withdrawals.

• Schedule unabashed Internet-free time. Start off by designating times during the day where you will completely unplug yourself. For starters, I've been trying to stay offline as soon as work ends. Hopefully, I'll bump that up to an entire weekend.
• Set time limits. Don't make your web surfing and Internet usage nebulous. I know plenty of folks who are always on. For some, it's a laptop on the coffee table, while others may have a borderline obsessive BlackBerry habit. These constant online distractions affect the real life happenings around you. Instead, give yourself a set time limit to check and answer emails or surf the web.

To see more tips, read more

Though it's not an official diagnosis, CNN reports that some kids and teens are more likely to become addicted to the Internet than others. A recent study suggests that kids who are depressed, hostile or have social phobia have a higher chance of developing an addiction, which is usually defined as spending so much time online that your day-to-day life suffers. Experts cite the constant stimulation of fast-paced video games and social networking sites, plus the ability to easily become anonymous or adopt a completely different persona.

According to the article, teens in Asian countries have the highest rate of addiction. In China alone, over 4 million teens are reportedly spending more than six hours a day online. Treatment is especially tricky, since it's nearly impossible to mandate teens avoid the Internet completely. To start, experts recommend parents put the computer in a central location in the home — like a hallway — as opposed to in a child's bedroom, which could encourage spending too much time online.

I think this is a scary phenomenon, and it's not new. Remember the Illinois facility offering treatment for web addiction and a similar Summer camp in China opened to help Internet-addicted teens? I just re-took the Internet addiction quiz to make sure I'm still in check!

• Available today for $130 is the Plantronics' Discover 975 Bluetooth headset — Boing Boing Gadgets
• Here are 10 things you may want to know about the PS3 Slim — Gizmodo
• Now with Picasa Web Albums you can collaborate on albums with your friends — Lifehacker
• Check out some trippy optical illusions from across the Internet — Switched
• The US gets its first Internet addiction treatment center near Seattle — CrunchGear
• A preview of the Nokia N900 tablet has been released before its official launch — CNET