Over the last two years, the press has devoted a great deal of attention to an alleged new affliction known as "Internet addiction." The basic idea is that as the Internet has become more pervasive in our society (and especially on our college campuses), there are individuals who have become "addicted" to being on-line. These folks apparently forsake all manner of direct human interaction as well as food, water, classes, personal hygiene, etc., in order to stay "connected" day and night.

Some call this addictive behavior. I prefer to think of these people as pioneers. Eventually, we will all be "connected" all the time. A new age has arrived. Let's not invent DSM IV classifications for those who are just a little ahead of the rest of us in embracing the future.

The truth is that "Internet addiction" is simply a myth--a fabrication by those who are relatively clueless concerning the tremendous changes that are taking place in how we relate to one another as human beings. When students spend 8-9 hours each day watching TV, we don't call it "TV addiction." And when students spend an inordinate amount of time talking on the telephone, we usually don't recommend a 12-step program to help them with their "phone addiction."

As an undergraduate, I routinely spent 6-7 hours each night in the lobby of our residence hall playing spades with my friends. Did I have a "spades addiction"? The list could go on and on. The point is that there is absolutely no cause for concern if students choose to spend several hours each day on-line. In the new age, there is no such thing as being "too" connected.

So why the sudden concern about "Internet addiction"?

Actually, this sort of extremist interpretation and knee-jerk reaction is fairly common in our society, and especially in our profession. In today's headline-hungry world, many people (journalists and academics in particular) have become quite adept at identifying isolated instances of excess and then presenting their "findings" as being true of the general population and/or cause for mass mobilization. It is not surprising, then, that the notion of "Internet addiction" is most often perpetuated by short-sighted, narrow-minded technophobes who lack the faculties to adequately comprehend how the world is evolving.

The computer is not merely a "tool" in the same sense as the typewriter or the fax machine. Culturally, it represents a progressive lifestyle--an entirely different way of existing in the world. The Internet is fundamentally changing the nature of communication. As educators, we should be encouraging all students to spend more time on-line. The more time the better.

By the beginning of the next century, we will all be on-line all the time. The Internet will be a completely ubiquitous part of who we are. Better to accept the inevitable and make provisions for it than to invent pathologies in a futile attempt to undermine its significance.

Maybe a little history lesson would be helpful.

The production-based economy that sustained our nation's unprecedented growth and expansion since the dawn of the Industrial Revolution is fading at an ever-increasing pace. We are now living in a technological era characterized by an economic and political system based primarily on the exchange of information. This inevitable progress has precipitated the emergence of a society that is inherently reliant on communication as the integral component of work. By the year 2000 (a mere three years from now), over 70 percent of the U.S. labor force will be engaged in occupations which are solely dependent on information processing for their continued existence.

Needless to say, this has profound implications for the manner in which individuals and organizations view their roles with respect to each other and to society as a whole. One of the most dramatic examples of this fundamental paradigm shift has been the explosive proliferation of computers into every aspect of our lives. The silicon chip has precipitated a revolution in the use of information that has inherently redefined who we are. With each passing day we become more and more dependent on computers as a means of accomplishing our individual and collective goals and objectives.

This has become all the more obvious as computers continue to be increasingly interconnected via the Internet.

The Internet, although in its infancy, is already altering our lives in ways which are unprecedented throughout the course of history. It is bringing about sweeping changes in the way we live, breath, work, and learn. The overall effect that the Internet will ultimately have on our various institutions has yet to be fully appreciated. It is evident, however, that many of the values we have long perceived as being absolutely essential to our way of life are now being seriously challenged as a consequence of the rise of data processing.

Chief among the institutions affected by the advances in information technology of the latter half of this century has been education. As a cultural enterprise, education is in the midst of a virtual revolution--precipitated, in large measure, by computers and their logical progeny, the Internet. Faculty, staff and students at all levels are going to become more involved with the Internet. We don't have a conscious choice in the matter. Being on-line will simply be a part of who we are; i.e., it will be interwoven throughout our lives.

Indeed, the Internet is fundamentally changing the way we view ourselves as a species.

Psychological resistance to the technological advances of the last few decades has been intense at times, but almost universally insignificant. The Internet is reality. In the not-too- distant future, being on-line will be the rule, not the exception. Those who are mistakenly referred to now as "Internet addicted" will one day be applauded for their efforts to build a bridge for the rest of us.

Finally, it is revealing to note that the term, "Internet addiction" was first used as a joke by psychiatrist Ivan Goldberg (see "Breathing Is Also Addictive" by Steven Levy in the December 30, 1996, issue of Newsweek). Unfortunately, there will always be those who lack the ability to appropriately conceptualize the world around them. The enlightenment of such individuals should be one of our highest priorities. In the meantime, whenever you hear someone refer to "Internet addiction," make sure you send them an e-mail or ask that they visit your homepage.