Christchurch man Jason Riley clocks up 40 hours a week on the internet – joining a growing number of people addicted to cyberspace. A new study from Stanford University in the United States says more than one in eight adult internet users show signs of addiction. Riley, an electrical fitter, says his computer runs 24 hours a day, seven days a week and is the focal point of the lounge, rather than the television. He spends up to 40 hours a week on the internet, keeping in touch with family and downloading ‘obscure TV shows’. His partner is not impressed. ‘She still gets to see me because we’re in the same room, but she’d prefer it if I had a different hobby. I was a geek when she met me though, and I’m still a geek.’ The study’s lead author, Elias Aboujaoude, said more internet users were starting to visit their doctors for help with ‘unhealthy attachments’ to cyberspace. ‘We often focus on how wonderful the internet is. How simple and efficient it can make things. But we need to consider the fact that it creates real problems for a sub-set of people,’ Aboujaoude […]