Info about the author, the book, and Internet addiction

Is that your picture on the cover of Hooked on the Net?

Heavens no!

Oh. Is the picture on the cover of your new book modeled after you?

Not really. I've never propped my eyes open with toothpicks. Besides, I'm much better looking.

What do you look like, then?

On a good day, I look like this:

Very flattering! You look happy, and fairly well adjusted.

Thank you! (I think.)

So, what inspired you to write Hooked on the Net?

This book was actually born of some of my own experiences with the Internet. I've been online for a decade now, and from time to time over those years, I've found myself feeling drawn to the Net. During the early days of my Internet experience, I found myself spending hours and hours clicking through Usenet newsgroups (this was before the World Wide Web had really caught on), discovering new conversations about anything and everything. It was all so exciting! But I also found myself losing track of time, and experiencing a strange euphoria from my Internet usage. I guess it was a sort of Internet-induced high, and I found myself eager to get back online. When the web came along, with all its fancy graphics, multimedia, and easy access, I became even more absorbed in the Internet world. I was also using the Net to conduct research for other books and articles about the Internet, and it was very easy to spend a lot of time online.

Soon, I started reading newsgroup messages from people who claimed they were "addicted" to Usenet, or chat, or some other aspect of the online realm. Then I heard about Kimberly S. Young and the studies she was conducting related to Internet addiction, and the whole idea intrigued me. I wasn't sure whether I believed it all, but I was definitely intrigued by the idea that psychologists were thinking individuals could actually get addicted to this non-drug. I'd always thought of addiction as a substance abuse problem, and the Internet wasn't a "substance" in the traditional sense of the word.

After Young's book, Caught in the Net, was published in 1998, the whole topic suddenly became big news. The next year ABC News and other psychiatrist, David N. Greenfield conducted a study which claimed that 11 million people may suffer from Internet addiction. That drew even more media attention. I started reading some of the counter-arguments, questioning the methodology used by Young and Greenfield, and started reading more about the subject. At the same time, I discovered that no one in the Christian community was writing about the subject. So, I saw a void, and decided to fill it.

What qualifies you to write such a book?

That's a very good question. I'm not a psychiatrist or a psychologist. I have no formal training in psychology, mental health or any related field. I wrote Hooked on the Net from the perspective of a Christian Internet aficionado who is also an ordained minister and who has a background in journalism. So, I suppose my qualifications for writing this book are based on my own experience and my Christian faith.

You're an ordained minister? So, do you pastor a church?

Yes, I am an ordained minister. But no, I do not pastor a church. I am a volunteer youth pastor for Salem Faith Assembly Church, a nondenominational church located in Salem, Missouri, USA.

So, what's your opinion of Internet addiction?

As to whether Internet addiction is a valid psychological disorder, I believe that the jury is still out. I do believe, however, that anyone who spends a lot of time using the Internet is in danger of becoming "compulsive" in their Internet use -- or, in Kimberly Young's words, "Net-dependent." And, as the Internet becomes more widespread, that means more and more of us are susceptible.

What can we do to safeguard ourselves from becoming Net-dependent?

The first step is self-awareness. If we deny the possibility of any sort of Internet dependency or compulsive use of the Internet, then we're in trouble. But if we can objectively examine ourselves and our Internet use and consider the possibility that we might be at risk of compulsive Internet use, then we've taken the big first step. From there, we can take some online quizzes developed by experts in this field to see just how vulnerable we might be.

Do you talk about this stuff in your book?

I do indeed.

Cool! How may I purchase a copy?

Pick one up at your local Christian bookseller. Or purchase it online.

What about your other books? Where might I buy them?

The easiest way is to go to this online bookstore.

Very cool. Thank you!

You're welcome.

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