How do you know if you may be addicted to the Internet? Impairment to real life relationships appears to be the number one problem caused by Internet addiction. 

Internet addicts gradually spend less time with real people. Instead, they prefer to be in front of a computer. People often think such behaviour is just temporary and the attraction will soon dissipate. However, when the addictive behaviour continues, arguments about the increased amount of time and energy spent online soon occur. But such complaints are often neglected by the Internet addicts. They become angry and resentful at those who question their Internet use or try to take them away from the Internet. 

Common responses from an addict might be, "I don't have a problem," or "I am having fun, leave me alone." These are the signs which may later lead to the deterioration of family relationships. The following test will help you determine if you may be affected by an Internet addiction. 

Please answer the following questions using this scale:

1 = Rarely 2 = Occasionally 3 = Frequently 4 = Often 5 = Always

Start!

1. How often do you desire or demand your privacy when online?

2. How often do you neglect household work to spend more time online? 

3. How often do you prefer to spend time online rather than with the rest of your family? 

4. How often do you form new relationships with fellow online users? 

5. How often do you complain about the amount of time you spend online? 

6. How often does your work suffer because of the amount of time you spend online? 

7. How often do you check your e-mail before doing something else? 

8. How often do you seem withdrawn from others since being online? 

9. How often do you become defensive or secretive when asked what you do online? 

10. How often do you try to sneak online against your wishes? 

11. How often do you ignore spending romantic evenings with your partner since discovering the online world? 

12. How often do you receive strange phone calls from new online friends? 

13. How often do you snap, yell, or act annoyed if bothered while online? 

14. How often do you come to bed late because you stay up late online? 

15. How often do you seem preoccupied with being back online when offline? 

16. How often do you lie or try to hide how long you spend online? 

17. How often do you choose to spend time online rather than doing hobbies you once enjoyed ? 

18. How often do you prefer to spend time online rather than doing sports? 

19. How often do you choose to spend more time online than going out with friends? 

20. How often do you feel depressed, moody, or nervous when offline?

END OF TEST

Add up all the points and see the results below:

20 - 49 points: You are an average online user. You may surf the web a bit too long at times, but seem to have control of its use.

50 - 79 points: You seem to be experiencing occasional to frequent problems because of the Internet. You should consider the full impact of the Internet on your life and on your relationships with others.

80 - 100 points: Scores in this range indicate that the Internet use may be causing significant problems in your life and your relationships with others. You should evaluate how the Internet has affected your relationships and address these problems now.