| Children are becoming especially vulnerable to | | | | get older. |
| becoming computer addicts, because there are an | | | | Older adults are another rapidly growing population |
| unlimited number of video games available, | | | | of computer addicts. They decide to get a |
| twenty-four hours a day. If you're a parent | | | | computer and log onto the Internet out of |
| worried about your children, watch them for signs | | | | curiosity about all the fuss, and quickly find |
| of withdrawals when they can't play on the | | | | themselves being drawn into the web. Many of |
| computer for an extended period. They'll become | | | | them are attracted to Internet gaming, and there |
| irritable and studies have shown that children | | | | have been cases of some older people losing |
| develop strong cravings for their games, not | | | | huge sums on the Internet after being unable to |
| unlike a drug addict yearning for a fix. | | | | stop themselves from gambling. One of the thing |
| Adolescents are even more vulnerable, and can | | | | older folks complain about after realizing that |
| spend extreme amounts of time on the | | | | they've become addicted, is the amount of |
| computer if given free rein. Spending too much | | | | precious time they've been losing, time they really |
| time on the computer damages social skills and | | | | don't have to spare in many cases. |
| can adversely affect friendships, schoolwork, and | | | | Computers and the Internet are wonderful things, |
| many other areas of their lives. Teens may be | | | | and there is a huge amount of information |
| the most likely to become computer addicts, | | | | available to more people than ever before. |
| although there is some evidence to show that | | | | However, it seems that some people just can't |
| they may outgrow it to a large extent once they | | | | seem to know when to say when. |