1. Attention Deficit Disorder and the Internet

1. Instant Message and ADD
2. E-Mail and ADD
3. Surfing the Web with ADD
4. Early Intervention is Needed

2. Obsessive Compulsive Disorder and the Internet

1. OCD Explained
2. Common Form for Compulsion to Take is Addiction
3. OCD and Gambling
4. OCD and On-Line Auctioning

3. Online Auctioning

1. From Soup to Nuts, eBay Has It!
2. Addicted to eBay
3. Signs of eBay Addiction
4. eBay Addiction in the Workplace

4. Gambling On The Internet

1. On-Line Casinos
2. Sports Wagering
3. Are You Addicted to On-Line Gambling?

Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) affect approximately five percent of all individuals in the United States. It is a disorder that is present in both children and adults in school and in the workplace. Some of the many symptoms of ADD include an inability to focus on tasks, impulsive behavior, anti-social behavior, and even an inability to just sit still. Treatment of ADD is difficult, but very feasible. In some cases, prescription drugs are used to help focus and calm children and adults with ADD and ADHD. Many also benefit from learning strategies to help them get through daily life.
     Oftentimes, however, it is difficult for individuals to put these strategies to work, especially when they find themselves in situations where focusing and paying attention are needed, or if they are exposed to a new environment. This is where computer use -- especially the Internet -- can serve to distract, unnerve and revert a person's behavior.
     Impulsivity associated with ADD is probably the hardest barrier to conquer when a child or adult is learning to cope with their disorder. One of the first strategies an individual with ADD learns is to think out their actions and words before they carry them out.
     It is often apparent from early on that a child has developed a tendency towards impulsivity. Children and even adults will often answer questions before the question is finished being asked, or will listen to the first part of a question and ignore the next. In an effort to cope with this, children are reminded repeatedly to listen to the entire question, or to wait until all the directions have been given before they respond. Often, if these strategies are not carried out, an inappropriate response is blurted out. Such an inability to converse naturally with others is the underlying reason that ADD individuals have trouble conversing over the Internet.

Instant Message and ADD--
One example of communication difficulties for those with ADD and ADHD is apparent through Instant Message. Instant Message, or IM, is a medium for conversation over the Internet where two people can have a written conversation by sending each other brief messages. The messages can be as short as a word or two, or possibly as long as a few sentences. Normally, instant message exchanges resemble verbal conversations, the only difference being that the conversations are written out.
     When children with ADD are exposed to IM conversations, they often do not realize that the written message can have the same effect on a person's thoughts, emotions, and impressions as a verbal conversation. As the conversation is carried out, the child will often feel overwhelmed by the influx of questions or statements that are sent to him or her. Such a demanding task is extremely difficult for a person with ADD to complete successfully.
    The feeling of urgency to respond often leads people to respond impulsively or inappropriately. While this may seem like an innocent miswording from the sender, the recipient of the message will interpret the message literally and might quickly realize its inappropriate nature. People with ADD often fail to carry out natural conversations while conversing through IM. This is simply because it is not socially acceptable for them to take the time to think carefully about what they are about to say, before they send it.

E-Mail and ADD--
Another example of how individuals with ADD experience difficulty expressing themselves over the Internet is with e-mail. The ability to send information to others has become so quick and easy that it is an open invitation for individuals with ADD to make quick, inappropriate decisions about when to respond, how to respond, and who to respond to. An example of this in the workplace might go as follows:
     If a man with ADD or ADHD is at his place of employment and receives a humorous e-mail with some lewd content, he might find it extremely funny. Without stopping and thinking about the consequences, he might forward that e-mail to the entire company. This man receives immediate gratification by gaining the satisfaction that everybody will benefit from reading the e-mail. His supervisors will obviously judge the e-mail to be in poor taste, and the consequences will be that he is held back in his career because of his need for immediate gratification. His inability to control his impulsiveness might lead to inappropriate action by his supervisors.
     Children and teenagers with ADD can just as easily create inappropriate situations by neglecting to think actions through. Youngsters communicating through e-mail might send impulsive messages that have insulting or hateful material, without realizing its implications. While inappropriate use of e-mail is by no means limited to children and adults with ADD, the symptoms of ADD could easily lead an affected individual to partake in such inappropriate behavior.

Surfing the Web with ADD--
Another characteristic of ADD and ADHD is the ability to be easily distracted. Most of the time, it is extremely difficult for a person to focus on the task at hand without having their attention diverted constantly.
     It is often hard for a person with ADD to grasp the main idea of whatever they may be working on, because of their inability to control their minds, and sometimes even their eyesight and bodies. Because of this, the Internet and all its Web sites with their bright colors, shapes and pictures flashing can be very disturbing to many people with ADD. It extremely hard to know where to focus when the Web sites that they visit are littered with links, pictures, flashing signals, and text -- all at the same time. It is not uncommon for these individuals to navigate quickly from site to site, as they are unable to grasp the main idea of each site. Their impulse is to go, go, go.
     The presence of the computer 'mouse' can make this situation even worse. Many ADD and ADHD children and adults become fidgety and unsettled when trying to focus on a task. Through easy manipulation, the mouse can be used to bring an influx of visual information overload to the viewer. That mouse serves as the steering wheel for the Internet; and it sure goes fast. Successful navigation and researching on the Internet can be an extremely tedious job for individuals with ADD and ADHD.
     In a world where the Internet is becoming a daily necessity in our school and work lives, this can be a nightmare for those with ADD. Obvious answers for helping people with ADD to navigate the Internet are good (read-uncluttered!) Web design, easy site navigation, and servers with enough bandwidth to download pages quickly, such as Road Runner.

Early Intervention is Needed--
ADD and ADHD develop in children in their elementary years and are present in their life throughout adulthood. Elementary school years are also the primary years that computer skills are developed. Unless coping strategies are taught early on for computer and Internet use, those difficulties may last into adulthood. The child who can't stay on a Web page for more than 30 seconds and sends impulsive, inappropriate instant messages could easily turn into the adult who abuses Internet access at the workplace and sends what appear to be scattered, unorganized e-mails.