From Soup to Nuts, eBay Has It!--
People throughout the world, and especially in the United States flocked to eBay in order to sell rare, peculiar, and random objects -- and to purchase what was difficult to find elsewhere. One of the main attractions to eBay was also its impeccable record for follow-through in regard to transactions. Unique to eBay is the informality between the seller and the high bidder. There is no enforcement of agreements or mode and time of payment mandated by eBay. Rather, it is completely up to the buyer and the seller to work out how the transaction will be made. By January of 1999, almost 14 million transactions had taken place on eBay . . . only 27 frauds were reported. Such a record served a very convincing reason to do all auctioning on-line. As the rate of on-line auctioning increased, it became clear that there was a dark side after all.
     In 1999, two controversial items were posted on eBay. The first was a human kidney. An out-of-control auctioneer had decided that instead of donating a kidney, he would attempt to auction it on-line. Immediately the offer of a human kidney drew tremendous attention from thousands of visitors. This attention did not go unnoticed, and before the gentleman actually got to sell his kidney, the item was removed from the site. Sparking national and international attention, the attempted sale of a kidney on-line drew some harsh criticism and questioning. Many questioned the morality of such an act. The idea of selling parts of body parts for profit is undoubtedly morally questionable. People were also concerned with the idea of uncontrolled access to the site where children might wander upon the sale of something inappropriate.
     These fears were only strengthened when, later in the same year, female supermodels attempted to sell their eggs through on-line auctioning. The outcries protesting this event came from all over. The great majority of people today do not support genetic alteration, especially in humans. Many people viewed this event as a sad representation of human values, in addition to a terrible misuse of the Internet. Again, this is a clear example of how the creator of on-line auctioning had no way of predicting all of the possible uses for such a medium. Questionable morality and inappropriate sales, however, are not the only negative effects that on-line auctioning has had on society.

Addicted to eBay--
Addiction to on-line auction houses has become an enormous issue. Due to easy accessibility, many of the people who are drawn to auctioning are also addicted to it. What begins as the excitement of a person's first successful transaction on eBay can quickly lead to the seeking of ever-escalating thrills that come from competing with other users to make the highest bid. Addicts often find themselves caught up in the idea of competing with other bidders to win the offer, regardless of the desire to own the object being offered.
     Oftentimes, as is common with any addiction, addicts have a difficult time admitting to themselves that they are addicted. An individual may be spending a great deal of their free time and even some of their work time logged onto auction sites, spending enormous quantities of money without realizing how much it is taking away from their lives.

Signs of eBay Addiction--
Various on-line sources have developed "are you addicted" questionnaires so that addicts might test themselves to hopefully come to the realization that they are addicted. The goal of these questionnaires is to have addicts admit to any of the following conditions, feelings, or actions:
     --The need to bid more and more money
     --Thinking about the next on-line auctioning session
     --Lying to friends about the extent of on-line bidding
     --The feeling of restlessness while attempting to avoid auctioning
     --Unsuccessful attempts to stop bidding
     --Using on-line auctioning as a way to relieve depression and anxiety
     --Jeopardizing relationships, jobs, or education due to on-line auctioning
     --Engaging in forgery, fraud, or theft to finance on-line activities

     As one would assume, if any of the above questions applies to the individual, he or she can be classified as "addicted."

eBay Addiction in the Workplace--
Internet abuse in the workplace takes multiple forms, for example, the misuse of e-mail. However, on-line auctioning has recently become the major concern for employers. There are also questionnaires available on-line for employers so they can get a better handle on the degree and extent of Internet misuse their office. In these questionnaires, there is often at least one question about the use of on-line auction houses.
    In an attempt to achieve further understanding of what goes on in an addict's mind, I was fortunate enough to arrange an interview with a friend who, by no exaggeration, is completely addicted to eBay auctioning. "Jane," who attends Manhattanville College in Westchester, NY, spends "anywhere from $100-$500 per month." She claims to spend about 10 hours per week logged onto eBay, watching postings and making bids on different items. She described her desire to bid by saying,
     " . . . It was like a drug, no joke! It had control over me, not me over it.."
     Common are such responses from college students as they spend their crucial, limited time bidding on items they don't want or need -- with money they don't have -- just for the thrill of "winning" the item.
     In the past few months, Jane has purchased 12 pocketbooks, only two of which she actually uses.
     While originally a brilliant idea, on-line auctioning has a dark side. The sale of human organs and human eggs, in addition to the addiction that has resulted has drawn a shadow over what was and what could still be a terrific on-line industry. Again, we have another example of how the implications of an invention were far beyond what the inventor could have ever predicted.