Interview 1

Mr. Edmund Teo is School Counselor @ Hwa Chong Institution of Singapore.
He is also a participant of International Problem-Based Learning Symposium 2007, a member of Singapore Association for Counselling and Guest trainer for International Problem-Based Learning Symposium 2007

Bo: Thank you for agreeing to this interview. Today we have Mr. Edmund Teo from Hwa Chong Institution to discuss with us the issues surrounding Internet Addiction Disorder (IAD). Welcome Mr. Teo. Mr. Teo, can you give us a brief introduction on Internet Addiction Disorder?
Teo: Well, the Internet Addiction Disorder is just like a normal addiction disorder, we look at patterns of behavior such that the pattern of behavior affects the normal functioning , whether it is social, emotional etc.

Bo: Mr. Teo, how serious is the addiction disorder globally as well as in Singapore?
Teo: There isn’t any study done globally. In Singapore, there are some informal studies. We don’t have the figure, but one thing we do know that there are increasing number of people who are seeking professional help or referred to professional help on Internet addiction.

Bo: Mr. Teo, is there any such cases of Internet addiction in this school, the Hwa Chong Institution?
Teo: To date I’ve seen a few cases, and of these few cases, one of them had to be referred to psychiatrist for clinical help.

Bo: So there seems to be very few cases in the school. What has the school done to prevent such cases from happening?
Teo: It’s difficult for the school to prevent this from happening, because when we talk about spending time on the computer. In school, the students don’t present the issue, because they are not on the computer most of the time. It’s when they’re home, where they spent a lot of time on the computer, and parents feel that they are unable to manage this. In terms of what the school can do, what we can do is to highlight the issue of usage of computers, and what will be healthy and productive use of computer, and the habits. That’s all that we can do. If cases are highlighted to us, what we can do is to help the student with counseling. And if counseling is inadequate, we will refer him to professional help.

Bo: Can you tell us some of the usual symptoms of IAD?
Teo: Ok, one thing which will be very obvious is in terms of homework and academic performance, the students typically begin to submit late homework or no homework at all. There is drastic drop in academic performance, that’s all about academics. Physically, you can see signs of very tired, very hagged, they tend to lose a lot of weight, they tend to look very restless, and there is a kind of glazed look. So these are the physical symptoms you see. In extreme cases, we haven’t seen this in our school yet, people who are really addicted to computers find that they are not able to come to school. Either because of computers, or that they are so tired that they can’t bring themselves to school.

Bo: So, what are the implications of such an addiction?
Teo: For teenagers, the implications will be that it affects their school work, their academic especially; it affects them socially, because when they spend time on the computer, they will not spend time with their friends. Emotionally, well, it leads to something like emotional groan, as they only interact with computers. So, the implications are quite severe, for those with Internet Addiction Disorder.

Bo: Do you think this should be a serious problem that should be highlighted? If so, how should you highlight it?
Teo: Looking at the increasing use of computer and the Internet, we anticipate more cases of students having difficulty managing their Internet use. So logically speaking, we anticipate that there will be an increase. How should it be highlighted? It already is. What we are trying to do now is to begin to look at educating teenagers on healthy computer habits, and also work with parents to teach them how to manage their time well. There is also an Internet addiction clinic being set up by VWO (Voluntary Welfare Organization).

Bo: What can teenagers and parents can do to prevent themselves from getting IAD?
Teo: Cultivate healthy computer use habits. For teenagers, it means learning how to regulate their computer use, for parents it means for them to work with teenagers to help them regulate, and this is where parents need to remember that they have the decision. Especially at the start, to limit the amount of time spent on the computer. More importantly, for parents to look at alternative things that their children can do, like spending time together.

Bo: If some unfortunate events happen and such an addiction occurs, what can be done to treat the addiction?
Teo: Again, when we talk about addiction, there are various levels and intensity. If someone spends a lot of time on the computer, but parents and teachers and counselors can work with the person, and the person says “Ok, I’m willing to manage my time”, then it’s not an issue. In severe cases, where the person feels that he’s unable to manage his habit, then this is where more intensive intervention comes in. The first line is usually the counselor, if the counselor can’t manage, then he will be referred to a psychiatrist. What a psychiatrist can do under certain circumstances is to admit him into a hospital in a ward, basically refrain him from using the computer, possibly some medication.

Bo: To our knowledge, there is an Internet Addiction Disorder Clinic in China, and they use medications to solve the problem of addiction. Do you think that should be the case (appropriate measure) to solve the problem?
Teo: The thing is, Internet Addiction Disorder hasn’t been classified as a medical illness, or psychiatric illness. So, because it isn’t classified in DSM IV as a medical condition, it doesn’t quite make sense to use medication. Very often, the medication prescribed is not used to address the disorder itself, but to address anxiety. In terms of China, I don’t think it’s just medication, what they do is they put the kids through the boot camp, regimentation. My sense is that it isn’t appropriate for us.

Bo: Why would that be so?
Teo: First, we look at the resources, do we have the resources to run the boot camp? Second, in terms of the upbringing and education of our culture, our society and our kids, putting a boot camp doesn’t seem appropriate at all, because they are like jails. The way China does it is one way of treatment, there are many alternative ways of treatments to be explored. And treatments are always tailored to the needs of the client, customer, other than just one treatment fits all.

Bo: According to an extensive research done in China, it was found that one out of eight teenagers are prone to Internet Addiction Disorder. Do you think the problem will rise in future, when more and more people will have access to high speed Internet?
Teo: I’m not sure if the research studied by China is accurate, I’m not sure if it’s extensive. Do I think that more kids will be prone to Internet Addiction Disorder? I think that more kids are exposed to the Internet culture, because more kids are exposed, then logically the risk is higher. But, it is difficult to measure risk. One thing we do know is that it does happen, and it will be productive to address it when it happens, and what can we do to minimize the chance of it happening.

Bo: The Internet Addiction, is like any other addiction, can resurface after a treatment. What do you think can be done to prevent this from happening?
Teo: Treatment and recovery of any addiction is not like prevention in the sense, it’s about coping. So let’s say we deal with smoking and alcoholism, in merely counseling context, psychotherapy context, we assume the person may relapse. So there’s a relapse management plan to manage the treatment plan. The idea is, having received treatment and undergone therapy, the addict, or recovered addict, can be in a better position to manage it. So, realistically talking about prevention may not be helpful, we talk about management I think it will.

Bo: Can you provide a few tips to teenagers on how to manage their problems in order not to get addicted to the Internet?
Teo: One is to have a healthy balanced life. The Internet and the computer is one activity, but there are other activities that they can engage in, activities like going out, spend time with your friends, catch a movie, socializing. So, there is a list of activities that they can engage in.

Bo: Before talking about treatment, we need to know how Internet Addiction is formed. Can you tell us some of the causes?
Teo: Difficult to explain. No psychiatrist or healthcare professional can tell you what are exactly the causes. We can only begin to look at certain patterns, and speculate at best, but it’s difficult, if not impossible to talk about what the causes are.

Bo: According to some researches, teenagers are found to be most prone to Internet Addiction Disorder. Do you think so?
Teo: I’m not sure if a agree with researches that teenagers are more prone. I’m not sure, I’ve not seen the research papers. Because of that, I don’t think I can answer you that question. One thing I would say is that people who have access to computer and the Internet are obviously those who rely on these, they would present themselves as high risk, especially if they have poor social skills, they tend to rely on the computer as social place.

Bo: Finally, can you say a few words to our audiences, on this addiction?
Teo: Well, the first thing is, if you’re not really addicted, it’s very simple. If you worry if you’ll ever get addicted, the simple thing is that if you don’t want to get addicted, have a balanced lifestyle. For those who are addicted or you think that you’re addicted, when you wake up, or at every moment that you have the urge to be in front of the computer, which is a sign which you may be addicted, seek help, do seek help. And help may be in the form of seeing a teacher, seeing a counselor, or even seeing a medical doctor. They may be able to help you.

Bo: Thank you Mr. Teo, we hope that you’ve enjoyed this interview.

Interview 2

This is an online chat room interview with an Internet addict. As he did not want his identity to be disclosed, we used "Jim" as his bogus name. We contacted him through the Internet Anonymous website which is a support group for Internet addicts.

Tian Bo: Please introduce yourself.
Jim: I’m Jim, 25 years old.

Tian Bo: What do you do for a living?
Jim: Ask my parents for money. I used to have a temporary job, but quitted.

Tian Bo: How often do you surf the Internet?
Jim: Everyday.

Tian Bo: How long do you often spend on the net?
Jim: 8-10 hours a day.

Tian Bo: What do you often do on the net?
Jim: Go to IRC and chat with my online friends most of the time.

Tian Bo: Why do you find the IRC so addictive?
Jim: My friends on IRC and I are surprisingly alike, they understand me, while others don’t. I feel close to them and we can talk about anything under the sun.

Tian Bo: How has your life changed after addiction?
Jim: Almost the same. I still quarrel with my parents and I am still broadening my online network of friends. Perhaps the most important thing is that I’ve lost my girlfriend.

Tian Bo: Sorry to be offensive, but don't you think that your obession with the Internet has affected your life somehow?
Jim: Hmm, sort of, but I just cannot stop my urge to chat with my online friends as my old friends all ostracise me due to my unemployment.

Tian Bo: Do you want to get out of this addiction?
Jim: Yes, I need to have a stable income so that I can get a girlfriend to settle down. And I prefer friends in real life.

Tian Bo: Thank you. We are currently making an educational website on Internet Addiction Disorder, stay tuned to get tips on how get out of it, together with other information. I hope it will help you to curb your Internet addiction.

This is an interview with a 17 year old Singaporean who is now Secondary and is studying in Catholic High School. He requested his name to be undisclosed and so we use "Josh" as his fake name.

Bo: How did you get addicted to the internet?
Josh: It started in 2003, when there was a SARS outbreak in Singapore, and schools stopped for a month or so. Staying at home was extremely boring, but I couldn’t get out from home due to fears of an infection. I started to play Gunbound (a Multiplayer online game), and got addicted to online games since.

Bo: To what extent did you get addicted?
Josh: I played Gunbound for up to 16 hours in a day when school stopped. Things got a little better when school started, my online time averaged 6 hours a day. I did not do my homework, and my grades dropped significantly.

Bo: Did anything happen in between?
Josh: Yes, my addiction changed from Gunbound to DotA (an add-on to game Warcraft III, usually played online as well), I began to play games for money, after I sold my Gunbound account for $200. Third year in high school started to become boring for me, and I began skipping school. Ultimately, I skipped almost a whole semester, and got retained.

Bo: Did the monetary reward cause you to skip school?
Josh: Definitely yes. I thought that I could be a professional game player like those in Japan and Korea, after realizing that I can earn money with games. After playing DotA, my earning increased as the game got more popular. People were willing to pay more to get the cyber items. I also played several games simultaneously to increase my income. During my period of addiction, I was able to earn a humble income when I was having fun.

Bo: What are the implications of the addiction on your life?
Josh: The addiction had severe consequences on me. Firstly, my academic results dropped, and I was retained for a year. My family life was also ruined. I often had fights with my parents, I would yell at them whenever they ask me to stop playing. It was to the extent that they got so sad that they gave up on me. Mum often cried when she was at home. We did not have a proper family dinner during my period of addiction. In addition, my girlfriend broke up with me, my best friends left me… In short, my life was ruined by the Internet.

Bo: How did the addiction end?
Josh: Thanks to my parents and teachers, they made me realize that I cannot survive my playing games. I realized that my ambition of becoming a game designer cannot be achieved by just playing games. I need to gain more knowledge. In addition, my new teachers gave me a lot of encouragement, and that spawned hope in me. I loved the school more, I loved lessons, loved attempting homework, and I cut short my time in front of the computer. I will be having my GCE O level examinations this year, my busy study schedule allows me to neglect the games.

Bo: Who would you thank most?
Josh: I would thank Ms. Wong, my form teacher, for her continuous encouragement and help in my school work. She told me that the sky is still calm and blue after a thunderstorm, now I believe that my life can still be normal after all the events.

Bo: Thank you for your time, and good luck for your examinations.