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The Causes of Internet Addiction Although the causes of Internet addiction differ depending on the teen in question, experts at Stone Mountain School, a private boarding school for boys in North Carolina, have observed the following common precursors to Internet addiction: Low self-esteem Poor self-image Lack of achievements Feeling undervalued A feeling of lack of control over one’s life A feeling of being trapped Lack of a structured environment Stress and real-world problems Difficulty making and sustaining relationships Strained home environment Lack of community or friends Difficulty regulating persistent negative emotions Lack of a stimulating learning environment Lack of opportunities for mastery Lack of opportunities for exploration Lack of opportunity to play

Although the causes of Internet addiction differ depending on the teen in question, experts at Stone Mountain School, a private boarding school for boys in North Carolina, have observed the following common precursors to Internet addiction: Low self-esteem Poor self-image Lack of achievements Feeling undervalued A feeling of lack of control over one’s life A feeling of being trapped Lack of a structured environment Stress and real-world problems Difficulty making and sustaining relationships Strained home environment Lack of community or friends Difficulty regulating persistent negative emotions Lack of a stimulating learning environment Lack of opportunities for mastery Lack of opportunities for exploration Lack of opportunity to play Warning Signs of Internet Addiction Computers are going to remain a central part of American life, so it is essential for parents to learn ways to monitor their child’s computer use and detect the symptoms of Internet addiction. The experts at Stone Mountain School advise parents to watch for the following signs of Internet addiction: Preoccupation with the Internet Change in eating habits, sleep patterns or school performance Physical ailments such as numbness in the hands, eye strain, weight gain or loss, and headaches, back aches or neck aches Neglecting personal hygiene Missing school or work to surf the Web Refusing to do chores or fulfill other responsibilities because of Internet time Using the Internet longer than allowed or desired An inability to cut back on Internet use Giving up previously enjoyable activities in order to spend more time on the Internet Neglecting friends and family in favor of spending time on the computer Defensiveness or efforts to hide or lie about Internet use Becoming irritable when unable to use the Internet Isolating oneself socially or viewing the Internet as an escape Like other forms of addiction, Internet addicts experience difficulty quitting, tolerance (craving more and more screen time) and withdrawal (irritability, anxiety and boredom) when not using the Internet.

Warning Signs of Internet Addiction Computers are going to remain a central part of American life, so it is essential for parents to learn ways to monitor their child’s computer use and detect the symptoms of Internet addiction. The experts at Stone Mountain School advise parents to watch for the following signs of Internet addiction: Preoccupation with the Internet Change in eating habits, sleep patterns or school performance Physical ailments such as numbness in the hands, eye strain, weight gain or loss, and headaches, back aches or neck aches Neglecting personal hygiene Missing school or work to surf the Web Refusing to do chores or fulfill other responsibilities because of Internet time Using the Internet longer than allowed or desired An inability to cut back on Internet use Giving up previously enjoyable activities in order to spend more time on the Internet Neglecting friends and family in favor of spending time on the computer Defensiveness or efforts to hide or lie about Internet use Becoming irritable when unable to use the Internet Isolating oneself socially or viewing the Internet as an escape Like other forms of addiction, Internet addicts experience difficulty quitting, tolerance (craving more and more screen time) and withdrawal (irritability, anxiety and boredom) when not using the Internet.

In a virtual world, you can be anyone you want. You get to mingle, decorate your space, and in some games you can have a job. In order to maintain servers, a monthly subscription fee is required for most worlds.

"Let the technology work for you," Merlo suggests. "When the technology starts to become a burden or starts to interfere with your life, that's a good point for you to stop and really examine is this what I want for myself and what I want for my life."

Strong passwords that are kept secret are one way to safeguard your Internet privacy. The strongest passwords have certain characteristics: they have no personal information, they don’t use real words, they combine upper and lowercase characters with numbers, and they are at least eight characters long

Studies show the average teenager texts about 3,000 times a month

Neuro-imaging studies have shown that those kids who are texting have that area of the brain light up the same as an addict using heroin," said brain specialist Dr. Michael Seyffert.

Use a secure password: not your date of birth, vehicle registration, telephone number or anything associated with you that someone might easily guess.

Typing in all capital letters on the Internet is considered rude because it is difficult to read and comes across as very aggressive (LIKE SHOUTING!).

if you have a blog, forum, or website and you use your real name, any information that you post about yourself could be picked up by potential employers later on.

Spell check & proof read messages. Do not write in "all caps". Tell the truth in your profiles. Be yourself on the internet. Do not flame or respond. Stay away from spam and graymail. Be conservative in email you send. Do not send email late at night. Shop on secure sites. Use discretion when sharing.

Netiquette is how we use the internet effectively. The common conventions. It's the way cyber society operates.

one has the opportunity to communicate and collaborate with anyone from anywhere and anytime. Unfortunately, many users have not been taught how to make appropriate decisions when faced with so many different digital communicatio

communicate with other people. In the 19th century, forms of communication were limited. In the 21st

Digital Citizenship