When Internet addiction is actually a good thing

A study from researchers at the University of Hong Kong claims that 420 million people are addicted to the Internet, about 6 percent of the world’s population. That 6 percent number may not sound high but it is -- it’s actually more than three times the rates of pathological gambling observed in even the most gambling-obsessed nations around the world.

But consider another, more positive scenario: That 6 percent number is actually a sign that more people than ever before are using the Internet to drive rapid and systematic socioeconomic change. Rapid rates of Internet adoption by the world’s youth are the reason why we are seeing Arab Spring-type scenarios spontaneously happen around the globe. Impoverished nations with weak socioeconomic safety nets are more likely to have worse Internet addiction rates than wealthier nations. In fact, Internet addiction was found to be highest in countries or regions with a lower quality of life. People are getting addicted to the Internet because their real-world lives are so awful and they want some form of escape, not because they are surrounded by tablets and smartphones and PCs. It’s not so much that people are “addicts” -- it’s that they are intoxicated with the ability to use the Internet to change their standards of living.