Passion and excess

When you discover something (or someone) and become passionate about it, you devote an enormous amount of time, money, energy and investment to it. If it's the Internet you're passionate about, you'll quickly find yourself devoting yourself to one or two particular activities: gaming, chatting, forums, sex, shopping, the stock market, etc. All passionate people tend to be over-enthusiastic. All passionate people tend to be excessive, especially when it comes to novelty. In psychoanalysis, the passionate person is defined as being "incapable of missing" the object of his passion, which brings him pleasure and quality of life. This is normal, and there's nothing alarming about it, even if this excess is sometimes accompanied by behavior similar to that of an addict, and those around them express concern or disapproval of this excess. Normally, after a period of discovery and excess, an equilibrium is established. However, some people find it difficult to cope with this new source of emotion, especially if it comes at a time in their lives when they need to relieve tension or anxiety, or fill a void, for example. The risk of developing a dependency then becomes significant.

What needs to be determined to see if there is a serious danger is the real cause of the abuse and its consequences. Is the sole purpose of excess always to increase satisfaction and pleasure? Are we trying to remedy anxiety, lack or dissatisfaction? Doesn't the time devoted to this activity interfere with work, other occupations, family life, activities with friends?

One of the main dangers of excessive Internet use is loneliness, whether individual isolation or group solitude. The Internet is a wonderful tool for socializing, but it's usually a socialization limited to a small group, which can resemble isolation for many. This isolation is not a bad thing in itself, any more than the isolation of someone who reads a lot of books, for example, as long as you don't make it an exclusive pastime and devote enough time in real life to friends, hobbies and studies. (example of types of break)
There are a few tests that can be used to determine whether you are becoming cyberdependent or not. A simple test is to go without Internet for a few days and see how you cope.