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Researching the impact of Web addiction disorder in government departments in KwaZulu-Natal
Last modified: 2009-11-24
Abstract
The aim of this paper is to examine Web/Internet addition disorder within the government departments in KZN. It is important to note that Internet addiction/disorder is a relatively new term used to describe when a person becomes addicted to the time he/she spends on the Web. Of significance, the Web can be addicting, to the point that it disturbs one's life and the lives of those around him/her. Through a survey, key government departments in the province were sampled through purposive sampling technique. Questionnaires, that were largely structured, were distributed to 52 top, middle and lower management respondents from four government ministries in the area, namely, department of Arts and Culture; Home Affairs, Education and Health. 13 questionnaires were distributed per department. The overall response rate was 71% (37). The findings indicate that there are civil servants suffering from Web addiction. In addition, the findings further indicate that the Web is the most informative resource. However, there are varying opinions on the subject of Web addiction. Of the respondents, 65% said that the Web can be addicting, to the point that it disturbs one's life and the lives of those around him/her. Conversely, 35% argued that there is no such thing as Web addiction disorder. The basis of their argument is that getting pleasure out of a computer is not the same as getting pleasure from cocaine or any other drug. In conclusion, whether there is or is not a bona fide disorder, the truth is, the Web is disrupting many people's lives.
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