How long does a year take when it's going away? This was a question asked by Dunbar to a very highly disciplined soldier right before explaining, rising in almost furious passion, how fast life goes and that the only way that can slow it down is the slow, tedious, and overall unpleasant aspects of life. Granted this conversation took place in a work of fiction; however, how Dunbar insisted that he spend most of his time on base shooting skeet simply because it made his life seem to pass slower does draw parallels to how we distract ourselves today. Unlike in the 50's when Mr. Heller first introduced us to his pleasantly insane world that was Catch-22, today we have the amazing expanse of information and entertainment known as the Internet as well as the multitude of mediums for accessing it: computers, tablets, cellphones, televisions, even the very confines of our car can read Facebook updates. But with this quickly growing rise in demand for technology, status updates, and quick amusement, there is also a growth in research on a literal addiction to the Internet and technology. Many in the social sciences worry that we may be looking at a dependence on the superficial global connection, one that I fear may leave us with an incapable generation of social media dependents.

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             Internet addiction is seen as an impulse-control disorder, much like other addictions such as to gambling or sexual activity, where users are unable to resist urges or impulses to access the Internet. In a recent study done by Dr. Kimberly Young of the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford, it was found that out of the nearly four hundred surveyed that were categorized as Internet dependent a resounding number had experienced academic, relationship, financial, or occupational problems that could be directly linked to excessive Internet use (Table 1). .

             Table 1 - Comparison of Type of Impairment to Severity Level Indicated.