Addiction and Internet Use: Some Apps Might Help Halt It

When we hear about addiction, we usually attribute it to the idea of being so involved or attached with something, be it a substance, an object, or even an activity. Defining addiction may sometimes be tricky -- more so, overcoming it -- but innovators have started to make their own versions of resolving such dilemmas, app to app.

Usually, the technical definition of addiction will only qualify those who have several factors underpinning it, including symptoms of withdrawal when temporarily or abruptly separated from the addiction, easily altered mood, and sometimes the feeling of being out of control once exposed to stimuli. These are considered as the denominators of true "addiction," but still, many argue about the limitations set by this concept.

On a published paper authored by Sussman and his colleagues, they tried to explore addictions, focusing not only on substances but also on activities such as internet use and social media accessing in U.S. adults. Based on their results, at any time, almost half of the U.S. population is addicted to one or more behaviors, with 47 percent of the U.S. adult population having maladaptive signs of an addictive disorder. There were also problems on people giving up with their addiction since they tend to replace it with another one, which is termed as "reciprocity" by psychological experts.

But innovators have started to resolve addictions caused by technology using technology itself. Here are some of the useful applications featured by a website that can help you lessen your internet and social media use:

Android Applications

1. Stay on Task

This application will be your virtual "secretary" who checks on your "tasks" randomly. It will pop up questions, asking if you are still on track, or it can even help you to go back to the mainstream whenever you are a bit distracted on several things, which usually happen when you stumble upon some other tasks or web pages that sparked your interest.

2. AppDetox

Not your usual cleansing solution, but this application is quite useful especially to game addicts and social media site watchdogs. You will be asked to set your own rules on the onset, and once you're caught breaking your own standards, the app will remind you.

3. Flipd

If you wanted to be a bit stricter to yourself, then try this out. Flipd will allow you to set a lock on your phones for a certain period of time, and even if you restart your phones, the application will not be disabled.

iOS Applications

4. BreakFree

For a more detailed monitoring of your activities, BreakFree can be the application for you. This tool helps iPhone users to track down the actual usage per application, converting it to "addiction scores."

5. Moment

Similar with BreakFree, this app also tracks your application use. You can set your daily limits per application using Moment and may also set an alert to remind you when you're going beyond your set level. This app can also help you track your family's phone logs so that you can personally monitor their addiction as well