can you get addicted to the internet eg Facebook

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My H is always on facebook, Twitter, you tube or something on the internet. He either goes on theses things on his phone or table occasionally on the PC. He does it as soon as he gets up during breakfast in fact anytime he is sat, he does work full time and goes out cycling most days but the fact he is on the internet all other times makes me wonder if it's become addictive for him.

Yes, it can. My son is 28 and has stopped all use of the internet because he says he was addicted and not living in the 'real world' on his downtime. Good luck with trying to stop him, though.

Yes, I am a bit addicted myself. I tried to give up FB for Lent, but within 24 hours I checked, just to make sure there were no messages for me or posts in a small supportive group I belong to. It turned out I had won a competition for a £300 gadget during my 24 hour absence - imagine if I hadn't checked!

I always check MN and FB several times a day and it does stop me from doing other more boring important things. Sometimes I will waste hours browsing threads on here.

My DP has just quit a game he was playing a lot (think Candy Crush) as he was finding himself planning it into his day. He had certain levels to reach and was part of a team and it started to bother him that he was having to factor this into his day so that he didn't let people down.

He obviously has much better will power than I do, he just deleted the app. But then he did that with smoking too, just decided one day that he wasn't going to let it get the better of him, so he stopped. I think if your H sees that he is wasting time then he may be able to cut back, but if he sees no harm in it he will be like any other addict - you have to want to stop!

Yes. I was addicted to twitter. I spent a lot of time and energy on it, professionally networking. It was great for my career but not so great for me.

actual addiction no. But for all intents and purposes, yes. It can and does suck people into it until they neglect all rl and rl responsibilites. There are some very sad forums for gaming widows.

World of Warcraft in particular has been responsible for quite a lot of problems, as well as some good things for people. The game is set up and deliberately formulated to encourage, almost force people to spend time on it. You have to sink more and more time in if you want to achieve the next reward dangling in front of it. Cleverly done.

Dutch research has shown that often people who are 'addicted' are actually simply escaping into a world where it's easier to find like-minded people and acceptance.

That'd be my dh then. He's obsessed with a game called Empire. He spends hours strategising and fighting with people online. He's dyslexic and occasionally he'll ask me how to spell a word, he has so much 'admin' in the game.

It drives me bonkers, I hate to think of the time he's wasting, but I guess it's his escapism after a long day at work. He'll get bored of it after a while. I hope.

I was massively addicted to an online game called Second Life, to the point I was on there night and day. I stopped eating and sleeping. If I physically was unable to be on there then I would literally feel ill.
I neglected my home, myself and worst of all my children. I was going thru a nasty separation after domestic violence and this was my escape into another world.

Then one day I woke up and what I was doing got through the fog and I decided there and then to stop. It was very hard and even now almost 4 years since I last went on there I feel a pull to go back, however I now have a wonderful home life and I never want to put my family through that again.

I know quite a few people at work who are constantly checking their mobile phones for updates on social media and can become visibly agitated at times.

I also think lots and lots of people now do things in their lives only for the sole purpose of uploading it all onto Facebook. "Look at me paragliding, running the marathon, dressed up as a pouty faced bee in the club, etc, etc..."

My DP was addicted to an online game, he was admin as well, so as well as playing he 'had' to monitor players and all sorts. Its taken over his home life for the last few years. I had enough and asked him to cut down on the game or get out.. He chose the game :-(
Now I'm addicted to mumsnet!

Yes you can get addicted to the Internet.

I fell out of love with someone after 7 years, we were perfect for each other in every way apart from the fact that I eventually ended up having a relationship with the back of his head, he was always facing his computer. I could not help him.

Thank you for all your comments it's been helpful reading them knowing it's not just me and my DH in this situation. I've spoken to him again and for the past 24 hours he as tried not to go on his phone as much, just have to see how it goes.

It might be worth having some rules, for example DP and I have a rule about not using phones/ipads etc in bed. He will play while I'm in the bathroom, but the minute I appear he turns it off. We also have little windows of 'playtime' in the evening where we'll say lets do xyz on the ipad until 9pm then we'll watch something together. Could you try that?

Yes i get fed up with my dh on twitter.
sometimes i wonder whats he's up to as he is on there but hardly tweets :/