Is internet addiction real ?

WHAT IS INTERNET ADDICTION?
Internet Addiction - are essentially terms that have been applied to those that spend excessive amounts of time online at the expense of and to the detriment of other aspects of their lives. The obsessive behaviour takes the form of particular activities, and might include any or all of the following :
• Relationships: spending excessive amounts of time starting and maintaining online friendships
in chat rooms, which replace real-life friends and family.
• Money : compulsively gambling online, trading online, and partaking in online auctions.
• Information searching : compulsive web surfing or database searches.
• Gaming: obsessive computer game playing, including multi-user games.
• Sex : addiction to adult chatrooms, cyber sex or pornography on the Internet.
There has been an increasing amount of attention given to this phenomenon, and attempts to quantify the problem have produced some staggering statistics: for example, figures suggesting that as many as 6-10% of the 189 million US Internet users have a dependency on the Internet, and there are as many as 1 million German Internet addicts. There have also been cases recorded of addiction to texting on mobile phones. [© Childnet International 2006.]

While Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia terms internet addiction disorder (IAD), or more broadly Internet overuse, problematic computer use or pathological computer use is excessive computer use that interferes with daily life.

Psyciatrist, Dr Muhammad Muhsin Ahmad Zahari, deputy chief coordinator at University Malaya Centre of Addiction Sciences defined internet addiction as a maladaptive use of the internet that leads to social and functional impairment.

Internet addiction is on the rise in the world's largest Net market, and now Chinese doctors have officially defined it as an ailment.
Users who spend six hours or more per day online, and exhibit at least one symptom including difficulty sleeping or concentrating, yearning to be online, irritation, and mental or physical distress are classified as meeting the definition of addiction.
Being hooked on the Internet has been considered a problem in Chinese society as early as 2005, when the first clinic dedicated to Internet addiction opened in Beijing. It began accepting patients who exhibited dependency symptoms for those of substance abuse.
China also has "boot camps" designed to help addicts kick the habit by helping to change their routine.
About 10 percent of China's 253 million Internet users exhibit some form of addiction to the medium, and 70 percent of those people are young men, an official Xinhua News Agency report said.
So is internet addiction real ? Yes, I believed it is.

So to avoid this addiction why not get addicted to JESUS instead. Because only Jesus can fill any vacumn that you have in your life.

Old and abandoned

The Sunday Star "Old and abandoned" highlight the rising cases of forsaken seniors in government hospitals. In the first five months of this year, Kuala Lumpur Hospital topped the list, registering 134 such cases against 120 cases, a 12% increased while Penang Hospital reported 114 cases for the whole of 2008.

Children who could or would no longer bear the cost of taking care of their aged and infirm parents are treating hospitals like a 'dumping ground' because food, shelter and medication are provided by the Government. And it saves them the hassle of applying for places for their parents in government-run welfare homes.

Good family values like filial piety must be inculcated from young, said Health Minister, Datuk Liow Tiong Lai while experts advise parents to nurture a strong bond with their children from young to avoid being abandoned later.

But there are also cases of parents not loving their children leading to them [the parents] being abandoned when they are old and their health deteriorating. Parents need to sow love and care to their children when they are still young and the bible promises that they will reap abundantly of it when they are old. For ever action there has a reaction.

Galatians 6 : 7 Do not be deceived : God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows.

The bible recorded in Exodus 20 : 12 and Deuteronomy 5 : 16 to "Honor your father and mother, so that you may live long in the land the Lord your God is giving you."

Ephesians 6 : 2-3 Honor your father and mother — which is the first commandment with a promise that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth.

Can we end our own lives ?

World renowned orchestras conductor, Sir Edward Downes and his wife, Joan decided to die together two weeks ago at a Zurich clinic run by the assisted suicide group, Dignitas. They drank a small amount of clear liquid and died hand-in-hand with their two adult children by their side.
Sir Edward was almost blind and growing deaf while his wife was diagnosed with terminal cancer. After 54 happy years together, they decided to end their own lives rather than continue to struggle with serious health problems, said a statement from the couple's children.
In Britain, people are now debating whether they should be allowed to help ailing loved ones end their lives. I think we should not play God but let God be God. It is God that gives lives and man have no right to decide when to end it unless God say so.
Job 34 : 14 - 15 If it were His intention and He withdrew His spirit and breath, all mankind would perish together and man would return to the dust.
Job 1 : 21 Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked I will depart. The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away; may the name of the LORD be praised."
Job 33 : 4 The Spirit of God has made me; the breath of the Almighty gives me life.

Benefits of Laugher

All of us seek for happiness in our life. Other than love, the most powerful form of joy is laughter.
This hilarity is part of our body system but the sad part of it is that many of us are ignorant of it and instead we frown more than we laugh daily.

Often we hear people complaining of having worries, tensed muscles, void in their heart or having a heavy heart, angry, unhappy and other wellbeing issues not realising that a jolly good laugh can ease these problems.

Laughter is cheap and easily available within us and is a form of energy of which the more of it is spent the more of it remains.

We laugh or smile (smile is regarded as silent laughter) at some point of time in a day and often we find that it is not easy to pinpoint what exactly provoked the funny sensation but we feel good about it.

According to a medical research, which measured extensively the movements we make on our face and also our entire body when we smile and when we laugh is that all 600 muscles in our body play some form of "internal exercise" involving internal organs.

As laughing brings joyful experience to many people, Dr Madan Kataria, an Indian physician in Mumbai established the first laughter club in 1995.
Reader's Digest, a monthly publication magazine also have a section Laugh ! it's really the best medicine, because of the benefit of laughing.

According to Chan Yuen Li, a certified laughter therapy instructor, laughter therapy enhances ones emotional intelligence. Did you know that scientific studies show that children and babies can laugh up to 400 times a day ? And yet most adults laugh only four times a day ?

But the Bible written more than 2,000 year ago recorded cheerful heart [joyfulness] as a good medicine and to rejoice always.

Proverbs 17 : 22 A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.
Philippians 4 :4 Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!

{Extract from The Star Sunday Metro written by T Selva dated 3 August 2008}

Rejoice Always

God is Good All The Time, and once again He sent His servant, Rev. Lawrence Seow from Singapore to share His Word and remind us to focus on Him and Him alone.

1 Thessalonians 5 : 16-18 tells us to - Be joyful always ; pray continually ; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.

We need to be joyful, not only in time of happiness but also in time of tribulation and trials. To be joyful and not happy, because happiness can only be found in good time while joy can be found both in good and bad times, as it comes from the Lord.
To pray continually not because God do not know our needs, but because we need to humble ourselves and admit that God is God and He is in control.

Isaiah 55 : 8-11 "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways," declares the LORD. "As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts."

To give thanks in all circumstances, in good times and bad times ; when we are happy and also when we are sad.

The Law of Sowing & Reaping

Paul captured the same idea in the universal law of sowing and reaping. He said, " Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows." [Galatians 6 : 7]

Our choices often have a reach and impact that we could never imagine. Thus the apostle's words remind us to choose wisely. The choices we make today produce the consequences we reap tomorrow. Its far better to avoid sin in the first place than to struggle to overcome its consequences.
God's prophet Hosea preached this principle to the people of Israel. They had sown seeds of wickedness and trusted in their own way instead of God's. Now they were eating the bitter fruit of lies, especially the lie that their safety and success came from their own military strength Hosea 10 : 13. Hosea pleaded with Israel to go God's way - to break up the sin hardened soil of their hearts and to seek the Lord (Hosea 10 : 12) if they would sow seeds of righteous, they would reap the Lord's mercy and He would rain blessing on them.
We can't expect to experience the fruit of God's blessing if we don't recognize the important of doing our part.

My son when through a time of disappointment and was spiritually down. We, as parents tried to counsel him and encouraged him to share his heart out but he was not able to. As days passed, he became more closed up and was not able to eat or sleep well. He began to have negative thoughts. We tried to talk to him and counsel him, but was not able. We were so loss, despite counselling many non believers and friends, we as parents are not able to counsel our own son. We prayed and surrendered him to the Lord.
After two days, God sent a couple to talk and counsel him. We were so relieved and blessed as God once again reminded us that He Cared and Loved each and eveyone of His children. Even though, he is not back to his normal self yet, we trust and believed that my son will be stronger and wiser after this trials and the Lord will used him more for His Glory in the future.

Thank God for sending the brother and sister in time of need to counsel and share a listening ears. Even as we sow our time for others in their needs, others will also sow their time for us in time of our needs.

DADDY, YOU ARE MY HERO

Father, You're The Best, My Delight
Father, You're Sweet
Sweeter Than Honey On The Rocks
Father, You're The Light In The Night
Father, You're My Strength, And My Forever Friend

Abba Father, You're My Hero
You're There When I Need You
You Sent The Greatest Gift Of Love
Into My Life

Father, You're The Best, And You're Mine
Father, You're So Sweet
Sweeter Than Anyone I've Met
Daddy, You're The Song In The Night
Father, You're My Strength, And My Forever Friend

Daddy, Daddy, You're My Hero
You're There, When I Need You
You're The Greatest Gift
I've Received In My Life
[a song written & sung by Pas. KB Chan]

Fathers play a vital role in the family. They are often viewed as the cornerstone of the family. They are not only the breadwinner but also the nurturer who has significant influence on his children's growth and development. A hands-on father is also a productive worker who sets a positive example for his family.

It is found that parents with high self-esteem tend to show more love and acceptance of their children. When children are encouraged rather than criticised or punished, they will be more successful in their learning.
Dr Thomas Lickona in his book, Raising Good Children, pointed out that it is important for a child to develop a sense of identity within his family. He said that teenagers continue to need adults in their lives and the family plays an important role in keeping them morally rooted and knowing who they are.

Fathers are often viewed as the cornerstone of the family. So to all fathers out there : You are essential to your child's life. You are the beacon that guides them as they journey on.
[Partly extracted from 'Childwise' StarTwo dated 17 June 2009]

HAPPY FATHER 'S DAY !

Ephesians 6 : 4 - Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.

Sleep is not optional

'Sleep is not optional - it is absolutely critical to people's health,' said Dr David White, the chief medical officer at Philips Home Healthcare Solutions. The consequences of not sleeping enough are well documented.
He does not mince his words when he says that people simply need to take sleep much more seriously.
'People lose sleep either because they cannot sleep (insomnia) or because they are not setting aside enough time for sleep - both of which can happen because of work-related stress in the current economic environment."
People who do not get enough sleep can gain weight, are prone to diabetes, high blood pressure and even heart attacks. We are facing a serious healthcare problem if we do not take sleep more seriously."

Dr Milton Lum, a member of the board of Medical Defence Malaysia' recorded that studies of individuals deprived of sleep for more than 24 hours have shown that there is a decrease in the brain's metabolic activity by up to 6% for the whole brain and 11% for specific areas in the brain.
Short term sleep deprivation has been reported to contribute to obesity and poor control of type II diabetes. Long term sleep deprivation decreases the quality of life and leads to increased morbidity and mortality.

When we talk about healthy sleep, it means getting an adequate amount of quality sleep. This means going through a complete process of sleep cycles throughout the night.

Rest is to prepare our body for the day ahead. If you think that way, you will be less stressed out

The Philips study, however, is focused on the workplace. Conducted in five countries around the globe, it showed that 40% of those questioned blamed the state of the world economy as the major reason for their lack of sleep. The survey was undertaken in March and covered 2,500 managers - equally split across Britian, Germany, Japan, the Netherlands and the United States - using an online poll. The Americans worry the most and the Dutch the least.

Matthews 6 : 27 Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life ?

So.. "Do you rest for the day's work or do you rest after a hard day's work ?

Psalm 4 : 8 I will lie down and sleep in peace, for you alone, O LORD, make me dwell in safety.

Extracted from Monday Starters dated 25May2009 - Star Biz.

Live-in love

It is not uncommon for young couples to co-habit before marriage, especially in big cities where people are less likely to frown upon them or pass judgment. However, muslim couples who live together risk being hauled up by the religious authorities if they are found out.
Living together before marriage works for some couples who see it as a way to gauging their compatibility and testing their relationship. For some, it is another step in the courtship ritual after the 'dating' stage of a relationship, a stepping stone to marriage.
Although living together helped prepare couples for marriage, not all live-in relationships end up in tying the knot.
Living together out of wedlock is not all that acceptable in our society. Whether it's because of religious convictions, or the notion that a girl is compromised once she has 'lived in sin' with a man, co-habitating before marriage is generally frowned upon here.
People with strong faith will make the decision to get married before moving in, therefore making the marriage stronger. Most online articles on the subject cite research findings indicating that couples who live together are more likely to break up, and that their marriage will more likely end in divorce.

[Stories from StarTwo - Youth dated 3 June 2009. ]

Marriage is the union of a man and a woman. It is a special relationship belonging to each other for life. We are to be a good couple and NOT a perfect couple.
The four essential qualities needed are LOVE, TIME, SELF-TRUST and COMMUNICATION.

Learning to adjust and compromise is an art of happy living because almost every moment we are faced with situations that require a give and take approach. It is not a question of whether we like it or not but such conditions are bound to occur due to the complex and fast lifestyle most of us are involved with daily.
Adjusting and compromising is NOT a sign of weakness but it reflects on the individual's WISDOM, MATURITY and UNDERSTANDING of being able to see what other's can't.

Removing ego and showing respect for each other is another crucial aspect to the success of a relationship. Effective and frequent two-way communication whether verbal or written allows each other brings spark to a relationship and bonding.
Investing quality time regularly in a relationship is imperative as this exercise allows each other to discover themselves deeper. For a better relationship TRUST must be allow to bridge each other future.
Lastly let laughter be the invisible glue in a relationship.

Ephesians 4 : 25 - 32 Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to his neighbor, for we are all members of one body. "In your anger do not sin." Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold. He who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing something useful with his own hands, that he may have something to share with those in need. Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.

PSALM book saved a pastor

An Argentine evangelical pastor was born again when a psalm book he was holding deflected a bullet fired at close range, officials in the western province of Mendoza, Buenos Aires, Argentina said on Thursday.

Mauricio Zanes Condori, 38 was trying to talk two thieves out of robbing his church, located in the town of Rodeo del Medio, some 1,000 km west of Buenos Aires. One of the thieves aimed his handgun at Zanes Condori's chest and fired from a distance of 2m away from the pastor. The bullet however hit the psalm book that Zanes Condori was holding to his chest and caused little damage. A medic who arrived at the scene said that the book slowed down the bullet and deflected its trajectory, only scratching Zanes Condori's chest.

Psalm 23 : 4 said Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.

Psalm 91 : 9 - 10 If you make the Most High your dwelling — even the LORD, who is my refuge - then no harm will befall you, no disaster will come near your tent.

Extract from The Star newspaper dated 30 May 2009.