Hi my name is Akua and I am an addict.

In a society where it is easier to be an addict than not, I am constantly inundated with various things that prevent me from doing what I am meant to be. My vice, however, is not drugs nor is it alcohol. The demon that I have been battling for quite some time is the internet. Addiction is defined as a: “Compulsive physiological and psychological need for a habit-forming substance…The condition of being habitually or compulsively occupied with or involved in something”- the perfect summary for my tumultuous relationship with the internet.

I find solace in the fact that I am not alone. Millions of us each day log onto Facebook, My Space, bebo and various other ‘social networking’ websites in effort to catch up and, to some extent, stalk our peers.

But being an internet addict doesn’t begin and end with social networking. The internet creates a hyper reality in which we can go about our daily business without leaving the comfort of our homes. Whether we’re educating ourselves, shopping or finding a husband, the internet caters for all our needs.

Does the net perpetuate laziness? Probably, but what did we actually do before it existed? I probably would have known a lot less about Britney Spears for starters.

My love hate relationship with the world wide web stems from its alluring ability to seduce me into buying something that I don’t have money for and with the ease that it manages to distract me from doing something that is required of me (on MSN at 2am instead of finishing an essay or sleeping).

The net only seems to be growing in power and influence and often not positively. Only recently was Youtube briefly shutdown after an alleged rape was posted and was only reported after it had been watched by more than 600 people. It is possible to put almost anything up on the net. Britain experienced its largest libel payout to British property executive Peter Walls 55, over online harassment by a business rival. He received an £100,000 payout.

Tales of people, usually children, going missing after meeting someone online, isn’t unheard of.

How much further can the internet be taken? For the most part the internet is an amazing illustrious tool for getting what you want, but equally in the wrong hands it can transform into something quite sinister and unsafe.Maybe the internet is contributing to the demoralization of our nation.

I’m not sure where cyberspace is taking me, friend or foe? All I know is that I am inclined to follow as I am a self confessed addict.