Companies can learn the statistics and strategies to manage the fastest growing addiction killing corporate productivity: Internet compulsion/addiction.

1. Heather Rahn, MA, LPC
Program Director
rahn@besimplybe.com
www.earn-eap.com
www.earn-eap.com

2. Self Quiz
facebook

3. The Internet:
Can it be a problem?

4. So what about the Internet?

5. Definition
What is addiction?
• Relationship that develops
between a person & object
• Loss of control
• Negative Consequences
• Compulsivity

6. SUBSTANCES
Chemicals Non-Chemicals
(alcohol / (behaviors)
drugs)
Dopamine

7. Time Spent
Loss

8. What are the types of Internet
Compulsions?

9. Gambling Cybersex
Cyberporn Buying
Gaming Surfing

10. Loss of Control Compulsion
Continued use despite the negative
consequences

11. Guess The
Statistics
• Between X% of all
Internet users display signs
of compulsive Internet
behaviors.
(Stanford University School of Medicine)

12. Statistics
•Between 6-13% of all
Internet users display
signs of compulsive
Internet behaviors.
(Stanford University School of Medicine)

13. Guess The
Statistics
• X in X Employees
admitted to wasting an
average of 1.7 hours in
a typical 8.5 hour work
day. (salary.com)

14. Statistics
• 1 in 6 Employees
admitted to wasting an
average of 1.7 hours in
a typical 8.5 hour work
day. (salary.com)

15. Guess The
Statistics
• X% of all online
purchases are made
during work hours.
(USA Today Tech Report)

16. Statistics
• 60% of all online
purchases are made
during work hours.
(USA Today Tech Report)

17. Guess The
Statistics
• X% of men admitted
to accessing
pornography at work
(www.familysafemedia.com)

18. Statistics
• 20% of men
admitted to accessing
pornography at work
(www.familysafemedia.com)

19. Guess The
Statistics
• X out of X employees reported
their work computers to be the
primary way they accessed
sexual material. (Cooper, Demonico, & Burg (2000).

20. The Statistics
• 6 out of 100 employees
reported their work computers to
be the primary way they
accessed sexual material.
(Cooper, Demonico, & Burg (2000).

21. Why Problem?
Difficult to Abstain

22. Mobile Devices
• Is it interfering with life?
• Educating policies beyond web
• Detecting incidents of abuse

23. Symptoms In The
Workplace
• Decrease in productivity
• Increase in mistakes
• Less interaction with
co-workers

24. Symptoms In The
Workplace
•Startled when approached at desk
• Less tolerant of workplace conditions
• Excessive fatigue
• Increased absence/
tardiness

25. Statistics Websense, 2000
Leading Causes for Disciplinary Action or
Termination
Shopping
8%
Investing
8%
Sports Accessing
9% Pornography
47%
Gaming
13%
Online
Chatting
15%

26. Study Data
• Kimberly Young, 1998
Employment Backgrounds of Internet Addiction
Other-
student, retire White Collar
d, homemaker 39%
42%
Blue Collar
11%
High Tech
White Collar
8%

27. Considerations
• Does your company
have an Internet Code
of Conduct?
• Have all employees
been educated on use?
• Are Internet-access
terminals in public
view?

28. Considerations
•Recovery/Return
to Work Solution-
EAP
• Does employee
want help?

29. Statistics
Stanford University Internet Addiction Study 2006
Felt Percent of Respondents
preoccupied by
Internet when Found it
offline difficult to
12% abstain from
the Internet for
Found Internet
several days
as a means of
44%
escape from
the real world
26%
Excessive
Internet use
affected their
relationships
18%

30. Interventions
• Management Training
• Updating Policies –rights &
responsibilities
• Adding Internet use to
assessment questions of HRA
• Rehabilitation

31. Statistics American
Management
Association, 2001
Survey of 1627 Managers
100
90
80
70
60
50
40
30 Survey of 1627
20 Managers
10
0
Monitor Monitor Use Monitor
Email Internet Use Monitoring Employees
Software Non
Specified

32. Study Data
“Employers should be encouraged to
implement fair and appropriate policies to
offset productivity losses caused by
inappropriate use of the Internet, rather than
imposing zero tolerance policies that alienate
employees and leave the employer susceptible
to litigation.” (Young, 2001)

33. Choices
Rehab or Rehire?
$2,000 counseling,
assessments, and
time off
$10,000 recruit,
rehire, retrain

34. Where can I go to get help?

35. Web Monitoring
Programs
• Websense.com
• Spector Pro-
www.spectorsoft.com
• Webwatcher-
www.webwatchernow.com
• Webspy.com

36. Web Monitoring
Programs
Parent Monitoring
* contentwatch.com *chatchecker.com
* safeeyes.com * cybersitter.com
* cyberpatrol.com * netnanny.com
* computercop.com * safefamilies.org

37. Resources
• sa.org addictionresourceguide.com
• Sexualrecovery.org recoveryconnection.org
• saa-recovery.org olganon.org
• safefamilies.org ncadi.samhsa.gov
• gamblersanonymous.org
• addicted.com www.nimh.nih.gov
• addict-help.com

38. Movie

39. How can REBOOT help?
•Individualized treatment plans/strategies
•Confidential clinical counseling services
•Consultation & Education
•Diagnostic assessments & evaluations

40. A division of
EARN-EAP
Small companies. Large companies. Schools.
Nonprofits. Government offices.
Managing compulsive Internet behaviors

41. Heather Rahn, MA, LPC
Program Director
rahn@besimplybe.com
www.earn-eap.com
www.earn-eap.com