This slim book is aimed at Christians who find
themselves spending too much time on the Internet or engaging in immoral activities
on the Internet and yet who are not able to resist the temptation. It has chapters describing people’s problems
with money compulsions, games, relationships, and porn, and the second half of
the book discusses ways to stop engaging in these forms of self-destructive
behavior. The writing style is clear
and accessible, and the book is full of real-life examples of people’s
problems, so it will be easy for readers to relate their own problems to those
of others. The book is peppered with
quotations from the Bible about human failings.

The author suggests that there are 5 elements in
overcoming Internet addictions:

·         
Assessing
the problem and being willing to change.

·         
A
community of support.

·         
Immediate
and ongoing action to change harmful behavior.

·         
Understanding
and addressing underlying thoughts and emotions.

·         
A
restored relationship with God.

Watters goes on to describe how to proceed with
these five ways of dealing with the problem. 
Unfortunately, he gives little detail and the advice is not backed up
with any evidence that it is likely to be effective. Obviously non-Christians and even many Christians may find that
the religious tone of the book is off-putting. 
Readers would probably be better off using other books on this topic,
such as Caught
in the Net or In the Shadows
of the Net.

© 2003 Christian Perring. All rights reserved.

Christian Perring, Ph.D., is
Chair of the Philosophy Department at Dowling College, Long Island, and editor
of Metapsychology Online Review. His main research is on philosophical
issues in medicine, psychiatry and psychology.

Categories: Addiction, SelfHelp