Since my freshman year of high school, I have used a computer for at least an hour (a conservative minimum) virtually every single day. At one point I would return from soccer practice at 6pm, shower, eat dinner, and then play about three hours of computer games before beginning my homework. My friends and I would plan computer game matches during 4 th period calculus rather than pay attention. My vision has declined since then from 20/20 to 20/25. I can easily spend hours on the computer, but I often tell myself that I do not have time to go running. The first thing I do when I return to my apartment is check my email. When I experience “writer's block” while using Microsoft Word, I have an overpowering urge to sign onto AOL Instant Messenger. Once “online,” I find it extremely difficult to sign off. Help me, Dr. Phil.

The inspiration of this project is based on the following assumptions: A significant amount of college students share my experience of computer abuse. They find themselves staying on their computers longer than expected and sacrificing their daily objectives as a consequence. Because time is a scarce resource, computer use must be replacing other activities. Also, as the technology sector grows, jobs are becoming less physically demanding. Many employees sit down for hours, whether they are secretaries, programmers, researchers, administrative officials, etc, concentrating on small characters on their computer monitors. Not only is this substituting more active behavior, but it is itself likely to be inherently harmful to one's health, especially if it is an eight-hour-a-day routine. The human body was not meant for such a lifestyle.

The time I spend on the computer is unnecessary, and without it I would otherwise have ample time to exercise and call my mother. By allocating an eighth of my day to computer use on most days, I am forfeiting more productive alternatives including exercise, sleep, and study time.

In this website I would like to briefly report how prolonged computer use may adversely affect one's physical and psychological health and offer tips on preventing or minimizing these consequences.