The New York Times has reported that many of us have but are not aware of Internet addiction. According to reporter Tara Parker­Pope, millions of us are addicted to being online. She says it is a growing problem that is making us more forgetful and impatient.

　　Ms Parker­Pope writes about various reports talking about how technology is changing our life. In one of her reports, she quotes the words of Dr. Elias, "More and more, life likes the chat room." He said we are living in "virtual lifestyles" which are negatively affecting our real­life relationships. Nicki Dowling, a psychologist from Melbourne University in Australia, concluded in a recent study that ten per cent of young people had what she called "Internet dependence"．

　　Tara Parker­Pope quizzed experts in this field on what the signs of being overly absorbed in technology are. She came up with seven signs of "tech overload". The first is whether you check your e­mail before doing other things. Another sign is if you always look forward to your next online visit - a sure sign of dependence and addiction. The third point is if you say, "just a few more minutes" when someone wants you. Parker­Pope found one's communication with others also says a lot about how important the Internet is compared with family and friends; do you lie about how much time you spend online or choose to surf the Internet instead of going out with others?

　　Section_ⅠWelcome to the unit & Reading - Pre­reading

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