When we think of the word addiction, we usually think of marijuana, alcohol, nicotine, or drugs. In the article “A World Wide Woe – Internet Addiction sounds like a punchline. But it ruined my brother's life,” author Winston Ross (2009), written as a web exclusive for Newsweek, gives us a glimpse into the world of Internet addiction. This article is about the rehabilitation center called ReStart Internet Addiction Recovery Program , which was new to the Fall City, Washington area. Many other comments on this article focus on the author's brother and his compelling story. I actually feel the author uses a story about his brother effectively for emphasis the points he makes about the rehab center and the fact that Internet addiction is a very real disease is an inpatient addiction treatment center. Psychologist David Greenfield, founder of the Center for Internet and Technology Addiction in West Hartford, Connecticut, conducted a survey in 1999 and found that 5.9% of 18,000 web users surveyed showed symptoms of Internet addiction Ross, 2009, para 11) The Internet is addictive, says Greenfield (2009), because. it works on a “variable ratio reinforcement schedule”. (par. 9) The variable ratio scheme, in operant conditioning, is the case in which a response is reinforced after an unpredictable number of responses. What makes this so compelling is the consistently high response rate. Gambling and lottery games are examples of rewards based on the variable ratio program. “The Web can be dangerous for some people because it can fuel or stimulate existing addictions, making gambling, shopping and sex easily available to those who have already developed a compulsion to binge on these things.” (Ross, 2009, p...... half of the document ...... personally I am convinced so and it also seems to be very difficult to treat. ReStart has a 12-step program that can include therapy sessions and may require medical treatment for depression or anxiety. Part of the therapeutic treatment includes reducing attachment to the virtual reality world and completing normal daily real-world activities in its place. What happens when ReStart patients leave recovery? How do you escape computer use when computers are available, and in most jobs necessary, for everyday use? As with any condition, it requires discipline, therapy and awareness of one's limitations. Finally, I find that there there is a certain irony in the fact that the author is writing this article exclusively for the web. At least he knows he is reaching his target audience.