Tomas Lindroth expressed his annoyance at an article in a Swedish newspaper that attempted to describe users as addicted to certain websites. The example in the article concerned a user who would several times a day check out apartments for sale. The thing that bugged Tomas, and I totally agree with him, is that the paper wanted to define this as an addiction.

Checking your email, facebook, blogs or any other programs can become extremely habit forming but addiction is too strong. I have always liked to think of the periods in my life when I fall into these behavioural habits as being update mania. Tomas refers to these behaviours as being online tics. The term is both apt and amusing. I like it.

Three words defined by dictionary.com

Addiction: –noun the state of being enslaved to a habit or practice or to something that is psychologically or physically habit-forming, as narcotics, to such an extent that its cessation causes severe trauma.

Mania: An excessively intense enthusiasm, interest, or desire; a craze: a mania for neatness.

Tic: A habitual spasmodic muscular movement or contraction, usually of the face or extremities.