He was famous, sure only over the internet. He was famous not only because of his sudden death when surfing the internet, but also his pseudoscientific arguments. He was literally online 24/7. His name is Haijun Zhu.

When I started my online expedition, he was in the discussion with Dr. Fang about evolution. My first impression was that he was polite and argumentive. He replied all posts at length and with careful thought (not necessary correct). He rarely cross-posted other people’s pieces. He actively involved in discussions on both mainland and oversea forums. Due to time lag, he was online day in and day out to fight with all sorts of people around the world. He defended his opinions relentlessly. He was such a character–diligent, humble, and stubborn. He died of heart attack in his 30s when surfing the web, leaving his wife and two kids in desperate.

Why, then, is a man like him so willing to sacrifice his life and family only to communicate with people he never met? Certainly he was addicted to the internet, not to pornography, cybersex, or other ungodly things, but merely talking (in text) with others. What characteristics does an internet addicted person have?

Those who addicted to internet are sensitive persons. They prefer solitary activities, feel comfortable with social isolation, and are abstract thinkers (KS Young 1996, 1998). Simply put: lonely people surf the net. However, it is not clear whether the loneliness makes people go online, or going online makes people feel lonely. Spending much time online also cuts social lives in reality.

Social isolation

Human beings are social animals. There is an internal need to communicate with others. Everyone belongs to some groups. The addicted people may have difficulty joining real world societies. Thus the easy-come-easy-go internet society provides such an opportunity for them.

The difficulty of socialization in real world was evident in the example of Mr. Zhu. He was from a remote rural area in inner China (translate: he was a highly intelligent people. The college entrance exam is extremely unfair to rural students in China). He was neither a popular person in his college nor a welcome teacher in his work. In fact, he was demoted from middle school teacher to elementary school teacher. He once claimed himself a maverick. We don’t know whether his social isolation was due to his own personality or unfriendly social environment. However, we do know that he was ousted by society. The nonconformity to social convention is a common factor in internet addicts.

Social recognition

Everyone has a role in the real world. Achievement is the only criteria for the existence of human beings in modern society. Many people, partially due to their socioeconomic status, gender, and age, may lack the opportunity to succeed. The open internet creates a platform in which one can transform him/her-self to establish a new persona. This desire relates to self-identity.

Mr. Zhu retained his real name and even revealed his real personal experience over the internet. He was socially isolated for so long and was longing for social recognition. He wanted to be someone. He once expressed his philosophy about online surfing: “it is not the idea that is important, but the fame is critical”. He personally practiced this philosophy, and to some extent, succeeded in make his name known in the virtual world.

Shy person

Internet society, in particular the discussion boards or chat rooms, is highly interactive. On the other hand, internet addicts are shy people in real world. Thus, it seems ironic that these introverted people will go online communicating with virtual human beings. The key is the nature of anonymity in the internet. Because those who addicted to the internet are sensitive and private, the illusion of anonymity assured them to freely express their opinions without being publicly criticized or humiliated.

Mr. Zhu told many stories about his earlier years in schools. He categorized himself as a shy person, not brave enough to show off, to talk to other student, in particular female students. He was reluctant to directly confront with others. In fact, he tolerated the unfair demotion during his teacher career.

Vigilant person

Those who addicted to the internet are also sensitive. They tend to be argumentive which is detrimental in daily life. No one is willing to be involved in endless verbal fight. However, the stress to hold one’s opinion back, the depression experienced in reality, and particularly the internal confliction demand an outlet.The multi-party internet society provides such a platform for these people to talk to each other. Because people are always available and willing to talk, the addicted one will find someone is willing to argue with him or agree with him.

In the discussion, Mr. Zhu was polite. However, that he replied every post reflected his sensitivity and vigilance.He valued other people’s opinion too much. He would argue for trivial things such as wording and alternative meanings. He was constantly on defensive mode.

Abstract thinker

Abstract thinking is a gift to many people. Unfortunately, the discussion over the internet encourages abstract reasoning and independent thinking, which those abstract thinkers prefer. Theoretically, information is abundant and accessible to most surfers. However, one can frequently find people ignoring facts. Instead, they resort to pure logic reasoning. Conspiracy theory is the favorite of all internet surfers.Empirical research is not in their vocabulary.

One of Mr. Zhu’s famous theories was about face-to-face copulation. Based on the observation that since only human beings (together with one or two other primates) practice this mating position, he believed that face-to-face copulation must have a role in evolution. He theorized that it was face-to-face copulation led to the biped-walking in human beings. Just before he died, he had publicly admitted his false claim on this issue. However, he still argued that the way of his thinking was healthy and important.

Finally, the joy of rewarding

There are many biological theories behind addiction such as neurotransmitter disruption, in particular dopamine circuit. However, psychologically speaking, the attractiveness of addiction is rewarding, the positive feedback.

The relative open internet society may lead one superficially believes that one forum will allow all kinds of opinions. On the contrary, any forum is unique. There are great similarities among its members. Quickly after the forum is established, a group of people with similar ideas and personalities become the mainstream. A norm will be formed and different voices are either alienated or suppressed.

Fortunately, the freedom of internet society permits one to find a right forum. Therefore, similar people gather together talking about things they are interested. People found their opinions are noticed and often welcomed. The acknowledgement is rewarding. A positive feedback is established. People will keep on coming back to the same place to find condolence, satisfaction and mental relief. To the extreme, the argument itself is a reward.

Mr. Zhu’s death should partially attribute to this rewarding system. For example, despite Dr. Fang kept on teasing him about his evolution theory, the many replies gave him an impression that they valued him. In fact, most people felt sympathy about him, and thought him diligent and smart. He was a victim of praise and critique.

Conclusion

The internet society provides a secure, open, and anonymous place for those shy, sensitive, and lonely people to express their ideas, find social support, and establish new selves. To many, internet society is the ideal society of freedom. Like Mr. Zhu, they are living in the internet. Unfortunately, being addicted to the internet may make one more isolated, more paranoid, and eventually impair one’s health.