>Is Internet dependence as big of a concern for non-students?

Yes, I think it is. If you're looking for obvious adverse results, you can say it's more of a problem for students who might fail their classes and miss opportunities in their education. However, if an addiction causes a person to withdraw from offline life to this extent, it's going to be taking the same toll on their life whether they're at school, at work, or whatever. If something has a profound negative effect on your personality, that's a big concern regardless of whether there are immediate visible results in your life.

>What about today's elementary and high school students who will become the first generation of people who really won't be able to remember a time when the Internet was a common household convenience? Will there be National No Internet Day, just as there is a national Turn Off the Television Day?

What about them? I can't remember a time when TV wasn't a common household convenience. That doesn't mean I'm addicted to it, or that I'm any worse off than my father, who was born in 1914. My mother also grew up before TVs were common. Both of them watch TV a lot more than I do.

Having said that, I wouldn't be against "No Internet" days. It's always a good idea to maintain balance. On the other hand, has anybody ever promoted a No Telephone day? Many people use the net more like a telephone than a television. Interesting.

> And, last but certainly not least, what about RinkWorks? Where does it fit in? Does the fact that this site encourages and creates real interaction cancel out the addiction factor? Or am I just attempting to make an excuse for the fact that I might possibly be Internet dependent?

I know I am not "Internet dependent". If my closest friends, whom I keep in contact with through this site, lived nearby, I am 100% sure I would use the Internet maybe once every couple of months when there was something I particularly wanted to know or see -- the same way I use my television. Since they don't live nearby, the Internet has no comparison as the best and cheapest way to talk to them.