Do you have difficulties getting work done because computer games or online chatting occupy a great deal of your time? Do you value chat-room friends more than real friends because most of your friends are from online contacts? The habits you develop from your computer use may cause significant problems in your life. For instance, feeling irritable or depressed when not using the computer, losing jobs or failing courses due to the lack of productivity on work or school assignments, and finally, feeling socially inept, since you lose the ability to interact with people face to face.

   Symptoms, such as obsessively checking e-mail, losing track of time while on the computer, and neglecting family, work, friends, or even personal health and hygiene, are all indications of computer addiction. This addiction can be described as compulsive.

   Not all people who spend hours each day on the computer, however, are considered addicted. That is, a person who spends 8 hours or more a day on the computer may not automatically be regarded as a computer addict while another person who spends less than 6 hours a day could suffer from an addition. It is important to note each case is distinct and, therefore, the number of hours spent on the computer is not considered to be the main factor in identifying computer addiction. Rather, the kinds of activities, the level of compulsion, and other ways of using the computer are the real determining factors.

   A person who is obsessed with the computer is likely to have the following experiences or feelings: craving for the use of computer excessively; feeling anxious or gloomy when computer time is interrupted; telling lies to hide that you are actually playing games online; and neglecting friends, family, or responsibilities when online. Physical discomfort, such as back and neck aches, Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, difficulty focusing your vision, dry eyes, and severe headaches may also be observed. Look out for these signs and get proper treatment, so you will regain control of your life.

   Katsushika Hokusai is a Japanese artist of the Edo period (1603-1868). Born in Edo, modern Tokyo, in 1760, he is best known for the woodblock print series Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji. The series, made in the 1830s, depicted Mount Fuji from different locations and in different seasons. He created the series as a response to a domestic travel boom and as a part of a personal obsession with Mount Fuji. Under the Wave off Kanagawa is the most iconic work of the series. Portraying water is not easy, but Hokusai captured its decisive moments. What enabled him to work in this way was his experience of residing in the Sumida area, with all its rivers and canals, and observing the flow of the Sumida River day by day.

   Hokusai was born in the Sumida district and lived there for almost 90 years. But he was never in one place for long. He found cleaning distasteful and allowed dirt and grime to build up in his studio. When the place became unbearable, he simply moved out. All told, the artist changed residences 93 times throughout his life.

   Constantly seeking to produce better works, Hokusai once commented: "All that I have done before 70 is not worth taking into account. At 75, I will have truly learned the pattern of nature, of animals, of trees and birds. At 80, I shall progress further. At 90, I shall penetrate the mystery of life itself. At 100 I shall be a marvelous artist. When I am 110, each dot and line will possess a life of its own." Hokusai, however, never got to see whether his prediction held true. He died at the age of 88. Prior to his death, he was said to have remarked: "If the son of heaven gives me just another five years, I will become a true artisan."

   During Hokusai's life, the Japanese government enforced isolationist policies to prevent foreigners from entering and citizens from leaving. When Japan opened its boarders in the 1850s, Hokusai's works crossed the ocean and influenced many Western artists such as Edgar Degas, Vincent van Gough, and Claude Monet. Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji are particularly famous overseas. The composer Debussy was influenced by Under the Wave off Kanagawa when he composed the symphonic works La Mer in 1905. The painter Henri Riviere was also inspired and created a series of lithographs called the Thirty-six Views of the Eiffle Tower. In 1999 Hokusai was the only Japanese person given a place in Life Magazine's "The 100 Most Important Events and People of the Past 100 Years."