Stanford uncovers 'Net addicts'

Like a roll of the dice or a sip of bourbon, the glow of the computer screen has an irresistible and dangerous allure to many people, according to a new nationwide study by Stanford University.

A random survey of 2,500 adults -- the first-ever attempt to quantify ``Internet addiction'' in the general population -- found that between 6 percent and 14 percent of computer users said they spent too many bleary-eyed hours checking e-mail, making blog entries or visiting Web sites or chat rooms, sometimes neglecting work, school, families, food and sleep.