I guess that I do not think of it as an addiction, but more of just something that I really enjoy, like a happy pastime. When I was younger, lived in the country, and always had outside chores to do, and spent my free time either out riding my horse, swimming , fishing, or just working in the garden; I really was only on line at night.
Plus, I still had a clunky old desktop computer, so I was confined to the desk and chair for any time that I did spend online.
Now, we live in town, the weather is either hot and muggy, or cold and rainy, and the time I can spend outside is more limited; so I do more things inside now. Plus, my health is not as good as it was when I was younger; so that limits me, too.
I have replaced my outside adventures with inside ones, learning about things on youtube, and reading webpages about topics that I am interested in.
I have online friends in the forums that I belong to; so I look forward to conversations online each day, and I keep in touch with my family through iMessages and Facebook.
So, yes, I would really MISS the internet if I didn’t have it; but I still think that it is a choice and not an addiction for me.