Think your addiction to social networking sites such as Facebook, Twitter, and MySpace is pathetically embarrassing? I seriously doubt you have anything on former web designer William Hall. However, his case isn’t really all that simple.
Back in the year that was 2010, Hall was convicted of “surreptitious photographing”, as well as the “attempted sexual exploitation of a minor”. As a result of his lewd behavior, Hall was sentenced to 10 years probation. Additionally, he wasn’t allowed to own any sort of computer equipment or access the Internet. Exceptions to this rule, of course, could be made, but only with written permission from his probation officer.
Being a web designer, Hall couldn’t really make any money unless he had access to the ‘net. After finding an employer and obtaining a letter from his PO, he was granted access once again to the online world. However, it didn’t take long for Hall to breach the trust of those around him; he was eventually caught using both Facebook and Myspace when he should have been hard at work making websites. The IT department quickly blocked the sites from his computer, but it didn’t take long for him find away around these restrictions.
Of course, very little time passed before his employer discovered that Hall had, in fact, worked his way back onto the social networking sites he was instructed to stay away from. His probation officer was contacted, he was tossed back in the slammer, and the courts eventually sentenced him to 10 long years in prison. Here’s hoping his cell doesn’t have wi-fi.
In a recent study, social media websites have been found to be more addicting than cigarettes, ranking just below sex and sleep as urges that are most difficult to keep under control.
