I know I'm not alone in thinking that online shopping is the best invention of the modern age. Sure it's a pain if you order the wrong size and have to return stuff, but other than that online shopping is the best. Unlike regular shopping, you can buy stuff from your bed without pants on and the stuff you want gets delivered straight to your door. Of course, online shopping can quickly become an expensive addiction so I have a created a list of warning signs so that you can identify this disease in friends and get them help.

1. Excessive time spent on their phone and/or laptop.

This first warning sign of a serious online addiction is pretty common among all people so it's hard to tell if it's just normal technology addiction or an early indicator. However, if you see a friend spending hours tapping on their phone and they aren't playing games or if they spend hours on their computer, you might want to check their browser history to see if the hours were spent shopping.

2. Email inboxes are full of store promotions.

Another good indicator of shopping addiction is an inbox overflowing with promotions from different stores. Anytime you order online they make you give your email so they can email you coupons and stuff which is an online shoppers kryptonite. So if while hanging out with a friend their phone is blowing up with emails from Victoria's Secret, Bath and Body Works, Vera Bradley, and the like then maybe you should consider talking to them about their problems.

3. Excessive stockpiles of items.

Online shoppers tend to buy excessive amounts of things they don't need in order to take advantage of the best deals. Watch out for cabinets full of Bath and Body Works soaps and closets full of extra shoes and socks. Buying things when they aren't needed, in anticipation of a future date is not only a sign of online shopping addiction but also a warning sign of hoarding.

4. Memorization of credit card numbers.

If your friend can rattle off their credit/debit card number without hesitation then this is a big red flag. Online shopping is the only activity that regularly requires you to input your credit card number so this talent is a sure-fire way of giving an accurate diagnosis to your friend.

5. Hidden piles of useless items.

This is a very similar warning sign to #3 but more covert and more random. Basically, if you find random appliances and other useless things hidden in random spots around the house then you are dealing with a shopaholic in denial who can't help but order the newest items of anything on sale just in case.

6. Pages of shopping apps on their cellphone.

Now I know it's weird to be snooping around your friends phone, but just remember it's because you care. A normal person may have a small handful of shopping apps on their phone like Amazon or any other favorite store, but an online shopping addict will have endless pages of apps so that they can shop anytime they want. Obviously, this connected to the warning signs exhibited in #1.

7. Refusal to go to actual stores.

Online shopping addicts often spend all their money and buy everything they need online so they are often very reluctant to leave their homes. See in their version of shopping they get to lay in bed with no pants on and still get all the things they could desire without going to the store.

8. Packages show up daily.

This is one of the easiest warning signs to spot when looking for an online shopping addiction. On average, an addict will have at least 3 boxes showing up at their residence a day. Now this number may vary depending on the severity of a person's addiction. Sometimes they even get stuff delivered they don't remember ordering. That's when you know the addiction has gotten out of hand.

9. First name basis with the delivery guy.

This is a huge red flag. If they greet the UPS/FedEx man by name then they have been in contact with them way too much. It's at this moment you need to start setting up intervention groups and turning off the WiFi. It won't be easy, but in the long run, you are doing what is best for your friend and their credit score.

10. Overflowing closets.

This might be a sign of just regular shopping addiction, but it can when combined with other signs its a good indicator that someone shops online just a little too much. Closets full of shoes and clothes don't just appear overnight or in one shopping spree but from the systematic accumulation of things bought probably on super amazing clearance deals that they just couldn't pass up.

So please do yourself and your friends a favor and look for these red flags in the people you know. If more than three are exhibited over a period of a month then seek medical attention for that person before things get out of hand. At the same time, if while reading this article you saw yourself in any of the warning signs then reconsider your life choices. Or just go on Amazon and buy a few books on the subject.