Final Research Paper

Casey Brown
Instructor Adam Padgett
UWRT 1102
14 April 2015

The Internet itself is a neutral device originally designed to facilitate research among academic
and military agencies.
-Kimberly Young
In the last century, technology has advanced far beyond what our ancestors could have
ever imagined. From airplanes to television, technology has developed at an extraordinary rate.
Although it has overall benefited humanity, technology can be misused and have negative
effects, some more apparent than others. While Hiroshima and 9/11 are more obvious examples
of the drawbacks of technology, more understated examples can also cause a significant amount
of harm. Parents, students, and school personnel have noticed a disturbing trend among young
adults: addiction to the internet. This phenomenon is not receiving the attention it requires;
because of its prevalence and potential for harm, internet addiction needs to be addressed as a
legitimate threat to the health and safety of those it affects.
Martha Shaw defines internet addiction as excessive or poorly controlled
preoccupations, urges or behaviors regarding computer use and Internet access that lead to
impairment or distress (Shaw and Black). However, there is not yet any one definition that is

widely accepted by the scientific community. This is due to the skepticism of the legitimacy of
the condition, as well as the fact that it is being a relatively recently discovered problem. While
this particular addiction is still new, many similar addictions have been studied in the past,
including addictions to television viewing and video game play. (Tokunaga). Although the study
of internet addiction is young, it has picked up a lot of traction in the academic community in the
last twenty years, with it being first introduced at the Annual Meeting of the American
Psychological Association in 1996 (Young).
In 2008, a telephone survey was done to determine the approximate prevalence of
internet addiction. The results showed that 0.3-0.7% of the general U.S. population has addictive
tendencies, and that males aged in their twenties to thirties are most at risk (Shaw and Black).
These results agree with the arguments of college counselors, who have stated that students are at
the most risk for internet addiction. Several factors contribute to this: universities
encouragement of internet use through campus-wide Wi-Fi, online courses, and universityprovided email accounts, the existence of large blocks of free time, and newfound sense of
freedom from parents (Young). Other surveys have shown that over 60% of American
households have at least one computer, and about 55% of households are connected to the
internet. This widespread computer and internet use means that the prevalence of addiction could
be much higher than what is currently known. Shaw noted, Perhaps the prevalence will not
stabilize until computer access reaches a saturation point wherein all but the most isolated
communities have access. It is likely that in the next ten years we will be able to better estimate
how widespread this condition actually is.
Several theories speculate on the factors leading to internet addiction. However, it doesnt
appear that there is any one true cause to internet addiction; rather, there are a variety of factors

which can contribute. For example, individuals with social anxiety may be at risk for addiction
because online communications requires less in-depth interpersonal interaction, is less risky than
face-to-face interaction, and allows the person to be in an environment where they feel more
comfortable (Tokunaga). Moreau theorizes, Social anxiety could precede frequent Internet use
among 1120 years. Thus, online interactions appear as an alternative to face to face
communication, indicating that the foundation for internet addiction could be starting at an early
age. This is a problem because it means that young people are in danger of internet addiction
long before their internet use is even problematic, problematic meaning abnormal behaviors and
thought processes caused by internet use. Neurobiological theories tend to focus more on
disturbances in neurotransmitters, particularly in those involving serotonin and dopamine.
Dopamine acts as a feel good neurotransmitter in that it creates a euphoric feeling, which plays
a role in reward dependence, (Shaw and Black). Serotonin is the chemical which maintains
mood balance, which would help people get a hold on their anxious feelings. Other theories
focusing on adolescents hypothesize that immaturity of the frontal cortical and subcortical
monoaminergic system during normal neurodevelopment underlies adolescent impulsivity,
considered the foundation of disorders marked by disturbance of reward motivation (Shaw
and Black). When talking about adolescents and young adults, Moreau said, Motivation, social
anxiety, depressive symptomatology, sensation seeking, personality traits, psychosocial
maladjustment, parenting and familial factors, have been linked to problematic Facebook use
among college students (Moreau et al.). Kimberly Young and Robert Rogers gave the Beck
Depression Inventory to about 259 addicted users, and the results suggested that low self-esteem,
fear of rejection and need for approval (when associated with depression) contribute to increased
internet use. This is likely used as a method for coping with their emotions.

An important element in distinguishing unhealthy from healthy internet use is whether or

not there is the presence of functional impairment (Tokunaga). Functional impairment is the term
for when a person has difficult completing daily routines or activities. This can include any
number of things, from forgetting to do a chore to neglect of personal relationships. One
significant daily routine that addicted people tend to forget about is sleep. Young said that addicts
may spend anywhere from forty to eighty hours per week using the computer, with individual
sessions that may last up to twenty hours. This is a serious problem because lack of sleep can
have minor consequences, like forgetfulness or impaired judgement, but also real health
concerns, like stroke or heart failure. Chronic insomnia can also lead to depression, which leads
the destructive cycle of internet addiction to repeat itself. Another way functional impairment can
negatively affect people is in their occupations. At work, impairment is occurring when people
put off necessary tasks to participate in or think about internet activities (Shaw and Black). This
often leads to a loss of productivity which can lead to the person being fired. There have been
several cases where a fired employee sues the company claiming they were fired based on their
disability (internet addiction), however none have been won. This shows that internet addiction is
not something that is taken seriously.
Those with an internet addiction are considered dependent and those without are
nondependent. Dependent people tend to more often use the two way communication
functions of the internet, whereas nondependents tend to stick to the informative parts of the
internet (Shaw and Black). Dependents have another type of impairment called social
impairment, which is defined as the diminished quality of offline interpersonal relationships
(Tokunaga). Marriage and dating relationships are typically affected the most by this, as addicts
form new relationships online, which can become romantic and may even lead to cybersex.

These online relationships can cause a person to lose interest in their offline relationships, which
is just one example of how this condition can hurt not just the people diagnosed with it, but also
the people close to them.
There are currently no evidence-based treatments for internet addiction, although some
methods of treatment have been studied, most with some degree of success. Cognitive-behavioral
therapies (CBT) help addicts recognize their problem and return to reality, and have had
moderate success. CBT treatments usually involve the following phases: learning time
management, recognizing both benefits and the harm that can come from internet use,
identifying triggers that encourage them to use the internet, improving interpersonal skills,
improving methods of coping, and creating interest in other activities (Huang et al.). Reality
therapy is another treatment style which assumes that people are responsible for what they do
and how they feel. For example, if a person is sad, reality therapy assumes that that person is
choosing to be sad. In one study, subjects showed decreased levels of internet usage, as well as
increased self-esteem, after only 10 sessions. Group therapy is the standard method for treating
people with substance abuse problems, and had similar success when treating people with
internet addictions. This method is effective because it allows members to see that others have
similar problems and reminds them that they are not the only one dealing with it. Pharmacologic
therapy relies on drugs that are meant to reduce compulsions to use substances. One man was
talking 50mL of naltrexone daily and after three years, was in complete remission from
compulsive internet use (Huang et al.).
Internet addiction can have serious consequences. There not enough knowledge about
this condition, so the people living it are being left to suffer. Using the advanced technology that
humanity has developed, more research needs to be done in order to learn more about this

phenomenon. Without out it, the people with internet addiction will be helpless and more people
will fall victim to this destructive condition.

Works Cited
Huang, Xui-qin, Meng-chen Li, and Ran Tao. "Treatment of Internet Addiction." Current
Psychiatry Reports. 12.5 (2010): 462-470. Print. (Huang et al.)
Moreau, Axelle, et al. "Psychopathological Profiles Of Adolescent And Young Adult Problematic
Facebook Users." Computers In Human Behavior 44.(2015): 64-69. Academic Search Premier.
Web. 10 Mar. 2015. (Moreau et al.)
Shaw, Martha, and Donald W. Black. "Internet Addiction." CNS Drugs 22.5 (2008): 353-365.
SPORTDiscus with Full Text. Web. 12 Apr. 2015. (Shaw and Black)
Tokunaga, Robert S. "A Unique Problem Or the Manifestation of a Preexisting Disorder? the
Mediating Role of Problematic Internet use in the Relationships between Psychosocial Problems
and Functional Impairment." Communication Research 41.4 (2014): 531-60. ProQuest. Web. 19
Feb. 2015. (Tokunaga)
Young, Kimberly S. "Internet Addiction: A New Clinical Phenomenon and its
Consequences." The American Behavioral Scientist48.4 (2004): 402-15. ProQuest. Web. 15 Apr.
2015. (Young)