Internet addiction disorder

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"Wikipedia addiction" redirects here. For the tongue-in-cheek Wikipedia essay, see
Wikipedia:Wikipediholic.
See also: Computer addiction and Video game addiction
Internet addiction disorder (IAD), or, more broadly, Internet overuse, prolematic computer
use or pathological computer use, is excessive computer use that interferes with daily life
!"#

$hese terms avoid the distracting and divisive term addiction and are not limited to any single
cause
%&' was originally proposed as a disorder in a satirical hoax by %van (oldberg, )', in "**+
!,#

-e took pathological gambling as diagnosed by the 'iagnostic and .tatistical )anual of )ental
'isorders ('.)/%0) as his model for the description
!1#
of %&' %t is not however included in the
current '.) as of ,22* %&' receives coverage in the press, and possible future classification as
a psychological disorder continues to be debated and researched
3nline activities which, if done in person, would normally be considered troublesome, such as
compulsive gambling or shopping, are sometimes called net compulsions
!4#
3thers, such as
reading or playing computer games, are troubling only to the extent that these activities interfere
with normal life .upporters of disorder classification often divide %&' into subtypes by activity,
such as excessive, overwhelming, or inappropriate pornography use,
!+#
gaming,
!5#
online social
networking, blogging,
!6#
email
!7#
, or %nternet shopping
!*#
3pponents note that compulsive
behaviors may not themselves be addictive
!"2#
Contents
!hide#
" 8ossible disorder
o "" .upport
o ", 3pposition
, 8revalence
1 8revention and correction
4 .ee also
+ 9eferences
5 Further reading
[edit] Possible disorder
$here is debate over whether to include :%nternet &ddiction: as a diagnosis in '.)/0, the next
()ay ,2"1) edition of the '.) .ome argue that %nternet addiction disorder exists and should be
included, and some that it is neither an addiction nor a specific disorder and should not be
included in '.)/0
%n June ,226, the &merican )edical &ssociation declined to recommend to the &merican
8sychiatric &ssociation that they include %&' as a formal diagnosis in '.)/0,
!""#
and
recommended further study of :video game overuse:
!",#
.ome members of the &merican .ociety
of &ddiction )edicine opposed identifying %nternet overuse and video game overuse as
disorders
!"1#
&mong the research identified as necessary is to find ways to define :overuse: and
to differentiate an :%nternet addiction: from obsession, self/medication for depression or other
disorders, and compulsion
While the existence of %nternet addiction is debated, self/proclaimed sufferers are resorting to the
courts for redress %n one &merican case (8acen;a v %<) =orp), the plaintiff argued he was
illegally dismissed from his employment in violation of the &mericans with 'isabilities &ct
because of %nternet addiction triggered by 0ietnam War/related 8ost/$raumatic .tress 'isorder
!"4#!"+#
$he case is pending before the court in the .outhern 'istrict of >ew ?ork (case
summari;ed in (laser @ =arroll, ,226)
[edit] Support
&ccording to )aressa 3r;ack, director of the =omputer &ddiction .tudy =enter at -arvard
AniversityBs )cCean -ospital, between +D and "2D of Web surfers suffer some form of Web
dependency
!"5#
&nother supporter, Jeremy (reenfield, 8h' of the =enter for %nternet <ehavior conducted a
study with &<= >ewscom in "*** and is author of Virtual !ddiction. -e believes that some
services available over the %nternet have uniEue psychological properties which induce
dissociation, time distortion, and instant gratification, with about 5D of individuals experiencing
some significant impact on their lives -owever, he says it may not best be seen as an addiction
but rather as a compulsion (reenfield claims that sex, gaming, gambling, and shopping online
can produce a mood/altering effect
&ccording to the =enter for %nternet &ddiction 9ecovery (whose director is Fimberly . ?oung,
!"6#
a researcher who has lobbied for the recognition of net abuse as a distinct clinical disorder),
:%nternet addicts suffer from emotional problems such as depression and anxiety/related
disorders and often use the fantasy world of the %nternet to psychologically escape unpleasant
feelings or stressful situations:
!"7#
3ver 52D of people seeking treatment for %&' claim
involvement with sexual activities online which they consider inappropriate, such as excessive
attention to pornography or involvement in explicit sexual conversations online
!"*#
)ore than
half are also addicted to alcohol, drugs, tobacco, or sex
!"7#
%n ,227 Jerald J <lock, )',
!,2#
-ilarie =ash, 8h',
!,"#
Fim )c'aniel )&,
!,"#
argued that
%nternet addiction should be included as a disorder in the '.)/0 <lock observed that diagnosis
was complicated because 75D of study subGects showing %& symptoms also exhibited other
diagnosable mental health disorders
!,2#
& ,22* study suggested that brain structural changes
were present in those classified by the researchers as %nternet addicted, similar to those classified
as chemically addicted
!,,#
[edit] Opposition
8sychiatrist 'r (oldberg acknowledges that %nternet addiction disorder is not a true addiction
and may in fact be no more than a symptom of other, existing disorders
!,1#
&n overbroad
description of addiction leaves open the possibility of every compensatory behavior being
declared an addiction For example, a person who has lengthy telephone conversations with a
friend to avoid an unpleasant situation could be declared :addicted to the telephone: with eEual
validity as a person who chats on the %nternet with the same underlying goal
)ost, if not all :%nternet addicts:, already fall under existing diagnostic labels
!,4#
For many
individuals, overuse or inappropriate use of the %nternet is a manifestation of their depression,
anxiety, impulse control disorders, or pathological gambling
!,+#
%&' is compared to food
addiction, in which patients overeat as a form of self/medication for depression, anxiety, etc,
without actually being truly addicted to eating
%t is possible that a person could have a pathological relationship with a specific aspect of the
%nternet, such as bidding on online auctions, viewing pornography, online gaming, or online
gambling (which is included under the existing 8athological (ambling), but that does not make
the %nternet medium itself addictive For example,
!,5#
, whether gambling is done on a computer or
face/to/face does not affect whether or not it is pathologicalH a person with poor impulse control
can lose sleep over a suspenseful novel or favorite television show or a computer game or the
temptation to click on another web link
&lso, there are significant and critical differences between common %nternet activities (e/mail,
chatting, web surfing) and pathological gambling, which the %&' notion heavily parallels $he
%nternet is largely a pro/social, interactive, and information/driven medium, while gambling is
seen as a single, anti/social behavior that has very little social redeeming value .o/called
%nternet addicts do not suffer from the same damage to health and relationships that are common
to established addictions
!,4#
& complete review of the %nternet addiction research at the end of ,227 (<yun et al, ,227)
demonstrated significant, multiple flaws in most studies in this area $he researchers wrote in
that article, :$he analysis showed that previous studies have utili;ed inconsistent criteria to
define %nternet addicts, applied recruiting methods that may cause serious sampling bias, and
examined data using primarily exploratory rather than confirmatory data analysis techniEues to
investigate the degree of association rather than causal relationships among variables:
!,6#
$his
suggests that much of the prior research done on this issue is invalid
!citation needed#
[edit] Prevalence
$he prevalence of %&' can be attributed to the fact that it has become increasingly difficult to
distinguish between the online and offline worlds $he %nternet has tremendous potential to affect
the emotions of humans and in turn, alter our self/perception and anxiety levels
!,7#
,+D of users fulfill %nternet addiction criteria within the first six months of using the %nternet
)any individuals initially report feeling intimidated by the computer but gradually feel a sense
of :competency and exhilaration from mastering the technology and learning to navigate the
applications Euickly by visual stimulation: (<eard 164) $he feeling of exhilaration can be
explained by the way %&' sufferers often describe themselves as: bold, outgoing, openminded,
intellectually prideful, and assertive
!,*#
$he 3ttawa .un reports that a "**5 report in the AF :&dvances in 8sychiatric $reatment:
claimed that a :significant minority: suffer from :%nternet addiction:
!12#
Ap to 12D of .outh Foreans under "7, or about ,4 million people, are at risk of %nternet
addiction, said &hn 'ong/hyun, a child psychiatrist at -anyang Aniversity in .eoul who Gust
completed a three/year government/financed survey of the problem
!1"#
'ata from =hina %nternet >etwork %nformation =enter (=%>%=), as of June 12, ,225, showed that
",1 million people had gone online, of which "4*D were teenagers below "7 years old =hou
and -siao reported that the incidence rate of %nternet addiction among $aiwan college students
was +*D
!1,#
Wu and Ihu
!11#
identified "25D of =hinese college students as %nternet addicts
!14#
& leading <eiGing Gudge, .han Jiuyun, claimed in ,22+ that *2D of Guvenile crime in the city
was %nternet/related
!1+#
$he =hina =ommunist ?outh Ceague claimed in ,226 that over "6D of
=hinese citi;ens between "1 and "6 are addicted to the %nternet
!15#
[edit] Prevention and correction
%n many cases, though not all, %nternet overuse corrects itself .arah Fershaw wrote for the >ew
?ork $imes in ,22+: :%t was 8rofessor Fiesler who called %nternet addiction a fad illness %n her
view, she said, television addiction is worse .he added that she was completing a study of heavy
%nternet users, which showed the maGority had sharply reduced their time on the computer over
the course of a year, indicating that even problematic use was self/corrective:
!16#
=orrective strategies include content/control software, counseling, and cognitive behavioural
therapy
!17#!1*#!42#!4"#
Families in =hina have turned to unlicensed training camps that offer to :wean: their children,
often in their teens, from overuse of the %nternet, resulting in the death of at least one youth
!4,#
%n &ugust ,22*, "eS#!"#, a residential treatment center for :pathological computer use:, opened
near .eattle, Washington, Anited .tates
!41#
%t offers a 4+/day program intended to help people
wean themselves from pathological computer use, and can handle up to six patients at a time
!44#
%n >ovember ,22*, the government in =hina banned physical punishment to :wean: teens from
the %nternet Klectro/shock therapy had already been banned
!4+#
[edit] See also
=ompulsive gambling
8ornography addiction
.oft addiction
8rocrastination
Workaholic
3nline (amers &nonymous
[edit] References
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9esearch: Cyerpsychology $ %ehavior 12 (,): ,21L6 doi:"2"27*Ncpb,2272"2, %..> "++6/
7154 8)%' "*26,26+ http:NNwwwliebertonlinecomNdoiNpdfplusN"2"27*Ncpb,2272"2,
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[edit] "urt#er readin$
<lock, JJ (,227) :%ssues for '.)/0: %nternet &ddiction: &merican Journal of 8sychiatry
"5+:1H )arch ,227H p 125/126
<yun, ., et al (,227) %nternet &ddiction: )etasynthesis of "**5L,225 Muantitative
9esearch =yberpsychology @ <ehavior, ",, "/+available online
=aruso, ' ("**7) Critics 2ick !part Study on Internet and )epression. available online
=hopra, ' ("**6) 3vercoming &ddictions >ew ?ork: -armony <ooks
'iagnostic and .tatistical )anual of )ental 'isorders, Fourth Kdition ("**4) Washington
'=: &merican 8sychiatric &ssociation
'owling, > &, @ Muirk, F C (,227) .creening for %nternet 'ependence: 'o the 8roposed
'iagnostic =riteria 'ifferentiate >ormal from 'ependent %nternet AseO =yber8sychology @
<ehavior , ", ("), "
(arcia 'uran, ) (,221, 'ecember "4) %nternet &ddiction 'isorder &llpsych
(rohol, J ) ("***) %nternet &ddiction (uide 8sych =entral available online
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8adilla/Walker, C), >elson, CJ, =arroll, J. @ Jensen, &= (,22*) )ore than Gust a
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.urratt, =arla ( ("***) 4etaholics5 : the creation o& a pathology =ommack, >? : >ova
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Welch, K $ (,22") &ddictions: a <anEuet in the (rave 8hillipsburg, 8ennsylvania: 8 @ 9
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?oung, Fimberly . (,22") Caught in the 4et: 3o6 to "ecogni7e the Signs o& Internet
!ddiction8and a Winning Strategy &or "ecovery
Iur, 3 @ Iur, & (,22*) 3n 'igital %mmigrants @ 'igital >atives Iur %nstitute available
online