Internet addiction has been widely covered by the media, especially in regards to the younger generation but internet overuse can take different types and forms and it concerns everyone.
The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, published by the American Psychiatric Association is revised every few years by adding or removing disorders. It is under debate whether internet Addiction Disorder will be added in the next revision, which will be published in May 2013.
Different Types of Internet Overuse
A part of the debate concerns whether internet addiction is a disorder in itself or is it is a series of compulsive behaviors such as gaming addiction, social networking, online shopping, gambling or porn addiction. Different groups of the population show a variety of symptoms that are linked to internet overuse.
Social media growth has been impressive by any standards and a part of the its user base spends more and more hours using social media features. Facebook addiction, among others, has taken such proportions that some teenagers now choose to deactivate their accounts to escape its overuse, according to a New York Times article.
Online gambling addiction is considered by many psychologists to be potentially harmful, as “the availability of internet gambling may draw individuals who seek out isolated and anonymous contexts for their gambling behaviors,” according to Psychologists Dr. George Ladd and Dr. Nancy Petry, of the University of Connecticut Health Center.
Even though it doesn’t have a status as a disorder yet, there have been people who filed lawsuits claiming that their internet addiction makes them eligible for protection under the Americans with Disabilities Act. James Pacenza, an IBM employee who was terminated for visiting a sex-chat at work sued the company for wrongful termination. He asks for $5 million because he claims that he suffers from an addiction to pornography that is linked to his Vietnam War post-traumatic stress disorder.
Even if he is unlikely to win, this might be only the beginning, as more people are worried that they suffer from some form of internet addiction and they ask for help.
Treatment for Internet Addiction
Dr. Kimberly Young, who has extensively researched internet addiction, is the director of the Center for Internet Addiction Recovery in Bradford. The Center claims that internet addiction is a growing epidemic and has become a serious public health concern in many countries.
Dr. Young developed the Internet Addiction Diagnostic Questionnaire to diagnose the disorder, that includes the following questions:
- Do you feel preoccupied with the internet (think about previous online activity or anticipate next online session)?
- Do you feel the need to use the internet with increasing amounts of time in order to achieve satisfaction?
- Have you repeatedly made unsuccessful efforts to control, cut back, or stop internet use?
- Do you feel restless, moody, depressed, or irritable when attempting to cut down or stop internet use?
- Do you stay online longer than originally intended?
- Have you jeopardized or risked the loss of significant relationship, job, educational or career opportunity because of the internet?
- Have you lied to family members, therapist, or others to conceal the extent of involvement with the internet?
- Do you use the internet as a way of escaping from problems or of relieving a dysphoric mood (e.g., feelings of helplessness, guilt, anxiety, depression)?
Other signs include losing track of time online, having trouble completing other tasks and feeling guilty over the time spent on the internet. An internet addict may suffer from malnutrition, poor body posture or lack of exercise, depression, difficulty sleeping and withdrawal symptoms.
Counseling sessions are provided in the Center, as well as other similar places that treat internet and computer addicts. Most of these counseling programs are in the USA but they are also popular in Asian countries like Taiwan and South Korea. Capio Nightingale Hospital, in central London, recently launched the first Young Person Technology Addiction Service, to help teenagers who are addicted to technology and their parents.
Therapists often analyze the triggers of compulsive internet use in order to make users aware of them in an attempt to eliminate them. People who suffer from internet overuse or addiction are encouraged to make a list of alternative activities and interests that they will follow. They set realistic goals in order to reduce internet use and increase off-screen social activities, while exploring ways to boost their confidence.
Finally, there are software available that can monitor how much time one spends on the internet and limit the websites that can be visited.
Dimitra Rizou - Dimitra Rizou has studied English and Journalism. She lives in London.
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