internet addiction

Dot Com Mania or Internet Addiction

Internet addiction is described as an impulse control disorder, which does not involve use of an intoxicating drug and is very similar to pathological gambling.  Some Internet users may develop an emotional attachment to on-line friends and activities they create on their computer screens. Internet users may enjoy aspects of the Internet that allow them to meet, socialize, and exchange ideas through the use of chat rooms, social networking websites, or "virtual communities."   Other Internet users spend endless hours researching topics of interest Online or "blogging".  Blogging is a contraction of the term "Web log", in which an individual will post commentaries and keep regular chronicle of events.  It can be viewed as journaling and the entries are primarily textual.

Similar to other addictions, those suffering from Internet addiction use the virtual fantasy world to connect with real people through the Internet, as a substitution for real-life human connection, which they are unable to achieve normally.

Signs of Internet Addiction

·         Preoccupation with the Internet.  (Thoughts about previous on-line activity or anticipation of the next on-line session.)

·         Use of the Internet in increasing amounts of time in order to achieve satisfaction.

·         Repeated, unsuccessful efforts to control, cut back or stop Internet use.

·         Feelings of restlessness, moodiness, depression, or irritability when attempting to cut down use of the Internet.

·         On-line longer than originally intended.

·         Jeopardized or risked loss of significant relationships, job, educational or career opportunities because of Internet use.

·         Lies to family members, therapists, or others to conceal the extent of involvement with the Internet.

·         Use of the Internet is a way to escape from problems or to relieve a dysphoric mood.  (E.g. Feelings of hopelessness, guilt, anxiety, depression.)

Early investigation and research

The first quantitative journal study results of Internet use as possible addiction were published in 1996 by Penn State researcher, Steven John Thompson. in the Penn State McNair Journal. Thompson was a McNair Scholar who began his empirical Internet addiction research in 1995 with focus on the mass media effects of the Internet on society. Thompson's research, also evaluating dependency, was presented at the McNair Conference at SUNY Buffalo, and at the Penn State McNair Conference in 1996. While Thompson's study abstract was accepted at the annual Association for Education in Mass Communication and Journalism Convention in Chicago in 1997, the research was not formally presented due to non-attendance.

Since there was no available statistical tool for determining addiction at the Internet level in 1995, Thompson created a repurposed CAGE model for alcohol addiction to apply in Internet addiction with the first online Internet addiction survey questionnaire called McSurvey, referencing his McNair research scholar status therein.

Thompson academically surveyed over 100 people in 1995 who claimed online addiction at the time, and, after winnowing down viable participant response to a value of N=32, concluded in his published "Internet Connectivity: Addiction and Dependency Study” that Internet addiction, while needing more research, was often the way people felt rather than what was actually transpiring clinically, with his research results statistically confirming that the newness of the Internet, its empowerment of the individual with learning and knowledge, along with online community development and relationships, was why people were spending inordinate amounts of time on the Internet. Thompson's research indicated that, as with substance abuse, people with a propensity towards a particular addiction, such as pornography, may be capable of transferring that propensity into the new medium of the Internet appliance, but that did not indicate addiction to the Internet appliance.

While Thompson never conducted another formal quantitative study on Internet addiction, Thompson updated his seminal Internet addiction research 15 years later with a formal plenary presentation at the First International Forum on Media and Information Literacy held at Sidi Mohamed Ben Abdullah University in Fez, Morocco in 2011, where he was an informal contributor to UNESCO's Declaration on Media and Information Literacy adopted by Fez International Forum. With the unveiling of the 2011 updated research into Internet addiction and dependency, Thompson indicated that Internet addiction has been supplanted by dependency as a very real and pervasive societal issue that is not only not going away, but resulting in new structures and nomenclatures rooted in human enhancement technologies, ideas further explored in the Preface to his 2014 reference book “Global Issues and Ethical Considerations in Human Enhancement Technologies.”

Internet addiction and pornography

Young (1999), a founding member of The Centre for On-Line Addiction, claims Internet addiction is a broad term that covers a wide variety of behaviours and impulse control problems. She claims this is categorized by five specific subtypes including:

1.   Cyber sexual addiction: compulsive use of adult websites for cybersex and cyber porn.

2.   Cyber-relationship addiction: Over-involvement in online relationships.

3.   Net compulsions: Obsessive online gambling, shopping or day-trading.

4.   Information overload: Compulsive web surfing or database searches.

5.   Computer addiction: Obsessive computer game playing.

Hyper sexuality has become an enduring focus of empirical consideration in recent years (Kafka, 2010). The study of compulsive Internet pornography use as a sub domain of hyper sexuality has also become a prevalent empirical focus in recent years. Internet pornography use is increasingly common in Western cultures (Carroll et al. 2008). In tandem with this increase, the mental health community has witnessed a dramatic rise in problematic Internet pornography use (Manning, 2006; Warden et al. 2004; Owens, Behun, Manning, & Reid, 2012).

Joshua B. Grubbs, a specialist in addictive behaviour patterns, outlines in the article "Internet Pornography Use: Perceived Addiction" that at present there is no widely accepted means of defining or assessing problematic Internet pornography use and the notion of Internet pornography addiction is still highly controversial.

Net-Compulsions Addiction

• An addiction to online video games, role-playing games, or any interactive gaming environment available through the Internet.
• Extensive chat features in these games offer an aspect missing from offline activities, and the collaborative/competitive nature of working with or against other players can make it hard to take a break.

Internet Addiction Disorder            

·          Problematic use of the Internet,

o   Electronic mail (e-mail)

o   World Wide Web

o   Gaming

·        Internet addiction disorder is not listed in the mental health professionals handbook, the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM), fourth edition, text revision (2000)

·        Internet addiction has been formally recognized as a disorder by the American Psychological Association.

   What are the Symptoms?

Signs and symptoms of Internet Addiction Disorder may present themselves in both physical and emotional manifestations. Some of the emotional symptoms of Internet Addiction Disorder may include:

·         Depression

·         Dishonesty

·         Feelings of guilt

·         Anxiety

·         Feelings of Euphoria when using the Computer

·         Inability to Prioritize or Keep Schedules

·         Isolation

·         No Sense of Time

·         Defensiveness

·         Avoidance of Work

·         Agitation

·         Mood Swings

·         Fear

·         Loneliness

·         Boredom with Routine Tasks

·         Procrastination

Physical Symptoms of Internet Addiction Disorder may include:

·         Backache

·         Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

·         Headaches

·         Insomnia

·         Poor Nutrition (failing to eat or eating in excessively to avoid being away from the computer)

·         Poor Personal Hygiene (e.g., not bathing to stay online)

·         Neck Pain

·         Dry Eyes and other Vision Problems

·         Weight Gain or Loss

What are the effects of Internet Addiction Disorder? If you are suffering from this disorder, it might be affecting your personal relationships, work life, finances, or school life. Individuals suffering from this condition may be isolating themselves from others, spending a long time in social isolation and negatively impacting their personal relationships. Distrust and dishonesty issues may also arise due to Internet addicts trying to hide or deny the amount of time they spend online. In addition, these individuals may create alternate personas online in an attempt to mask their online behaviours. Serious financial troubles may also result from avoidance of work, bankruptcy due to continued online shopping, online gaming, or online gambling. Internet addicts may also have trouble developing new relationships and socially withdraw – as they feel more at ease in an online environment than a physical one.

 

How is it Diagnosed?

Though it is gaining traction in the mental health field – and recently added to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders as a disorder that needs more research, a standardized diagnosis of Internet Addiction Disorder has not been discovered. This is also a significant contributing factor to the overall variability in the disorder as a whole and wide range of prevalence in the population from 0.3% to a whopping 38%.

One of the more accepted diagnostic assessments of Internet Addiction Disorder has been proposed by KW Beard’s 2005 article in CyberPsychology and Behavior. Beard proposes five diagnostic criteria in the identification of Internet Addiction Disorder in the general population:

·         Is preoccupied with the Internet (constantly thinks about past use or future use)

·         Needs to use the Internet with increased amounts of time to gain satisfaction

·         Has made unsuccessful efforts to control, cut back, or stop use of the Internet

·         Is restless, moody, depressed, or irritable when attempting to control Internet use

·         Has stayed online longer than originally intended

In addition, Beard (2005) suggests at least one of the following must also be present in a diagnosis of Internet Addiction Disorder:

·         Has jeopardized or risked the loss of a significant relationship, job, educational, or career opportunity because of the Internet

·         Has lied to family members, therapists, or others to conceal their involvement with the Internet

·         Uses the Internet as a way of escaping from problems or to relieve a dysphoric mood (e.g., guilt, anxiety, depression, helplessness)

If you have sought help with an Internet Addiction Disorder, you have likely been given a mental test or questionnaire of some sort to assess your dependency on the Internet. The most common assessment tools used to help make a diagnosis of Internet Addiction Disorder include:

·         Young’s Internet Addiction Test

·         the Problematic Internet Use Questionnaire (PIUQ)

·         the Compulsive Internet Use Scale (CIUS)

 What are the Treatment Options?

The first step in treatment is the recognition that a problem exists. If you do not believe you have a problem, you are not likely to seek treatment. One of the overarching problems with the Internet is that there is often no accountability and no limits. You are hidden behind a screen – and some things that you may say or do online are things you would never do in person.

There is debate in the literature whether treatment is necessary in the first place. Some believe Internet Addiction Disorder to be a “fad illness” and suggest that it usually resolves itself on its own. Studies have shown that self-corrective behaviour can be achieved and successful. Corrective behaviours include software that controls the Internet use and types of sites that can be visited – with the majority of professionals in agreement that total abstinence from the computer is not an effective method of correction.

Some professionals argue that medications are effective in the treatment of Internet Addiction Disorder – because if you are suffering from this condition, it is likely that you are also suffering from an underlying condition of anxiety and depression. It is generally thought that if you treat the anxiety or depression, the Internet Addiction may resolve in step with this treatment approach. Studies have shown that anti-anxiety and anti-depressant medications have had a profound effect on the amount of time spent on the Internet – in some cases decreasing rates from 35+ hours a week to 16 hours a week. Physical activity has also been indicative of effective in increasing serotonin levels and decreasing dependency on the Internet.

Some of the more common psychological treatments of Internet Addiction Disorder include:

·         Individual, group, or family therapy

·         Behaviour modification

·         Dialectical Behavioural Therapy (DBT)

·         Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)

·         Equine Therapy

·         Art Therapy

·         Recreation Therapy

·         Reality Therapy

Because of the prevalence of the disorder in the general population, treatment centers and programs have started to pop up in the US and across the globe. In some cases, electro-shock therapy was used to wean individuals off the Internet – this method has since been banned. The ReSTART residential treatment facilitywas started in 2009 in Seattle, WA for pathological computer use. In 2013, a USB-connected keyboard device was created to provide a very low voltage shock to users who visited particular websites. In other places nationwide and internationally, de-addiction centers have been started to aid individuals suffering from Internet Addiction Disorder.

In many instances, multimodal treatments have been employed to treat Internet Addiction Disorder. In this method of treatment, if you are suffering from this condition, you might be prescribed both medications and psychotherapy to treat your addiction to the Internet.

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy

—  In the early stages of treatment therapy is behavioral; focusing on the behaviors related to the disorder that causes the greatest difficulty. As therapy progresses there is a focus is on cognitive distortions that have developed and the effects of these on behavior. Finally, problem solving skills and coping strategies training, modeling, support groups, and tracking progress through journals.

—  CBT is based on the premise that thoughts determine feelings.  Patients are taught to monitor their thoughts and identify the thoughts that trigger the addictive feelings and actions to prevent taking the actions. CBT typically requires 3 months or treatment, or about 12 weekly sessions.

Continued or Questionable Existence?

Though originally diagnosed as a “hoax” disorder – the increased digital age has propelled us into the Internet age and Internet addiction has become a truly real “thing.” However, many researchers are uncertain of whether Internet Addiction Disorder is a disorder in its own existence or rather a symptom of other underlying conditions.

Creating an even more problematic interaction is the fact that everything is online nowadays. It’s hard to make a distinction between online and offline worlds. Everything is Internet-based. From ordering food, interacting with friends, playing games, and even watching tv. Adding an additional layer of confusion and distinction is that other digital technology is taking over the world as well – make access to computers even easier. Now, we don’t have to be physically sitting in front of the computer – we can do anything from anywhere with just our phones, tablets, or other electronic devices.

Still, other researchers question whether excessive Internet use is an addiction or an obsessive-compulsive or impulse-control disorder. Indeed, the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders is correct in its acknowledgement that much more research is needed to study this disorder.

Prevalence of Gaming Addiction: North Korea and China

—  North Korea: estimated that 210,000 children ages 6-19 require treatment for online gaming addiction.

◦      20%-24% of those require hospitalization as treatment.

—  China: estimated that 10 million teenagers meet addiction criteria.

◦      New laws discourage more than 3 hours of daily game use.

Prevalence of Gaming Addiction: United States

—  Internet cafes rarely used, so attempts to measure online gaming addiction clouded by shame, denial, and minimization.

—  Estimated that 86% of Internet addiction cases are complicated by co-morbidity.

—  Internet addiction unlikely to be found unless the therapist specifically screens for it.

—  Adolescents have been identified as being most at risk for online gaming addiction.