Internet Addiction Disorder
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Latest researches reveal that internet users are growing by an
average of more than one million new users everyday. As of April
2019, 56.1% of the world’s population has internet access. It is said
that one out of three internet users uses it excessively . If this
excessive usage of internet interferes with ones daily life,
relationships, work, studies etc. negatively they may be suffering
from Internet Addiction Disorder, also commonly referred to as
Compulsive Internet Use(CIU) ,Problematic Internet Use (PIU) or
iDisorder. It was first theorized as a disorder in 1995 by Dr.Ivan
Goldberg who states that “Internet Addiction Disorder makes it
sound as if one were dealing with heroin, a truly addicting substance
...”. Since then many researchers, mental health counselors and
doctors has given serious attention on this as a truly debilitating
disorder.
Symptoms
As people between 12 and 29 years of age access the internet more
than other age groups and undertake a higher risk of overuse of the
internet, the problem of IAD is most relevant to young people.
Dr.Jerald Block, on his editorial for the ‘American Journal of
Psychiatry’ says that, Internet addiction has four main components.
 Excessive use, often associated with a loss of sense of time or a
neglect of basic drives.
 Withdrawal, feelings of anger, depression or tension when a
computer is inaccessible.
 The need for more hours of use, need for better computers and
softwares dissatisfaction about the speed of internet.
 Negative repercussions, social isolation and trying to hide or
deny the time they spend online.
Physical symptoms of IAD may include back aches, headaches,
neck pains, dry eyes and other vision problems, weight loss or gain
due to the use of computers and devices and being isolated in one
place for a long time.
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Effects
Internet addiction results in personal, family, academic, financial and
occupational problems. Personal relationships of internet addicts
may be interrupted as a result of excessive use of internet. People
suffering from internet addiction spend more time alone, than with
real people in their life and often viewed as socially awkward. They
may create online personas which is not their real identity and
pretend to be someone else online as they may be suffering from
low self esteem and feeling of fear of disapproval.
Diagnosis
Though IAD is identified as a disorder and recently added to the
‘Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders’, s
standardized diagnosis has not yet been discovered. But many
centers for internet de-addiction can be found around the world
which are carried out as research projects to discover successful
diagnosis and to treat individuals who are identified as internet
addicts. Also the ‘Center for Internet Addiction’ in Pennsylvania
founded by Dr.Kimberly Young in 1995 provides treatments for
internet addicts and has introduced a validated measure of internet
addiction to measure the use in terms of mild, moderate and several
levels of addiction.
Treatment
The first step in treatment is the recognition of the existence of the
problem. If an individual do not believe to have a problem, they are
not likely to seek a treatment. Some believe internet addiction to be
a ‘fad-illness’ that usually resolves itself on its own. Also it is said that
IAD for some individuals may be a side effect of an underlying
condition such as anxiety or depression. Studies has shown that antianxiety and anti-depressant medications has a deep affect in the
amount of time spent online and suggests that Internet addiction
may resolve in step with the treatments for anxiety or depression .
However many researchers are uncertain of weather IAD is a
disorder in its own or preferably a symptom of other underlying
condition.
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Conclusion
With the fact that everything is online nowadays, it has
revolutionized communications to the extent that it is now the most
preferred medium of everyday communication. The drastical
development of the internet has many pros to the world and as well
as cons like IAD. By taking protective actions and with the correct
use, the negative outcomes can be limited and the maximum use can
be taken.
Sriyanjith Herath
IM/2017/030
MIT Level 1