Internet Addiction: What You Need to Know

By Colin Gilbert

Addiction is typically associated with substances such as alcohol or tobacco, but there isn’t always a chemical aspect to an addict’s behavior. Sometimes, mere behavioral patterns—such as watching television or exercising at the gym—can surpass the realms of recreation or habit to become legitimate addictions in a person’s life. Studies are now showing that surfing the Internet is a widespread addiction, sometimes warranting clinical treatment. It is currently estimated that 5-10% of Americans are addicted to the Internet.

Stanford University recently conducted a survey to verify suspicions about Internet addiction. The study revealed that 14 percent of Internet users have a difficult time avoiding the computer for more than a couple days at a time. Nine percent feel guilty enough about their obsessive behavior to sometimes hide it from loved ones, and eight percent even acknowledge the Internet as a method of avoiding personal problems.

Other studies suggest that women, especially new mothers, are vulnerable to becoming Web addicts. According to the Illinois Institute for Addiction Recovery in Peoria, women with new babies tend to obsessively scour message boards and blogs in a search for maternal camaraderie. They can also feel trapped and alone at home, and the Internet provides an escape from their domestic “cabin fever,” but they sometimes become reliant on the Internet for a sense of well-being.

New mothers are not the only group who fall victim to the Internet’s addictive allure. Teenagers have been found to spend enormous amounts of time on social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter, and multiplayer gaming is extremely popular among boys and young men. Women tend to gravitate toward message boards, blogs, and other relationship-based sites, while men are generally more likely to become addicted to online gambling and pornography.

While Internet addiction may not pose serious immediate threats to one’s physical health, it can easily interfere with personal and professional responsibilities. Compulsively browsing the Web leaves little or no time for more important matters, such as work, exercise, or family gatherings. Internet addicts often form unhealthy relationships online, sometimes even engaging in online affairs, while neglecting those around them. Relationships with family and friends suffer, jobs are left undone, and the addict generally fails to maintain a healthy psychological and emotional balance.

The Internet provides a “high” to addicts that parallels the fix drug addicts seek in chemical substances. It fills a cognitive void that has been established in their minds, and the compulsive behavior becomes their only source of comfort. As a result, those suffering from an addiction to the Internet display many of the same behaviors exhibited by other addicts. They sometimes have difficulty stopping once they start, hide or lie about their amount of time online, and they may feel restless and uneasy when away from a computer.

Recovering from Internet addiction often involves counseling and self-help groups. Instead of quitting the Internet “cold-turkey,” addicts are encouraged to seek the help of a behavioral therapist to learn how to control their urges and develop healthy online habits. It is sometimes recommended that a journal be kept to emotionally engage in the situation and monitor online hours.

Although it’s a fairly new concept, Internet addiction is rapidly becoming a major concern among healthcare professionals. For those who worry that they might suffer from an addiction to the Internet, there is an Internet Addiction Test (IAT) available online at www.netaddiction.com. The site also offers advice for confronting and overcoming the addiction.