Over the past few decades, computers and the internet have infiltrated every facet of our lives. Which is why it is somewhat difficult to process the concept of the internet as being addictive; if we’re all online almost all of the time, is everyone an addict? Or is there a line between useful from harmful internet use?
Internet Overuse as a Psychiatric Disorder
Ivan Goldberg first coined the term ‘Internet addiction disorder’ in 1995 [1]. At the time, Goldberg didn’t actually believe that such a thing existed. On his website, he parodied the diagnosis of pathological gambling, replacing gambling with internet use, using it as an example of how human behavior was becoming increasingly medicalized.
Twenty years later, the disorder is far more than just a satirical joke. Although it hasn’t made it into the latest version of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM), many experts believe it to be a legitimate condition.
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The most addictive aspects of the internet seem to be those that involve contact with others. So-called ‘interactive real-time services’, which include online chatrooms and web conferencing, seem to be particularly reinforcing. One study found that dependent internet users spent most of their online time in chatrooms and online multiplayer games or virtual worlds. Non-dependent users on the other hand spent most of their online time using email [2].
Socializing online is a strong reinforcer
Online gaming can be very entertaining, and studies have consistently shown that its most reinforcing aspect is the ability to interact with other people. The more interactive a game is, the higher the likelihood that players become addicted [3]. Massively multiplayer online role-playing games (MMORPGs) involve a large number of players taking the role of a character and interacting with each other. World of Warcraft, a MMORPG, is one of the most widely played games in the world with almost 8 million currently active subscribers [4].
Interestingly, internet use can also be a powerful negative reinforcer. Dependent users often view the internet as a means of escaping from stressful interpersonal relationships and their negative consequences [5].
A Social Paradox
From a social point of view, internet overuse is an intriguing phenomenon. The main reason why most people spend so much time online is due to the internet’s inherently abundant opportunities for socialization [6]. Why then does internet addiction cause social isolation and loneliness?
It may be that people who are predisposed to internet addiction have a generally different perception of social life. In fact, most frequent internet users are somewhat introverted and lonely, and tend to consider their online interactions as important and real as face-to-face relationships [7]. They may prefer to spend the time they have dedicated to socialization in an online game rather than out in the real world, resulting in a vicious cycle that leads to more loneliness [8].
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Far-Reaching Repercussions
The sheer magnitude of internet overuse has resulted in a major public health problem in a number of countries. The prevalence of the condition has reached alarming levels in China (11%) and South Korea (18%) [9,10]. For individuals, the consequences of overusing the internet range from mildly discomforting to seriously debilitating and share remarkable similarities to the consequences of substance abuse.
In terms of mental health, internet addiction is associated with increased hostility and aggression in real-life [11,12]. People who overuse the internet are also more than twice as likely as others to be depressed [13]. They are also more likely to suffer from insomnia and to abuse alcohol and tobacco [14].
Internet overuse can be detrimental to health
In addition, MMORPGs are known to precipitate seizures. Evidence suggests that these fits differ considerably from classical video game-induced seizures [12], which were first described in the early ‘80s. Their pathogenesis is multifactorial, involving photosensitivity, anxiety, emotional excitement, and fatigue.
While non-dependent internet users perceive the internet as having a productive, positive effect on their personal and professional or academic lives, dependent users perceive the opposite [15]. Time disruption seems to be the key factor in causing dependent users to perceive their use of the internet as having a negative impact on their lives.
All In Good Time
Experts believe that, when treating internet addiction, advocating complete abstinence is best avoided. Instead, they recommend using certain time management strategies to help achieve a ‘normal’ level of productive internet use [16]. Overall, a combination of cognitive behavior and motivational enhancement therapies seems to be the most effective strategy.
Internet addiction research is plagued by methodological issues that need to be addressed [17]. One particularly unsettling notion is that internet overuse itself may not be the problem. We may need to focus instead on treating the psychiatric conditions that are masked by the long hours spent online.
[1] http://tinyurl.com/3fm67w
[2] Young, Cyberpsychol Behav, 1998
[3] Ng, Cyberpsychol Behav, 2005
[4] http://tinyurl.com/wowsubscr
[5] Ng and Wiemer-Hastings, Cyberpsych Behav, 2005
[6] http://tinyurl.com/nwtmeld
[7] Peris, Cyberpsychol Behav, 2002
[8] Morahan-Martin, Cyberpsychol Behav, 1999
[9] Lam et al, Cyberpsychol Behav, 2009
[10] Ko et al, J Adolesc Health, 2009
[11] Yen et al, Cyberpsychol Behav Soc Netw, 2011
[12] Chuang, Cyberpsych Behav, 2006
[13] Lam and Peng, Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med, 2010
[14] Kim et al, Nutr Res Pract, 2010
[15] Chou and Hsiao, Comput Educ, 2000
[16] Young, Innovations in Clinical Practice: A Source Book, 1999
[17] Byun et al, Cyberpsychol Behav, 2009
by Ahmed Khalil, PhD Student AG Fiebach
This article originally appeared in CNS Volume 7, Issue 4, Communication and Social Media
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