Posts tagged with ‘internet addiction’
Internet addiction disorder is excessive computer use that interferes with daily life. Although it is not included in the current DSM as of 2009, internet addiction receives coverage in the press, and possible future classification as a psychological disorder continues to be debated and researched. The disorder is often divided into subtypes by activity, such as excessive viewing of pornography, excessive gaming, inappropriate involvement in online social networking sites or blogging, and Internet shopping addiction.
Facebook, the popular social networking site, has 350 million members worldwide who collectively spend 10 billion minutes on the site every day. Katie Hafner of the New York Times writes that some students are nipping their addiction in the bud by deactivating their accounts or restricting their time on the site.
Is it possible to become addicted to the Internet? A recent article in the San Francisco Gate asked this question and highlighted that technology can be seductive as it provides an instant reward. The activities and the reward are not necessarily harmful, which make them that much more appealing.
When Internet users begin to compulsively seek the instant, unpredictable gratification that technology provides—a text message from a friend or stimulating news on a web site, for example—an addiction can form that is similar to drug and alcohol dependency.
Psychologists are now probing a new kind of addiction called Facebook Addiction Disorder (FAD). Psychologist Dr. Michael Fenichel, who has published numerous essays on FAD online, describes it as a situation in which Facebook usage “overtakes” daily activities like waking up, getting dressed, using the telephone, or checking e-mail.
If you are concerned that your child may be suffering from Internet addiction, there are several warning signs to watch for. Many of these symptoms are similar to depression and anxiety, which also need to be treated as soon as possible. Sue Scheff shares these warning signs in an article on Examiner.com: