Could You Be Addicted to the Internet? 261
Billosaur writes "Over at The Register, Dr Stephen Juan has this interesting article on Internet Addiction Disorder (IAD). Apparently this has been around since at least 1995 and there are those lobbying for it to be included in the DSM-IV. While some people use the Internet a lot for work or to keep in touch with family & friends as well as banking and bill-paying, it's interesting to thing that some people actually become addicted. There's still a lot of controversy over the diagnosis, whether this is true addiction or not. There is more detailed information available in this paper from Viriginia Tech."
Internet? (Score:3, Funny)
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Re:Internet? (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:Internet? (Score:5, Insightful)
""Internet Addiction" is just another way to bash the net as an evil place by those who either don't understand its utility, or don't want people to understand its utility"
no, internet addiction is when people turn to the internet even to the point where it is harmfull to them financially or socially.
Why would you think the internet would be an exception to everything else when it comes to addictions?
What other addictions... (Score:3, Interesting)
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- Philip J. Fry
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It may be worse than you think. According to this article I just read today [latimes.com], the average person watches 4 hours and 35 minutes of TV a day. If watching that much TV qualifies as addictive, then TV would have to qualify as most prevalent addiction out there.
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"Television. the 21st century drug of choice.", though hell if i can remember who said it.
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is the title a rhetorical question? (Score:5, Insightful)
The answer is so obviously "yes" in this audience. Was there any doubt? Why even ask?
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I love it... (Score:4, Insightful)
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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_Ward_(scientist
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I know I am (Score:5, Insightful)
Just because you use something often doesn't mean it's an addiction.
Re:I know I am (Score:5, Insightful)
Ditto for e-mail, browsing fark,
And you actually can get addicted to something like walking, running, biking or driving. Just because you aren't does not mean that others haven't been addicted.
Let's look at behaviour. (Score:4, Insightful)
The Internet - Guys (since most of you are), how long would you have to go without email before you'd have sex with another guy for $5 so you could use an Internet Cafe? (That's if you wouldn't do it for free, anyway.)
Okay, so the Internet is NOT addictive the same way as drugs are.
Cigarettes. Those are addictive. Now, apply the same behavioural process. What would you do for money to buy cigarettes that you would not do for money to buy a CD?
Would you do the same thing(s) for 30 minutes of Internet access?
Okay, so the Internet is NOT addictive the same way cigarettes are.
And so on and so forth. Until you get to the point where the Internet is no more "addictive" than telephones or television or radio.
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and you think there not addictive why?
People watch TV even when it's determental to them, people call peolpe even when it's harmfull to them, and people listen to the radio even when it becomes harmfull to them.
Same with the Internet.
If someone feels anxious about not being on the internet, it could mean there expecting an important email, it could also mean there addicted.
The material is not addictive. (Score:3, Insightful)
Because normal, adjusted people do not prostitute themselves so they can watch TV.
Yes, they do.
But you're confusing the material being addictive with a person having an obsessive disorder.
And obsessive person will become "addicted" to anything.
The question is whether a non-obsessive person can become
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My Attorny/Financial advisor tells many stories where people go bankrupt and they have Sat. AND cable television. That is usually the last thing they want removed from there budget, even when it is the greatest monthly savings.
"And the answer is "No"."
actually, it's yes, But you go ahead and live in your little world of delusion.
American Psychological Association developed the definition of TV addiction as "heavy television
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And just who is the one to determine "more productive activities"? The APA? You? The problem the APA has is every slight thing in human behavior to them is a disorder. This is for purpose other than their interest in humanity. When things get called a "disorder
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- President of the APA.
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"I've sucked dick for coke.
And that's an addiction, man.
You ever suck dick for marijuana?"
I'd propose to you that there is a direct relationship between the effects of withdrawl and what you're willing to do for a drug.
However, none of that applies to the discussion at hand, because we're not talking about a physiological addiction. Internet addiction is in your head and like most addictions, is easier to quantify in terms of how it effects your life.
If
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Putting me in any situation in which I am unaccustomed to will cause me some sort of anxiety. Does this mean I'm addicted to my way of life? Of course I am, but at that point the meaning of addiction becomes watered down and useless because everyone is addicted to their daily habits.
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Absolutely!
I'm not addicted.
I only use it for legitimate, work-related purposes!
Certainly I wouldn't be reading slashdot in the middle of the day when I'm supposed to be working or anything!
I can quit any time I want.
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Just because you use/do something often doesn't imply that there aren't people who become obssesed with that something. Ever talk to a hard core auto racer? Better be conversant about tires and spring rates, because that's likely the only thing in her head.
On the other hand, you ever start to get the impression that there are people obessesed with labeling every obsession as a clinical addiction? Well, that is to say every obsession they do
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Do you derive great satisfaction solely from driving your car, and increasingly think only of your next opportunity to drive the longer it has been since your last drive? Do you start fidgeting and having nervous fits the longer you are away from your car?
Do other areas of your life start to suffer because you are out driving your car, for no other reason than to simply be driving?
Assume you are on vacation, are fully stocked up on supplies
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addiction [reference.com]
Dictionary.com. Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.0.1), Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2006.
Whereas a psychosis is a mental disorder characterized by symptoms, such as delusio
Help! I've got Addiction Addiction (Score:5, Funny)
I'm addicted to calling everything and anything that people enjoy doing an addiction. I get wads of cash for treating these so-called addictions, and I have a powerful co-enabler called the pharmaceutical industry telling me it's all okay and I should keep doing it. What should I do?
Signed,
I'll take 'The Rapists' for $500, Alex.
(Please, if there are any psychologists or psychiatrists who read Slashdot, don't have me committed. It's a joke, m'kay?)
Re:I know I am (Score:5, Interesting)
To be diagnosed as having foo Addiction Disorder, a person must meet certain
criteria as prescribed by the American Psychiatric Association. Three or more of these
criteria must be present at any time during a twelve month period:
2. Two or more withdrawal symptoms developing within days to one month after
reduction of foo or cessation of foo (i.e., quitting cold turkey) , and these
must cause distress or impair social, personal or occupational functioning. These include:
psychomotor agitation, i.e. trembling, tremors; anxiety; obsessive thinking about what is
happening with respect to foo; fantasies or dreams about foo; voluntary or involuntary
imitation of the movements characteristic of foo.
(the mere act of thinking about foo while not engaged in foo presumably qualifies as "fantasies")
3. Use of the Internet is engaged in to relieve or avoid withdrawal symptoms.
(if thinking about foo qualifies as withdrawal, then engaging in foo qualifies as relief of withdrawal)
5. A significant amount of time is spent in activities related to foo.
By this standard of addiction, any activity which one both considers ("fantasies") and practices, and which occupies a significant amount of time (even if it's simply liesure time), qualifies as an addiction.
Seems like a pretty broken definition to me.
Re:I know I am (Score:5, Funny)
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Guess what? most addiction create the same set(or subset) of problems.
Almost all addictions have the same indicators.
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That can be a substance (drugs, alcohol) or a behavior (internet, video games).
If it starts having serious consequences in your life, and you continue doing it anyway --
then you're probably addicted.
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Actually that just sounds like I'm addicted to social interaction. Never mind. Oh wait, write back.
I'm in love with my car (too) (Score:2)
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That's nothing! I am seriously addicted to food. I absolutely can't imagine living without it!
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Exactly, which is why two of the seven proposed criteria are related to withdrawl, and four out of the seven are related to the consequences of internet use. If you don't experience withdrawl if you aren't using the internet, and you're not experiencing any of the listed consequences of using the internet, you aren't addicted.
Symptoms list is s/alcohol/internet (Score:5, Insightful)
Isn't that last one just teh stupid? It's cribbed word-for-word from a typical symptom of alcholism, as are the rest.
Even if there are still ISPs in the world that charge by the MB, it just doesn't fly. Now, if they were talking about "unexpected" credit card charges, maybe... but pr0n addiction
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The $400 per month fees are terrible, but at least I have plenty of bandwidth.
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1. Let's say you're addicted to a certain facet of the internet, such as porn, MMORPG, ebay, whatever. If you're an alcohol addict but you primarily spend all of your money on Bacardi Rum, does that make you a Bacardi addict?
2. I think the root of the issue is that people are addicted to the interconnectedness, the constant flow of information, the need to be 'in' on something because you feel like you'd be missing out, whether it's a WoW raid or usenet discussion, i
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Some who signs up for a annual contract they can't afford would also qualify.
Quess what superstar? many addiction cause the same financial problems.
Maybe yes, maybe no... (Score:5, Funny)
"Fetal Internet Syndrome" (Score:5, Funny)
My friends new Windows box is addicted, and it was never exposed, new from the store... computers with this syndrome have serious mental lapses if they can't get on the Internet to chat with Microsoft in the first thiry days after being turned on, and on a regular basis after that.
-- Terry
One sign of addiction (Score:5, Funny)
Re:One sign of addiction (Score:5, Funny)
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Re:One sign of addiction (Score:5, Funny)
Right (Score:2)
On the other hand, where there's a problem there's money to be made prolonging the solution.
Dr R.D. MD, BA, MIEEE
Internet Councilor
Book now, only $932,377 per session!
Can't ANYTHING be addictive? (Score:5, Insightful)
I mean really, if addiction is defined as depending on the chemicals that are generated when we feel "good" wouldn't an excess of ANYTHING that makes us feel "good" be a candidate for a cause? And wouldn't it be expected that potential causes of addiction depend on the individual? Some are obvious and would impact virtually anyone (chemical manipulation) but other behaviors which don't directly alter mood via chemical means I would intuitively expect to be more subtle.
Heh, maybe anti-social people (not the angry, dangerous wackos but those who are just indifferent to and/or dislike social situations) would argue that the rest of us are addicted to social interaction.
Anybody with a medical degree around here that can point to some definitive definition of the word "addiction" and what it means, medically?
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- Jumping off of very tall cliffs
- Swimming with hungry sharks
- Watching "Dancing with the Stars"
Especially the last one; eventually I would have no choice but to poke out my eyeballs or go swim with some hungry sharks or something.
Corrections (Score:3, Interesting)
Jacques Cousteau, Steve Irwin (RIP), etc.
Somebody's watching it. Otherwise, they're wasting the cable!!!
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It's called Cliff jumping [google.com] and is a lot of fun!
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I have no medical degree, but from what I gather, there is no universally medically accepted definition of "addiction." I believe practitioners prefer to use terms such as "habituation" "tolerance" and "dependence." Our friend Wikipedia outlines some of the different models and medical definition of addiction [wikipedia.org] and drug addiction [wikipedia.org].
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Yes it is completely possible to become addicted to damn near anything even remotely enjoyable. You
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The word you want is "asocial".
Professionals... (Score:2)
A need for an ever increasing amount of time on the internet to achieve satisfaction or a dissatisfaction with the continued use of the same amount of time on the internet.
As my work gets more and more complicated, and my programs longer and longer, I end up only achieving satisfaction when I've spent more than the usual amount of time in front of the computer.
Two or more withdrawal symptoms developing within days, weeks, or up to a month after a reduction or cessation of internet use. These include
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"Your life is the way it is because you made it the way it is, not because something beyond your control led you to where you are now"
not always. Depression or low serotonin can cause issues and be caused by no fault of the person experiencing them.
I used to believe like you.
I used to be highly motivated to gt things done. as time went on I had less and less motivation. To the point where I would be lying down, want to go do something(say mow the lawn) but phy
addicted to broadband (Score:2)
I think part of the addictive effect the article describes is simply because of the volume and quantity of information available, as well as the interactivity
Less of a "disorder" than 75% of americans (Score:3, Interesting)
Like my friends who take drugs say. (Score:5, Insightful)
I just dont want to, and you arent going to convince me to stop.
OF COURSE im addicted to internet (Score:2)
If this is an addiction, we need more addiction in this world.
There must be a new patented drug for it (Score:2)
Wonderful. Is there any recent drug patent for treating Internet addiction?
I mean, now there are drugs for treating "social anxiety disorder" -- apparantly now being shy or introverted is a disorder in ther DSM-IV, right? And that disorder requires treatment by expensive prescription drugs (the R&D of which was probably paid for by your tax dollars to boot). That and other so-called "dis
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"Depressed? Get over it. Stop sitting around inside in a dark room all day. Go hiking! Skiing! Swimming! Skydiving! Work out!
"
It doesn't work that way. You loose all motivation, so you can not do anything.
depression is serious.
"Addicted to the Internet? Put down the cheetos and mountain dew, go outside! Get out there and Live! Smell the air! Sniff a dog!"
addiction does not work that way. Some part of your brain is telling you to do something, even to the point of harm.
Now you
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That might work for a lot of people who just think they're depressed because it's the new thing on TV. If somebody truly is clinically depressed, they *can't* leave that dark room. It's not for lack of wanting - but the depression just prevents them from doing anything.
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"Addiction?" (Score:2)
criteria (Score:2)
No major changes.
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Do you go onto the internet when you know you could get in trouble? put off neccessary chores? after getting off the internet do you wish you ahd spent that time doing something else? do you find yourself on the internet when you didn't intend to be? like a time you told yourself was time for you and your son?
all those are indicators of addiction and should be thought about seriously. If they are all tr
I am certainly not addicted thankfully (Score:2)
Incorrect spelling in the title! (Score:2)
And yess, I am addicted to
There are NO addictions that can make you money - (Score:2)
If this absurd concept of "addiction" about the internet can be taken as true, then we have to label normal types of office work as "poison", since they do make you money, you dont get addicted to it and you do them unwillingly.
No. (Score:4, Informative)
And, perhaps the crux: "(VII) Internet use is continued despite knowledge of having a persistent or recurrent physical, family, social, occupational, or psychological problem that is likely to have been caused or exacerbated by Internet use (e.g., sleep deprivation, marital difficulties, lateness for early morning appointments, neglect of occupational duties, or feelings of abandonment in significant others)"
I'm not saying there aren't people out there with problems, but you don't create a new disorder for every new communication/information tool. Do we have telephone addiction disorder? fax machine addiction disorder? television addiction disorder? Hey, I know, lets make a myspace addiction disorder and a friendster addiction disorder and a slash-- er wait.
sleep dep, maritial difficulties and the like are signs of other disorders, like depression. (or just a general state of distress).
The 'article' linked by the submitter is fluff, there is nothing empirical in it. It is also missing nearly 9 years of critiques of IAD. Why did this submission happen?
Addicted, Yes (Score:2)
A life without the Internet would be like solitary confinement ...
Borderline (Score:2, Insightful)
A lot of people are addicted to television [sfgate.com].
I think we all have addictions, but some are dangerous. That line is crossed when it starts affecting other areas of your life in negative ways, like your work suffers, you ignore other pressing needs to feed the addiction, such as socializing, or paying rent.
That said I think I'm mildly addicted to the web, however, I have gone cold turkey from even email during vacations and didn't get the shakes. The big problem however is that I rely on the net for my job,
Additions (Score:2)
As long as they dont start calling this a crisis or something its plausible
Addicted to "addictions" (Score:2)
To talk about addiction to the Internet, or to sex, or to chocolate, or to breathing, is nonsense. If these things are to be called "addictions" then we are using the same word to d
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Clue:
The brain can cause the release of chemicals that cause addiction.
Please study up befor spouting off.
Load of nonsense (Score:2)
I think it's quite a shady list to tag something as "addiction":
- QUICK! Americans watch over 3 hours of TV a day! And want more "time for themselves" to watch more and more! They even drop good eatinghabits to gain time, they stop spending time and attention to their kids in favour for tv-time!
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"Internet engagement to relieve or avoid withdrawal symptoms."
the context is the internet, so obviously they are talking about avoiding withdrawal symptons cause by not being on the internet.
" It doesn't mean the time spend online equals the time wasted online."
who said it was? Just because it's not 'wasted time' doesn't mean your not addicted. Not that you are, only that those two things don't corolate.
Example:
Using the internet connection at wor
I learned it from watching you, Dad! (Score:5, Funny)
Adding to the DSM....IV? (Score:2)
I'm addicted... (Score:2)
so much ignorance on slashdot (Score:2)
Gah, you people should know better.
Once and for all (Score:2)
This time let's learn from Slashdot's history and let's avoid arguing about the same things over again when it comes to addictions.
Maybe we are addicted to the Internet, but it doesn't matter because it's not because we are addicted that it's nocive (example : sex). Also, when people think we are too much into something, they say we're addicted. If we went to the hypothetical barefoot-hippie-land we'd be told that we're addicted to our shoes.
Now thank me for avoiding you to argue about this over again and g
Addicted to what? (Score:2)
Winstons taste good (Score:4, Funny)
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of course not. the nerve to actually suggest that i'm addicted!
I can stop any time that I want to. In fact, after I finish submitting this post, linking to it from my del.icio.us account, blogging about it, making a video mash up of some select sounds from the blog post and uploading it to youtube and google video and visiting Zefrank's page for the 20th time today, i'll work on my network programming thing that's been pending for the last 2 months.
I'm TOTALLY in control of my life. thankyouverymuch./p?
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The internet can be addictive, that doesn't mean you are addicted. It also enables other addictions, like porn, or shopping.
That doesn't make it bad; but people should think about their behaviour and look for signs.
A key indicator is that you do it even when it is harmfull to you. Like doing it at work when you know your not supposed to, or to the detriment of your family, etc.
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However, withdrawl is just in indicator of addiction, the next being that you do it even when it can be detrimental to you in some manner.
Do not just discount something out of hand when talking about addictions.
Is it 'highly' addictive? will one loko at a web page make you a junkie? no.
If a group of friens have an intervention for you should you consider some professional help? yes. Even if you are no
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yes, yes, and yes. though for reasons other than just the net itself, as i had stuff regarding my collage application and assosiated info coming in via email, which i really wanted to get ASAP, as i'd be starting less than a week after i got back, and in the mean time i needed to get the financial stuff for it in order, along with supplies and stuff.
Yes (Score:2)
Now mix it with other chemicals and craete air, thats not so bad...unless you're a fish.