Surfing the Internet could be addictive

Washington: There are several different forms of addiction, from drugs to alcohol and even food.

The newest form being the addiction to the internet, where a mass of people, belonging to all age group including kids, who use the Internet for everything, primarily as their social outlet.

People rely on the Internet for their everyday tasks, but sometimes they cross the line between necessary use and unnecessary use.

"The Internet has properties that promotes addictive behaviors and pseudo-intimate interpersonal relationships for some people,” say the researchers.

Health practitioners may soon find themselves faced with the issues of ‘internet addicts’ and their inability to get offline.

While not yet defined as a true addiction, many are suffering the consequences of obsession with the online world, unable to control their use.

The study states that Internet addiction is as an overarching term applied to five different compulsive online behaviours:

• Excessive use of adult websites and cyber sexual addiction.

• Cyber-relationship addiction, where there is an over-involvement with online relationships.
• Net compulsion including, gambling, shopping, stock trading.
• Information overload from Web surfing and database searching.
• Addiction to interactive computer games.

More and more people will be confronted with consequences such as divorce and physical symptoms, which will force them to seek both medical and psychological treatment.

Online marital infidelity (cybersex) can lead to divorce and harm personal relationships.

PAGE_BREAK

Individuals who seek out sexual partners online also appear to be at higher risk for sexually transmitted disease.

Furthermore, such behaviours can lead to cyber sexual addiction. Previous studies have also reported, "Approximately nine million people, or 15 per cent of Internet users, accessed one of the top adult Web sites in a 1-month period."

Some physical symptoms include ‘cyber shakes’, dry eyes, carpal tunnel syndrome and headaches.

A focus on the computer and lack of attention to daily reality is indicative of poor judgment and results on lowered grades in school, job loss, and indebtedness."

Recognising this as an addiction, will allow for appropriate treatment. Subsequently, therapists will be faced with how to treat such technological addictions and their associated issues.

This study is published in The Perspectives in Psychiatric Care..