Internet addiction disorder

Internet addiction disorder (IAD) is a theorized disorder coined by Ivan Goldberg, M.D., in 1997. It is compared to pathological gambling as diagnosed by the DSM-IV. Dr. Goldberg, along with Kimberly Young, Psy.D. are currently lobbying for the inclusion of IAD into the DSM-V, the next edition of the DSM, which would open the doors for insurance companies to pay out for Internet addiction counseling. However many others argue that IAD is not an actual disorder and should not be classified as a mental disorder in DSM-V.

Proposed diagnostic criteria

A maladaptive pattern of Internet use, leading to clinically significant impairment or distress as manifested by three (or more) of the following, occurring at any time in the same 12-month period:

Tolerance, as defined by either of the following:
- A need for markedly increased amounts of time on Internet to achieve satisfaction.
- Markedly diminished effect with continued use of the same amount of time on Internet.
Withdrawal, as manifested by either A or B below:
- (A) the characteristic withdrawal syndrome, 1, 2 and 3 below
  1. Cessation of (or reduction) in Internet use that has been heavy and prolonged.
  2. Two (or more) of the following, developing within several days to a month after Criterion:
    - (a) psychomotor agitation
    - (b) anxiety
    - (c) obsessive thinking about what is happening on the Internet
    - (d) fantasies or dreams about the Internet
    - (e) voluntary or involuntary typing movements of the fingers
  3. The symptoms in Criterion 2 cause distress or impairment in social, occupational or another important area of functioning
- (B) Use of Internet or a similar on-line service is engaged in to relieve or avoid withdrawal symptoms.
Internet is often accessed more often or for longer periods of time than was intended.
There is a persistent desire or unsuccessful efforts to cut down or control Internet use.
A great deal of time is spent in activities related to Internet use (for example, buying Internet books, trying out new WWW browsers, researching Internet vendors, organizing files of downloaded materials).
Important family, social, occupational, or recreational activities are given up or reduced in duration and/or frequency because of Internet use.
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 (for example, sleep deprivation, marital difficulties, lateness for early morning appointments, neglect of occupational duties, or feelings of abandonment in significant others).

Criticisms

It has been argued by Internet researchers, including Carol Potera and Jonathan Bishop, that there is no such thing as Internet Addiction. With the Internet being a social medium, it is believed that people cannot be addicted to the medium of the Internet, which is considered to be an environment, but aspects of that medium such as bidding on an online auction site. Also, there are significant differences between internet use and Pathological Gambling, which the IAD theory heavily parallels. The Internet is largely a pro-social, interactive, and informational-driven medium, while gambling is seen as a single, anti-social behavior that has very little social redeeming value.

Examples

Internet pornography.
Fantasy sports websites such as Yahoo! and ESPN have been known to addict users to their services.
Websites such as MySpace, Wikipedia, LiveJournal, Xanga, Xuqa, and Facebook are reputed to occupy users for periods in excess of 5 hours.
There have been various articles on the addictive quality of MMORPGs such as Everquest, RuneScape, and World of Warcraft.
Social bookmarking sites such as del.icio.us, digg.com or webslideshow sites like web2.0slides, webfalls.com occupy users for hours trying to satisfy a non specific lack of information.
Some members of Wikipedia identify themselves as "HOLIC." This label obviously is not applied seriously in all cases, but these individuals should not be dismissed as using it exclusively in a humorous sense either.

Treatment clinic

In March 2005, a government clinic for Internet addiction was opened at the Beijing Military Region Central Hospital in People's Republic of China. It treats patients, mostly youths between the age of 14 to 24, who suffer from anxiety, depression, and lack of sleep, often due to long hours on online video games and chats. Treatments include Internet "cold turkey", counseling, physical activity, antidepressants, and enforcement of strict regular sleeping patterns. ^*

References

Bishop, J. (2005). "Does Internet Addiction Exist?" available online
Caruso, D. (1998). Critics Pick Apart Study on Internet and Depression. available online.
Hansen, S. (2002). "Excessive Internet usage or 'Internet Addiction'? The implications of diagnostic categories for student users." Journal of Computer Assisted Learning 18(2) pp.232-236.
Potera, C. (1998). "Trapped in the Web?" Psychology Today, Mar/Apr 98, 31(2) pp.66-70.
Young, K. (1998). Caught in the Net: How to Recognize the Signs of Internet Addiction – and a Winning Strategy for Recovery. John Wiley, New York.

External links

Internet Addiction Quiz (also includes internet addiction test for parents and partners)
Diagnostic Criteria for IAD
Temptation blocker A free software program that blocks access to certain programs during a fixed amount of time.