Is Internet Addiction a Reality?
Dear Lifehacker! Is it possible that someone is really addicted to the Internet? I mean, we all love our phones, and maybe I check mine when it’s buzzing, but is that the same as being addicted to alcohol or drugs? I have heard of people who were so addicted to video games that they forgot to eat or feed their baby . How real is this psychology, and how much technophobic hype?
Best regards, glued to my gadgets
Dear Glued, You hear a lot about people “addicted” to the Internet, be it the Internet in general, or articles that tell you how to stop being “addicted to Facebook” or “addicted to your phone.” Sometimes they really mean real addiction, but more often in these articles the word “addiction” is used colloquially, when it is simply inconvenient to be without access to the Internet – and not a real illness.
However, is it actually possible to be addicted to the Internet? We sat down with Roger Gil, a Lifehacker friend and trained family and family therapist, to get to the heart of the matter.
Understand what addiction is (and what it is not)
You probably already understand the difference between a “real” addiction, such as an addiction to alcohol, drugs, or gambling, and a “conversational” addiction, such as a “addiction” to chocolate or your favorite TV show. Even so, to understand if internet addiction falls into one (or both) of these categories, we need to understand how addiction is quantified. Fortunately, there is a very specific definition. According to the American Society of Addiction Medicine :
Addiction is a primary chronic disease associated with brain reward, motivation, memory, and associated circuits. Dysfunction in these circuits results in characteristic biological, psychological, social and spiritual manifestations. This is reflected in the individual’s pathological drive for reward and / or relief from substance use and other behaviors.
Addiction is characterized by an inability to constantly abstain, impaired control over behavior, cravings, decreased awareness of serious problems with their behavior and interpersonal relationships, as well as dysfunctional emotional responses. Like other chronic illnesses, addiction often involves cycles of relapse and remission. Without treatment or participation in recovery activities, addiction progresses and can lead to disability or premature death.
Simply put, drug addiction is a psychological or physical dependence on a substance or behavior to such an extent that it interferes with normal life, and the search for this becomes the main direction of human activity. Roger explained that it is difficult for people struggling with addiction to give up a substance or behavior, and they often make the wrong choice, even though they know there are negative consequences to get to it. They also usually experience severe physical or psychological stress when they are deprived of their liberty.
This is a simplified approach to a complex topic, but you get the point. For example, it’s one thing not to imagine spending a day without Facebook, but it’s quite another thing to plan your Facebook activities, avoid any activities you may not need to do , become seriously nervous when you cannot, or find that you don’t. you can stop checking Facebook, even if it is inappropriate in this situation.
What experts say about “internet addiction”
The official tome of the American Psychiatric Association Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorder V (DSM-V) does not mention “Internet addiction” at all. Some have called for it to be included as a named disorder , but others point out that “internet addiction” seems like a generic term that mistakenly targets the environment as the cause of behavior requiring treatment. In fact, the behavior can be explained by other conditions like ADHD, depression or OCD, and the environment is just a path. For example, someone who is addicted to online gambling is still addicted to gambling . The fact that they prefer to gamble changes the approach to treatment, but not the diagnosis.
For now, the DSM-V lists “ Internet Gaming Disorder ” as an area worthy of further study and research. This is partly due to high-profile incidents around the world in which people have been injured or killed while playing video games.
However, Roger explained, that doesn’t mean video games are addictive or even the Internet. It simply means that video games can be an outlet for other obsessions or psychological conditions, or the people in the above cases were mentally ill in other ways that can already be dealt with. He explained:
People who exhibit things that might look like “internet addiction” often exhibit symptoms similar to other mental illnesses. For example, a person with ADHD may be online for hours, but their symptoms are more consistent with ADHD.
As you noted, Internet content is diverse. Putting the same labels on people obsessed with cybersex as those preoccupied with chat does not seem to fit any of their conditions. “Internet addiction” does not describe what a person is fixated on.
I spoke with several colleagues who specialize in drug addiction and substance abuse disorders who oppose codifying “internet addiction” as their own diagnosis. These people advocated the use of the term “Internet” as a modifier for other terms. For example, for some people with gambling addiction, the main mode of which is online games, the term “Internet” or “type of Internet” may be added for codification purposes.
Likewise, Roger said that it is important to remember that addiction is not compulsion. Coercion is irrational repetitive behavior (like washing your hands repeatedly or someone who needs to knock on a door three times before locking it). Coercion often looks strange to non-professionals, but that’s another problem. A person with compulsion may have difficulty in abstaining, but they usually do not become their main driver or center of attention in life. This feature is explained in more detail on GigaOM .
However, in countries like China and South Korea, some organizations do not take the same approach. Controversial “training camps” have sprung up in many Southeast Asian countries to combat “Internet addiction” or “gambling addiction.” However, there are many horror stories to be found about these camps , mainly due to deaths, mistreatment, and a lack of professional standards (and, as we have already noted, mischaracterizing “internet addiction” as something that requires different more severe than other already treatable mental health problems.)
Bottom line: addiction is real, but the internet is most likely a symptom, not a cause
In the end, opinions are still divided over internet addiction, but not over whether or not it is real. The question is whether the Internet presents substantially new and different challenges for identifying, diagnosing and treating addictions and other disorders that we are already treating. Roger clarified:
The jury for Internet-related “disorders / addictions” has yet to be decided, so it’s too early to talk about specific labels. At this point, mental health professionals are likely to be able to diagnose and treat other mental disorders in an attempt to resolve any Internet use issues.
Most psychiatrists agree that a person who is addicted to shopping in brick-and-mortar stores has basically the same condition as someone who is addicted to online shopping, although this condition can manifest itself in different ways. Similar treatments work, and while addressing the online aspect of one patient requires different tricks than addressing the physical aspect of another, they are one and the same disease.
Of course, this is a hotly debated topic. In a few years, we can sing a completely different melody. That’s the beauty of science and research: as new information emerges, we can adjust and adapt to the best information available at that time. For now, however, you don’t need to worry about being “addicted to the Internet” or “getting rid of your Facebook addiction.” If you’re worried about how much time you spend online, or if you think it’s unhealthy (or know someone in this boat), there are many ways you can do about it. Even so, chances are that it is a symptom of a root cause that needs to be addressed – something that could manifest itself differently even without the Internet, Facebook, or video games, and is worth talking to a professional about .
Regards, Lifehacker