Causes Of Internet Addiction

One example found in the article of dangerous behavior caused by internet addiction is of a kid killing his mom and injuring his dad because they took away his xbox. Another example is of a couple who cared more about their online baby that forgot to take care of their living baby which ended up dying.

Internet addiction has become a huge problem in today’s society. In Greg Beato’s article, he discusses the growing phenomena of internet addiction disorder. The writer explains that more and more people are becoming addicted to the internet. For example, he tells of a teenager in Ohio, who shot and killed his mom and injured his dad because they took away his Xbox. He tells how it is stated that five to ten percent of the 52 million internet users were addicted. The author is telling us that the internet has become very addictive in our everyday society.

Internet addiction is now considered to be a “grave national health crisis”(Dokoupil 2012, 27). Several cases have emerged where people went completely insane due to the abuse of technology. This was to the extreme where two parents were so addicted to taking care of their virtual baby, they forgot about their real child. The infant was neglected to death. Another case is of a son who turns on his own mother when she suggests “he log[s] off”(27). As a response, the young man beats his mother until she eventually dies. These aren’t the only examples of insanity and for this reason, for the first time in history, “Internet Addiction Disorder will be included...in an

Internet addiction is the psychological condition where the user forges an unhealthy, co-dependent relationship with technology (Litowitz, 2012). The level of consciousness behind the addictive behaviour remains a point of contention between various psychology fields and their expressed opinions and/or empirical data, all searching to fathom the aforementioned binomial relationship and decipher plausible, effective treatments. The binomial relationship is pertinent in each field of psychology, with psychologists, scientists and medical specialists all in agreement that both the characteristics of neuroscience and behaviour and their intricate

You can become addicted to virtually anything the human race never ceases to amaze us with what people can get addicted to. When thinking about addiction most people commonly think about drugs and alcohol but the most common and modern form of addiction for the twenty first century is technology addiction. As we move on to the future technology is constantly improving and becoming a necessity for modern life.

The idea behind the internet was to revolutionize society and with over 3 billion individuals using it, it clearly succeeded (ITU, n.d.). However, individuals started coming online to check their email, watch a video, visit Facebook, or play an online game as a habit, may easily become addicted to these behaviors over time. According to the DSM-V, internet addiction applies to individuals who use the internet excessively, often without realizing how much time has passed, how much more they are using the internet and neglecting their basic needs, as well as, ignoring any negative impacts said internet use has caused (dsm). When not using the internet, the individual may feel withdrawal, angry, tense, and/or depressed; in addition, they may feel the need to have a better computer and more software, which is an internet-addicted individual’s form of tolerance (dsm). Time of use per day in those addicted to the internet is nearly double the time those who are not addicted spend online (Lee,

This article will guide me through my research because it gives a vast perspective into the addictive world. It explains the issues of internet addiction, how it's emerging as a global concern, also how and why the internet has been integrated in our everyday lives.

Various models have been designed to explain the how IAD develops in an individual and how it is then maintained. These models draw from different fields of psychology such to determine different theorised causes for the addiction such as biological factors (such as chemical imbalances making one more susceptible to addiction), psychological predispositions (such as other mental health problems or personality) and social factors (such as culture, socio-economic standing and acceptance of the Internet from others). Whilst these factors are dependant on the individual, some studies include the nature and attributes of the Internet itself. Some models include the cognitive-behavioural model of problematic Internet use, the access, affordability and anonymity engine, the anonymity, convenience and escape model and the comprehensive model of the development and maintenance of Internet addiction.

But beyond sexual issues, newsgroups and chat lines allow people to literally create and secretly test new personalities before trying them out in the real world. "Beyond amusement, reinventing oneself is a way to fulfill an unmet need. The loss of a social identity online allows one to reconstruct an ideal self in place of a poor self-concept," Young said. "Those who suffer from low self-esteem, feelings of inadequacy, or frequent disapproval from others are at the highest risk" of becoming Net addicts.

Users who spend too much time in cyberspace are typically fleeing problems with relationships or trying to address deep feelings of insecurity or loneliness…and as with other addictions, what at first seems like a pleasurable retreat from pain, gradually becomes a tyrant, interfering with work, family life and normal, healthy contact with other people (Macklin).

These variables include mental health history, personality and environment, according to Addiction 101. If an individual is suffering from depression, anxiety or lack of sleep. If a person has low self-esteem they are also more likely to be addicted to technology. Addiction 101 claims that those with low self-esteem turn to the internet to escape. In addition internet users with low self-esteem use the internet “to connect with others in an anonymous, non-threatening way,” (Addiction 101). The last variable that could possible cause internet addiction is the person’s environment. Having an abundant amount of stress or not having a good support system can also increase the risk for internet addiction, Addiction 101 claims. Although these factors could lead to internet addiction, it is not guaranteed that if a person contains these qualities they are addicted to the

Throughout the book Virtually You, Dr. Elias Aboujaoude discusses the dangers of internet online personalities and his different personal cases he has seen through his Psychiatric practice. In this book, Dr. Aboujaoude discusses different cases of Compulsive and Impulsive behaviors he has seen manifested through some of his clients due to their internet usage. Dr. Aboujaoude argues that:

Numerous uses of the internet involve connecting. Facebook, Twitter and other social media all revolve around connecting with companions. Nonetheless, these mediums for connectivity could likewise be channels for internet disorders. Researchers have found that internet disorder such as is a real and ever increasing problem. Though the internet social disorder is a well-known problem, research is still discovering the reasons for internet’s effects of social disorder. Most of the research on internet disorder points to the connectivity aspect of the internet entrapping the user in a false reality. While the internet offers many good opportunities to engage with others, such as social media and online chat rooms, increased technological connectivity can deliver a

There is not a clear stated definition of digital addiction however Shaw and Black (2008) characterize Internet addiction by excessive or poorly preoccupations, urges or behaviours regarding computer use and internet access that lead to impairment or distress. However as the term addict is a strong description DA is seen as a general misuse of the internet in various forms, as no formal definition exists the author sees the disorder as problematic computer usage resulting in negative consequences. According to Young et al DA is a broad term covering a wide variety of behaviours and impulse control problems. K.Young (1999) also categorised DA into five subtypes of DA, they are cybersexual addiction, cyberrelationship addiction; net compulsion (e.g. gambling or shopping on the internet); information overload (e.g. compulsive database searching); and computer addiction (excessive game-playing). This project highlights social network addiction which falls into the category of cyberrelationship addiction but also contemplates all other types.

Users who spend too much time in cyberspace are typically fleeing problems with relationships or trying to address deep feelings of insecurity or loneliness…and as with other addictions, what at first seems like a pleasurable retreat from pain, gradually becomes a tyrant, interfering with work, family life and normal, healthy contact with other people (Macklin).