Is Internet Addiction Real?

A growing body of research suggests that too much time on the Internet may have an adverse psychological effect on some young people, with behavior and consequences similar to other addictions. The findings of a new study suggest a link between Internet addiction and mental problems including ADHD, depression and aggression.

I’ve been reading a lot lately about Internet addiction – especially obsessive online role-playing games like World of Warcraft.  Internet addiction is one of those things people kind of sneer at – just turn the computer off – and while there isn’t a foreign substance being taken into the body that changes the brain, I do think there are brain changes that occur when someone begins to increase their Internet usage and game playing to an obsessive degree.

The question is what causes the behavior to become obsessive, compulsive, and damaging to relationships and health?  If you’re a lonely kid who’s a little different from his peers, I can understand the appeal of becoming an online wizard who can do whatever he wants – and is very good at it. Other players are in awe of you – you aren’t that underdeveloped geek that gets shoved against the lockers.  For others, I think it likely stimulates certain brain activity, maybe even atavistic impulses that stir up very strong feelings and even a “high” of sorts.  Some of these young people have problems and use virtual worlds as an escape; some of them just got really into the game, obsessed if you will, and then the problems started (upset parents, schoolwork not done, poor sleep habits, no exercise).

You almost have to look at these types of addictions without becoming too enmeshed in the chicken/egg question and just address what the behavior is giving that person now.

I think it is easy to be dismissive when a chemical isn’t involved, but there are some very real problems created by this type of obsessive behavior. I mean, China has reported deaths due to obsessive game play! Deaths!

When you are so obsessed you don’t stop to eat or drink or sleep, something very troubling is going on.

There are discussions going on these days about whether to include these types of addictions in the next DSM (the diagnostic “bible” of the psych world).  I suspect it might not make this round, but as more and more reports come out about the damaging effects of obsessive gameplay, I think it will likely make it into future volumes.