Is Internet Addiction A Real Thing?

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Anyone that thinks they (or someone they know) are addicted to the internet should read this article.

The jury is still out on Internet-related “disorders/addictions” so it’s too early for specific labels. For now, mental health professionals will likely diagnose with other mental health conditions and treat for those while trying to attempt to address any problematic Internet use.
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I've always thought of these things as being more compulsions than addictions. They fill a void of depression or boredom, but if more compelling things come along, like a change at work, school, friends, etc., then the "addiction" goes away. If the addiction can be supplanted by more fulfilling things, then it's not an addiction, it's a compulsion.

Now there are plenty of arguments to be had about dopamine triggers and "addiction" to the internet through that, but again, if you can get a healthy dopamine release from something else, then the "addiction" goes away.
 
Just perform the EWBJFAM test. Would you forgo "insert something" for a month in exchange for a BJ from Emma Watson? If the answer is yes, then you're not addicted.
 
The word addiction is really overused these days. This is not just isolated to "Internet Addiction".
 
Ducman69 said:
Just perform the EWBJFAM test. Would you forgo "insert something" for a month in exchange for a BJ from Emma Watson? If the answer is yes, then you're not addicted.
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My answer would be NO. I could not cheat on my gf or give up the internet for that.

Unless she starts reciting spells before hand, then that is a different story.
 
You can get 'addicted' to anything. If you make it too much of your daily routine, you will feel like you 'need' to do it. The more you feed that 'need', the more you get addicted. That is why they don't want to categorize it. It is just like any other compulsion that you have given yourself over too.

That doesn't mean it isn't debilitating when it happens, it just isn't unique to using the internet.
 
As someone who spends 6+ hours every day online, my answer is 100% yes. Coffee, alcohol, TV, video games, whatever, there are a lot of things I could give up. The internet? Not a chance in hell.
 
d_stilgar said:
I've always thought of these things as being more compulsions than addictions. They fill a void of depression or boredom, but if more compelling things come along, like a change at work, school, friends, etc., then the "addiction" goes away. If the addiction can be supplanted by more fulfilling things, then it's not an addiction, it's a compulsion.

Now there are plenty of arguments to be had about dopamine triggers and "addiction" to the internet through that, but again, if you can get a healthy dopamine release from something else, then the "addiction" goes away.
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Exactly!
 
Darunion said:
My answer would be NO. I could not cheat on my gf or give up the internet for that.

Unless she starts reciting spells before hand, then that is a different story.
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it's not rape if you can't say no...riiigghhhtttt?
 
liking something as part of your life and being addicted to something are two separate things. yes there can be people who are addicted to the internet in the same way they are addicted to anything else. I have a major sweet tooth, and will absolutely destroy cookies, candy, pastries, etc if they are in the house, now does that mean I'm addicted to sweets? Probably not, since I do have self restraint in stores to not buy them, and I don't get any mental or physical issues if I don't eat them for any length of time. In the same way, I like the internet, tons of information, dialog, entertainment, it's a nice thing. When I went for a 10 trip to Maui I didn't use the internet once, when I came home I didn't feel like I needed to check out what happened when I was gone, I didn't feel an urge to get hooked up, I'd say I probably don't have a lot of the strong addiction parts of the brain wired up that others might have.
 
If there's such a thing as internet addiction then there's also newspaper addiction.
 
sfsuphysics said:
I have a major sweet tooth, and will absolutely destroy cookies, candy, pastries, etc if they are in the house, now does that mean I'm addicted to sweets?
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Don't guess. Find out. Go sugar-free (its not really cookies/candy that people are addicted to, but the sugar it contains) for one week. If you can do it no problem, then you merely enjoy sugar. If you find that you're trying to do other things and you keep thinking about sugary food and spend a good amount of time with it preoccupying your thoughts, then you have at least a mild addiction.

I had a mild addiction to caffeine, but didn't really notice that I had it until someone dared me to go a week with zero caffeine of any kind. By day 5 I just wanted a single Mountain Dew so bad!!!
 
Ducman69 said:
Don't guess. Find out. Go sugar-free (its not really cookies/candy that people are addicted to, but the sugar it contains) for one week. If you can do it no problem, then you merely enjoy sugar. If you find that you're trying to do other things and you keep thinking about sugary food and spend a good amount of time with it preoccupying your thoughts, then you have at least a mild addiction.

I had a mild addiction to caffeine, but didn't really notice that I had it until someone dared me to go a week with zero caffeine of any kind. By day 5 I just wanted a single Mountain Dew so bad!!!
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Perhaps, it would be pretty hard to go sugar free though since there's sugar in just about anything, natural sugars in many vegetables to breads. I don't know if that would show any sort of addictive nature though, I mean when I got my wisdom teeth out, and later my tonsils out, I was craving "real food" so bad near the end of the recovery time but I think that was more because I was basically eating baby food the whole time, not that I have an addiction to say a hamburger :) I will say I did lose about 10 pounds though :D
 
It's not "addiction" in the classical sense.

It's a form of OCD (or just plain stupidity + OCD).

I spend the majority of my life in front of a computer.
I telecommute, have a regular social gaming schedule, and utilize many web services.
However, I am in no-wise "addicted".
I don't get agitated when I'm not near my device(s) for more than a few minutes at a time.
I don't obsessively TwitFace, text message or browse on my phone.

I can stop any time I want to man!

I'm serious man!

I'm...

I'm...

Lemme just check something...
 
Western civilisation is built on addictions:

Escape from Intimacy: Untangling the ``Love'' Addictions: Sex, Romance, Relationships

http://www.amazon.com/Escape-Intima...27306887&sr=8-1&keywords=escape+from+intimacy

Anything that gives a brain chemistry high, can be addictive. Even food manufacturers spend their time designing their products to create a chemical high.

Food cravings engineered by industry:

http://www.cbc.ca/news/health/food-cravings-engineered-by-industry-1.1395225


Gaming addiction, porn as a substitute for intimacy...
 
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I'm not sure. Let me go Wikipedia it, watch a few Youtube videos....hmm I haven't checked [H]otDeals yet, WOAH that's a good deal on a camera...something something thanks Obama!

What were we talking about? :D
 
d_stilgar said:
I've always thought of these things as being more compulsions than addictions. They fill a void of depression or boredom, but if more compelling things come along, like a change at work, school, friends, etc., then the "addiction" goes away. If the addiction can be supplanted by more fulfilling things, then it's not an addiction, it's a compulsion.

Now there are plenty of arguments to be had about dopamine triggers and "addiction" to the internet through that, but again, if you can get a healthy dopamine release from something else, then the "addiction" goes away.
Click to expand...

I think should be a key element ... if there is a physical element to the withdrawal then it can be addiction ... if there is no physical element and the inability to withdraw is strictly mental then it is a compulsion (or insanity) :cool:
 
kbrickley said:
I think should be a key element ... if there is a physical element to the withdrawal then it can be addiction ... if there is no physical element and the inability to withdraw is strictly mental then it is a compulsion (or insanity) :cool:
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Mental addictions ARE still bio-chemical addictions.

What we consider "chemical" addictions change the body chemistry to the point that the chemical is required for proper operation of the body as a whole.

But what we used to consider "just in your head", is still a real measurable bio-chemical addiction, as the brain releases "reward chemicals" to the point that it can become a new norm for regular operation, and cessation of that stimulus thus leads to a real chemical based depression state.

So the idea of "its just in your head" when it comes to addictions is outdated. And interestingly, that's why the majority of healthy people most of the time will be equally happy no matter their circumstances, as the body tends to equalize that bio-chemical norm. So a guy that constantly smokes, drinks, eats awesome food, parties, does drugs, and so forth long enough, that lifestyle will start to just feel normal as the brain adjusts itself, and anything less starts leading to depression. Some guy living in Krapblackistan digging sand out of his butt that finds a penny on the ground by contrast can get a rush and feel really happy on a smaller positive event. So its all relative. ;)
 
Ducman69 said:
Just perform the EWBJFAM test. Would you forgo "insert something" for a month in exchange for a BJ from Emma Watson? If the answer is yes, then you're not addicted.
Click to expand...

I'd have to get a BJ from her anytime I wanted for that month. So I'm not addicted, just want a good deal.
 
I recently had to move to a new apartment and I went for about a month without internet service and it was tough. I was forced to break out old DVDs to watch and even found my old Nintendo DS and played through a full run of Chrono Trigger to pass the time. :D
 
Shmee said:
You can get 'addicted' to anything. If you make it too much of your daily routine, you will feel like you 'need' to do it. The more you feed that 'need', the more you get addicted. That is why they don't want to categorize it. It is just like any other compulsion that you have given yourself over too.

That doesn't mean it isn't debilitating when it happens, it just isn't unique to using the internet.
Click to expand...

On the bright side this also can apply to positive endeavors as well, like exercising, learning a new language, learning to play an instrument, etc. All of those things seem like impossible mountains to climb when you first start, but when they become a routine you are almost "compelled" to do them again the next day.
 
travbrad said:
On the bright side this also can apply to positive endeavors as well, like exercising, learning a new language, learning to play an instrument, etc. All of those things seem like impossible mountains to climb when you first start, but when they become a routine you are almost "compelled" to do them again the next day.
Click to expand...
Very true. If only more of us would get 'addicted' to the good things.
 
I think we should call those that believe it's real alarmists, and those that don't deniers.
 
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