Internet Addiction Since the Internet

Internet Addiction Since the Internet first became widely available in the late 1990s, it has been responsible for numerous cultural changes and phenomena. Almost immediately, the online medium became an avenue to pursue private interests that computer users kept separate from their regular (i.e. "offline") lives (Grohol, 1999; Macionis, 2003). That is particularly true in connection with so-called "prurient" interests precisely because of the anonymity provided by the Internet medium.

More recently, the Internet has become an integral part of many people's social lives that is also completely integrated into their off-line lives. Today, social networking sites like MySpace and FaceBook constitute some of the most common ways that people interact with friends and meet new social acquaintances (Mostellar, 2009). Just as in the case of many other human activities, the Internet also has demonstrated a definite potential for overuse in those suffering from Internet addiction disorder (IAD) a manner that mirrors other forms of behavioral addictions (Grohol, 2007).

Internet addiction manifests itself in several different ways depending on the specific type of use involved and on the reasons that the addicted individual began overusing the medium (Gerrig & Zimbardo, 2008; Grohol, 2007). Just as with other sources of human behavioral addictions, the problems associated with Internet addiction disorder relate more to the consequences of overuse rather than to anything inherently negative about Internet use itself.

The Nature of Internet Addiction Disorder: In principle, Internet addiction disorder is defined by the same criteria as other behavioral addictions like shopping, exercise, sex, and food (BWA, 2007; CIAR, 2008; Grohol, 2007). Internet use is defined as addictive when it interferes with other important aspects of the user's life, when its use increases beyond the control of the individual, and when the user has difficulty recognizing the problem or successfully reducing the behavior if he or she attempts to do so (Gerrig & Zimbardo, 2008).

As with other forms of behavioral addictions, users addicted to the Internet typically lie about or hide their use from others, and they may become defensive to inquiries of concern about it (BWA, 2007; CIAR, 2008; Grohol, 1999). One of the most striking social aspects of Internet use was the overwhelming predominance of sexually oriented websites and business ventures, which quickly became the most lucrative area of Internet business (Macionis, 2003).

This use of the Internet as a sexual outlet accounts for a substantial proportion of Internet addiction which is also the result of the extent to which the average individual in American society represses various aspects of his or her sexual persona or interests for which the anonymous Internet medium is perfect for safe expression without many of the social consequences that motivates people to be more secretive about their sexual interests in general (Gerrig & Zimbardo, 2008; Macionis, 2007).

Another significant source of Internet addiction is the fact that it allows users to present themselves differently than they may be comfortable expressing themselves in person. This is particularly true of some individuals who are shy in person or who may be self-conscious about their appearance (Grohol, 1999). The remote anonymous nature of the Internet also allows the manipulation of one's persona and image to create a self portrayal that may embellish the truth in ways that are impossible to sustain in person.

At the extreme end of the spectrum in that regard, the Internet allows one to create an entirely different "alter ego" through which the individual can live out a virtual fantasy life as an emotional escape from boredom or from negative aspects of one's real life (Grohol, 1999; Mostellar, 2009).

The most recent Internet applications to be associated with addictive behaviors are web logs known as "blogs" and those that involve the creation of personal profiles and online social networks like MySpace and FaceBook, which are conducive to the indulging of narcissistic tendencies (Gerrig & Zimbardo, 2008; Mostellar, 2009).

FaceBook, in particular, encourages users to update their pages continually throughout the day, which increases the addictive nature of internet use, especially where the user is already experiencing anything negative in life for which Internet use provides an escape, or where the user is unable to pursue social connections as freely off-line (Mostellar, 2009). When combined with the capability of full access through cell phones, these Internet applications become even more susceptible to addictive overuse.

The Significance of Internet Addiction and its Consequences: Addicted Internet users often neglect some of the most important aspects of their lives to spend more and more time online.

They may perform worse in school because Internet addiction causes them to neglect their schoolwork; they may miss school or work or perform poorly at work because they are chronically tired from staying up much later than is reasonable on school or work nights; they may lose interest in other activities, and in the most extreme cases, they may even stop grooming themselves or leaving the house (BWA, 2007; CIAR, 2008).

Addicted Internet users have lost jobs, failed out of school, and ruined marriages and parent-child relationships because of excessive preoccupation with the Internet. Internet addiction disorder can be just another a symptom of pre-existing underlying problems or it can be a problem in and of itself without any necessary link to other issues in the life of the user (Gerrig & Zimbardo, 2008; Mostellar, 2009).

For example, an individual who is unfulfilled in his or her marital relationship may become addicted to the Internet after coming to rely on the Internet for positive feedback, social connection, and even the sexual excitement that is lacking in his or her real life. In such cases, the Internet is merely the outlet for behaviors generated by problems in the user's life (Grohol, 2007).

On the other hand, Internet addiction can also occur without any related problems, simply because the user genuinely enjoys Internet activities and interactions so much that he or she begins to ignore other aspects of life. In those cases, nothing about the user's online activities is a problem and the negative consequences arise purely as a function of the neglect of other necessary activities, such as those related to academic or social obligations, or to work responsibilities (Gerrig & Zimbardo, 2008).

The Internet -- Balancing the Positive and the Negative: Notwithstanding the capacity of the Internet for overuse and addiction, computer connectivity is undoubtedly an integral part of modern society, which is only likely to increase continually as computer technology develops further. Already, modern commercial enterprises rely on Internet functions to conduct routine business and in the United States, the vast majority of academic research is conducted online rather than in libraries.

Many millions use e-mail and basic Internet connections to maintain communications with distant friends and relatives and among young adults and adolescents, social networking sites are among the primary means of social communication. Certainly, overuse and Internet addiction disorder have the capacity to cause tremendous harm in the lives of certain users, but that is equally true of other innocuous activities (such as shopping or watching television) and even of some activities that are distinctly beneficial in moderation (such as exercise).

In fact, where the individual is seriously addicted to the behavior, the consequences of Internet addiction are substantially identical to those associated with other activities that are perfectly benign (or beneficial) when overuse is not an issue (Gerrig & Zimbardo, 2008; Grohol, 2007). The key to determining whether or not one is at risk of developing Internet addiction disorder is to conduct a self-inventory by answering some of the questions typically used by psychologists to differentiate benign involvement in activities from problematic or potentially addictive involvement.

Those questions include the following developed by the Center for Internet Addiction and Recovery (2008), which, in principle, are identical to the types of relevant inquiries made in connection with other forms of addictive behaviors (Gerrig & Zimbardo, 2008): 1. How often do you find that you stay online longer than you intended? 2. How often do you neglect household chores to spend more time online? 3. How often do you prefer the excitement of the Internet to intimacy with your partner? 4. How often do you form new relationships with fellow online users? 5.

How often do others in your life complain to you about the amount of time you spend online? 6. How often do your grades or school work suffer because of the amount of time you spend online? 7. How often do you check your e-mail before something else that you need to do? 8. How often does your job performance or productivity suffer because of the Internet? 9. How often do you become defensive or secretive when anyone asks you what you do online? 10.

How often do you block out disturbing thoughts about your life with soothing thoughts of the Internet? 11. How often do you find yourself anticipating when you will go online again? 12. How often.