Internet Addiction: The Emergence of a New Clinical Disorder Essay Example

usage of the internet is in most cases supplemented by the variations in the mood, the preoccupation with the internet, lack of the ability to control the amount of time spent interfering with the digital technology, the need for extra time to achieve a given mood and the continuation of the internet addiction behavior despite the conflict with the family (Young 414).

Moreover, Young states that there is always a reward for the internet users of different applications of the computer (Shaw et al 360). He adds that the internet addiction is similar to drug addiction: given the application such as; chat room, surfing, pornography, video games, and texting, they all support rewards structures that are unpredictable, just like alcohol addiction. The reward that the user experiences is accompanied by the mood (Shaw et al 365). For instance, dating sites accompany romantic fantasy, pornography accompanies sexual stimulation.

LaRose et al 360 argues that several studies that researchers have carried out to explain the effects of internet usage uses the conventional and gratification paradigm approach. They however assert that some other arguments have emerged, challenging the theory of media (LaRose et al 370). Much of the studies have greatly focused on the college students despite the fact that internet usage is now common to the general population at large. It therefore calls for researches that collect data from the general population to arrive into a conclusion (LaRose et al 374). It is such a complicated course that according to Whang et al 145, some studies have shown that internet addiction can lead to loneliness and depression. Yet, other studies have argued against, showing that depression cases among the

internet users reduce after around two years of internet usage when compared to the period before internet usage (Whang et al 146).

Some of the clinicians and researchers note that internet addiction is leads to mental disorders. However, there is a great debate on which of the two comes first; the occurrence of the disorder or the addiction (Whang et al 148). However, reports indicate that higher levels of depression, hostility, anxiety and interpersonal sensitivity are the effects of internet addiction.

Some other researchers argue that addictions from technology are just but subsets of behavioral addictions (Butt et al 347). Technological addictions such as mobile usage are a behavioral addiction involving the interaction of human and machine and which is naturally non-chemical. They however form the basis of research to explain the problems which arise from mobile usage (Butt et al 358).

According to Shaw et al 365 there are five subtypes of internet addiction:

a) Cyber sexual addiction common among individuals involved in online viewing and trade of pornography;
b) Cyber relational addiction common in people who are involved in online relationships to such an extent that it becomes more important than their real life and even result to marital instabilities and discord;
c) Net compulsions which involves online gambling and shopping that can lead to financial losses and even job disruptions;
d) Information overload whereby individuals spend most of their time online, searching and organizing various information; and
e) Computer addiction whereby people spend their time playing computer games and become much addicted that it affects their work performance and even their family obligations.

The study by Young indicated that those dependent on the internet accepted that excessive use of internets had

affected their personal, family and even occupational life. The study shows that students can use the internet searching irrelevant materials, chatting with their pen-pals and thus affecting their academics (Young 410). As a result they fail to do assignments and lack proper preparations to face exams. Marriages, parent-child relationships and other social relationships are also affected since less time is spent with real people around (Young 411). The study also indicated financial problems that arise from online service fees. The internet addicts keep using these services until these services drained all their money.

Conclusion

From the review of the article, it is clear that the field internet addition is growing rapidly even without the official recognition. The debate on classification of IAD, as behavioral addiction or the impulse control disorder has not been satisfactorily reached at. Excessive usage of internets has its profound damages to the normal life individuals. It affects personal life, marriages and even occupations. Internet addicts spend much of their time online such that they have little time with the family.