At some point in every addict’s life, there is a moment where they stop and think to themselves, “I am addicted to this.” It is almost too common for such an addiction to be alcohol, or hard drugs like some prescription pills. The population has even become familiar with other addictions, such as out-of-control shopping or gambling habits. With the boom in technology over the last decades, an all-new range of addiction has begun affecting thousands of people—the internet addiction.
All over the world, there are more and more people seeking help for addiction treatment to the internet. With the onset of internet activities such as gaming, chat rooms and blogs, it’s been very easy to have the internet impede on a favorite hobby and quickly become a staple of daily life.
Addiction to internet gaming almost destroys one’s social life in particular. As they become more involved in the game it, they find that their life is crumbling around. Many people have experienced such outcomes, as they devote up to 16 hours of their day on the internet. Work loss or strain in the workplace is common to people who have found themselves addicted to the internet, relationships and other healthy aspects of life are also often in similar distress.
There is dispute on whether or not internet addiction is real, since it is compared to how the population reacts to the radio, television and even novels when they became widely available. But researchers and doctors have taken note that internet addiction could very well be an up-and-coming dilemma for many. For some, the internet addiction is so serious that even one’s health can be negatively affected. Many are coming to the point that they are finding themselves increasingly miserable with the routine of web surfing, even though it brings them so much pleasure.
Another aspect of this addiction is that most people of the newer generations have been exposed to high levels of technology at a younger age than ever before. From YouTube, to Wikipedia, to online games, chat rooms, shopping sites and the infinite number of other enjoyable websites, there is something on the internet for every person and access to it is simple and uninhibited.
Other countries have conducted research on the subject of internet addiction, and in fact, have made it a top priority. A study done recently found that brain scans of average internet users, compared to the brain scans of internet-obsessive’s, revealed that areas responsible for decision-making, emotions and self-control had subtle changes. These areas are the same that are affected in substance abusers.
With further speculation, information in the United States was easily found to claim that 13% of Americans suffer from some degree of internet addiction, and many have already sought help for their addiction. The APA has listed Internet Over-Abuse to the appendix of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. The subject has been placed for further research to hopefully determine not only the best means for healing from the addiction, but to also find out the impact that future generations will face with more widespread availability of advanced technology.
