Brief overview
- Description: The Internet addiction (also cell phone addiction/online addiction) ranks among the behavioral addictions.
- Symptoms: Neglect of tasks, social contacts, job, school and hobbies, drop in performance, loneliness, loss of control over duration and timing of Internet use, irritability during withdrawal.
- Causes: Social/family conflicts, loneliness, low self-esteem, formation of an addiction memory in the reward center of the brain.
- Diagnosis: Based on addiction criteria such as loss of control, tolerance formation, loss of interest, continued excessive consumption despite negative consequences, social withdrawal, neglect of tasks.
- Treatment: Specialized behavioral therapy treatment in groups and individual sessions, in milder cases on an outpatient basis, otherwise in specialized clinics.
- Prognosis: With insight into the disease and awareness of specialized therapy, addictive behavior can be controlled.
Internet addiction: Description
The phenomenon of pathological computer, cell phone and Internet use is still relatively new and has therefore only been researched for a few years. Internet addiction, also known as cell phone addiction or online addiction, is one of the behavioral addictions. Unlike alcohol or drug addiction, it is not the consumption of a substance that causes addiction, but the behavior itself that becomes an obsession. In the case of Internet addiction, those affected use the Internet so excessively that they neglect other areas of life. Internet addicts pay little attention to hobbies, friends and family, school and work. Despite the enormous impact of the addictive behavior on their lives, those affected are unable to stop. The addiction takes on a life of its own, and the behavior becomes compulsive.
An addiction with many faces
Girls prefer to spend their time on the Internet in social networks, such as Facebook. They spend hours exchanging ideas with friends, but also with unknown people on the net. The Internet offers them the opportunity to present themselves as they would like to be. For many, it is tempting to be able to change their personality and appearance. What’s more, you’re never alone on the Internet. Strangers become seemingly good friends, even if one has never met them in real life.
Other forms of Internet addiction include the pathological use of gambling and betting that takes place on the Internet. The compulsive use of erotic chats is called cybersex addiction.
Who is affected by Internet addiction?
Internet addiction rarely comes alone
Studies in recent years show that about 86 percent of Internet addicts have another mental disorder. Very often, depression, ADHD and also alcohol and tobacco addiction occur simultaneously with online addiction (comorbidity). Whether the mental disorders increase the risk for Internet addiction or are a consequence of Internet addiction is not yet clear. Presumably, both are possible and vary from person to person.
Internet addiction: symptoms
Internet addicts have a constant desire to be on the Internet. This has a variety of negative consequences. Neglecting everyday tasks, friends and hobbies, as well as physical and psychological difficulties, can be indications of an Internet addiction.
Decline in performance
Even among adults, studies show that work performance drops and contact with work colleagues is low due to Internet addiction. The more pronounced the addictive behavior, the higher the risk of termination. The financial consequences can even lead to an existential threat.
Isolation
Damage to health
Because of their constant desire to be on the Internet and the fear of missing out, many sufferers suppress their need for sleep. Online role-playing games also create a heightened level of arousal that makes it difficult to fall asleep. Internet addicts often complain of sleep disturbances. The lack of sleep in turn affects the ability to concentrate and also the mood. Those affected can develop depressive traits as well as aggression and irritability.
In addition to sleep, sufferers also neglect other basic needs, such as their diet. Many subsist on fast food or sweets because there is not much time left for eating. Some even forget entire meals. Therefore, there are Internet addicts who tend to be overweight and others who are normal to underweight. The risk of obesity is increased by the lack of exercise.
Withdrawal symptoms
Behavioral addictions also have withdrawal symptoms. When sufferers can’t get online, they become depressed and listless, irritable and bad-tempered. Some become very agitated and even aggressive.
Internet addiction: Causes and risk factors
The causes of Internet addiction have hardly been researched so far. As with other addictions, several factors probably play together in the development of Internet addiction. Many experts see the Internet or the computer not as the cause, but as the trigger of the addiction. According to them, the real causes are thought to lie in deeper-lying psychological conflicts. Another influencing factor is suspected to be a disturbance of the neurotransmitters in the brain. Scientists have not yet been able to clearly prove whether Internet addiction also has genetic causes.
Search for contact
Low self-esteem
People who withdraw socially often suffer from low self-esteem. On the Internet, those affected can not only give themselves a new face, but also become brave fighters in computer games. The virtual world thus rewards the player and enhances his self-image. To a certain extent, this is also possible in social networks, where one can only present oneself from one’s chocolate side or even assume an invented identity. It becomes dangerous when the computer world becomes more attractive to the person concerned than real life.
Family conflicts
Some studies indicate that conflicts in the family encourage children to withdraw to the Internet. Adolescents who are addicted to the Internet often live with only one parent. However, the exact correlations are unclear. What is certain is that in many cases there is a lack of social support.
Biochemical causes
Internet addiction: Examinations and diagnosis
If you notice signs of Internet addiction in yourself or your family members or friends, you should contact a clinic or therapist as soon as possible. They can use questionnaires in a conversation to determine whether the behavior is addictive or not.
The initial interview
Internet addiction is not solely determined by the amount of time the person sits in front of the computer or surfs with the smartphone. It is also crucial for Internet addiction that the behavior is carried out out of an inner compulsion. The therapist might ask the following questions during an initial consultation:
- Do you often resolve to spend less time on the Internet but fail to do so?
- Do you feel restless or irritable when you are not on the Internet?
- Do those around you complain that you spend too much time on the Internet?
- Do you often think about what you do online when you’re not online?
Apart from the specific questions about Internet addiction, the therapist will inquire about the family and professional situation. Especially in the case of adolescents, it is necessary to involve the family. On the one hand, family members can provide important clues for the diagnosis. On the other hand, the family should also be informed about Internet addiction and learn how they can support the affected person.
Diagnosis Internet addiction
Since there are no uniform criteria for the diagnosis of Internet addiction, psychologists and physicians are guided by the criteria of addiction. A frequently used test for diagnosing Internet addiction is Young’s Internet Addiction Test (IAT). This is based on the addiction criteria of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM).
Until Internet addiction is recognized as a separate mental disorder, the DSM-V offers the following signs as diagnostic criteria for Internet addiction:
- Strong craving for and constant preoccupation with the Internet.
- Withdrawal symptoms when Internet access is taken away.
- Development of tolerance as Internet use becomes more extensive
- Unsuccessful attempts to control Internet use
- Continued use of the Internet even though the negative consequences are known
- Loss of other interests and hobbies apart from the Internet
- Use of the Internet to relieve bad moods
- Threat to important relationships or job due to Internet use.
At least five of these criteria must occur in a twelve-month period.
A fairly new tool for diagnosing Internet addiction is the AICA-SKI:IBS. The acronym is used to describe a Structured Clinical Interview on Internet-related disorders. It was developed by the Fachverband Medienabhängigkeit together with colleagues from the Outpatient Clinic for Gambling Addiction Mainz.
Internet addiction: Treatment
Which treatments are particularly effective for Internet addiction is still unclear due to little scientific research on the subject. More and more therapists now offer help specifically for online addiction. Some clinics, such as those in Mainz or Bochum, have set up their own outpatient clinic for Internet addiction. Different forms of therapy, such as individual and group therapy, are usually combined for treatment.
Outpatient or inpatient treatment for Internet addiction?
Cognitive behavioral therapy for Internet addiction
An important part of the treatment is the cognitive behavioral therapy. The first step in treatment is to inform the patient and also his relatives in detail about Internet addiction and its consequences (psychoeducation). The knowledge about the disease should strengthen the patient in his personal responsibility.
Within the framework of cognitive behavioral therapy, the person affected should learn to recognize problematic thought patterns and to change them. Internet addicts are supported in unlearning the abnormal behavior and achieving controlled use or even complete renunciation.
Other methods of treatment for Internet addiction
In addition to individual therapeutic sessions, group therapy plays an important role in the treatment of Internet addiction. There, the patient can discuss his or her problems with other sufferers. The contact with real people and the cohesion in the group offer a substitute for the contacts on the Internet. For many patients, it is a relief to see that they are not alone with their problem. They also benefit from the experiences of other sufferers in dealing with the addiction.
Internet addiction: course of the disease and prognosis
The number of Internet addicts is constantly increasing. Due to the constant progress of media and technology, experts suspect that the problem of Internet addiction will continue to worsen.
The longer an Internet addiction remains untreated, the more far-reaching the problems become. The loss of social contacts as well as dropping out of school or losing one’s job drive those affected deeper and deeper into a vicious circle. The real world then offers little incentive to turn off the computer.
Professional support can enable those affected to return to a normal life. The development of special help offers for Internet addicts in clinics has now significantly improved the treatment available. Cognitive behavioral therapy has so far proved particularly effective in treating Internet addiction.
