Internet Addiction: A Review of Literature Jesce Nimnualrata University of Texas at El Paso

Abstract T e Internet is used by mainly most of t e Americans in t e United !tates" t at all ave access to t e use of t e Internet as well# $it t e use of t e Internet comes a %roblem to some and to ot ers not in& but t e over use of t e word addiction# Is t ere suc a t in& as Internet addiction' (r does many %eo%le start to lose control of t ey)re own lives over t is' T is Literature Review will el% understand t e trut be ind t e Internet addiction w et er it is a serious %roblem or t ere no %roblem at all#

Internet Addiction: A Review of Literature T e develo%ment of t e Internet can be traced bac* to +,-." w en" in t e s adow of t e U!!R)s launc of t e !%utni* satellite" t e Advanced Researc Pro/ects A&ency was establis ed to researc and develo% new tec nolo&y for t e United !tates military# T e com%uters became increasin&ly more standard and smaller" t e first online networ*s were establis ed and t e ARPA networ* %ro&ram be&an around t e +,00# T rou& out t e %eriod t ere was &reat t eori1in& and excitement over t e %roblems" com%onents" and %otential military and academic a%%lications of com%uter networ*in&# Internet addiction is described as an im%ulse control disorder" w ic does not involve use of a dru& and is very similar to &amblin&# !ome Internet users may develo% an emotional attac ment to online friends and activities t ey create on t eir com%uter screens# Internet users may en/oy as%ects of t e Internet t at allow t em to meet" sociali1e" and exc an&e ideas t rou& t e use of c at rooms" social networ*in& websites" or virtual communities# (t er Internet users s%end endless ours researc in& to%ics of interest online or blo&&in&# It can be viewed as /ournalin& and t e entries are text# !imilar to ot er addictions" t ose sufferin& from Internet addiction use t e virtual fantasy world to connect wit real %eo%le t rou& t e Internet" as a esca%e for real life uman connection" w ic t ey are unable to ac ieve normally# Is the Internet affecting peoples life? Internet addiction results in %ersonal" family" academic" financial" and occu%ational %roblems t at are c aracteristic of ot er addictions# Im%airments of real life relations i%s are disru%ted as a result of excessive use of t e Internet# Individuals sufferin& from Internet addiction s%end more time in solitary seclusion" s%end less time wit real %eo%le in t eir lives" and are often viewed as socially aw*ward# Ar&uments may result due to t e volume of time s%ent on2line# T ose sufferin& from Internet

addiction may attem%t to conceal t e amount of time s%ent on2line" w ic results in distrust and t e disturbance of 3uality in once stable relations i%s# !ome sufferin& from Internet addiction may create online %ersonas or %rofiles w ere t ey are able to c an&e own t eir identities and %retend to be someone ot er t an imself or erself# T ose at i& est ris* for creation of a secret life are t ose w o suffer from low2self esteem feelin&s of fear of disa%%roval# !uc ne&ative self conce%ts lead to some %roblems of de%ression and anxiety# 4any %ersons w o attem%t to 3uit t eir Internet use ex%erience wit drawal includin& an&er" de%ression" relief" mood swin&s" anxiety" fear" irritability" sadness" loneliness" boredom" restlessness" %rocrastination" and u%set stomac # 5ein& addicted to t e Internet can also cause % ysical discomfort or medical %roblems suc as car%al tunnel syndrome" dry eyes" bac*ac es" severe eadac es" eatin& bad by s*i%%in& meals" failure to attend to %ersonal y&iene" and slee% disturbance# T e Internet %rovides a constant" ever2c an&in& source of information and entertainment" and can be accessed from most smart% ones as well as tablets" la%to%s" and des*to% com%uters# Email" blo&s" social networ*s" instant messa&in&" and messa&e boards allow for bot %ublic and anonymous communication about any to%ic# 5ut ow muc is too muc Internet usa&e' Eac %erson6s Internet use is different# 7ou mi& t need to use t e Internet extensively for your wor*" for exam%le" or you mi& t rely eavily on social networ*in& sites to *ee% in touc wit faraway family and friends# !%endin& a lot of time online only becomes a %roblem w en it absorbs too muc of your time" causin& you to ne&lect your relations i%s" your wor*" sc ool" or ot er im%ortant t in&s in your life# If you *ee% re%eatin& com%ulsive Internet be avior des%ite t e ne&ative conse3uences in your offline life" t en it6s time to stri*e a new balance# Internet consuming people's lives? $ ile time s%ent online can be u&ely %roductive" Internet use can affect wit %eo%les daily life" wor*" and relations i%s# $ en you feel more comfortable wit your online friends t an your real ones" or you can6t sto% yourself from %layin& &ames" &amblin&" or com%ulsively c ec*in& your

smart% one" tablet" or ot er mobile device even w en it as ne&ative affects in your life t en you may be usin& t e Internet too muc # 4any %eo%le turn to t e Internet in order to mana&e un%leasant feelin&s suc as stress" loneliness" de%ression" and anxiety# $ en you ave a bad day and are loo*in& for a way to esca%e your %roblems or to 3uic*ly relieve stress" t e Internet can be an easily accessible outlet# Losin& yourself online can tem%orarily ma*e feelin&s suc as loneliness" stress" anxiety" de%ression" and boredom disa%%ear into t e air# As muc comfort as t e Internet can %rovide" t ou& " it6s im%ortant to remember t at t ere are better ways to *ee% difficult feelin&s in c ec*# T ese may include exercisin&" meditatin&" and %racticin& sim%le rela1ation tec ni3ues# 8or many %eo%le" an im%ortant as%ect of overcomin& Internet and com%uter addiction is to find alternate ways to andle t ese difficult feelin&s# Even w en your Internet use is bac* to ealt y levels" t e %ainful and un%leasant feelin&s t at may ave %rom%ted you to en&a&e in un ealt y Internet use in t e %ast will remain# !o" it6s wort s%endin& some time t in*in& about t e different ways you intend to deal wit stressful situations and t e daily irritations t at would normally ave you lo&&in& on# Does Internet Addiction compare to other addictions? $ ile &amblin& as been a well *nown %roblem for years" t e easy access of Internet &amblin& as made &amblin& far more accessible# It as also made it arder for recoverin& addicts to avoid rela%se# (nline or virtual casinos are o%en all day" every day for anyone wit Internet access# Peo%le w o don6t live wit in close %roximity of a traditional casino or bettin& trac*" for exam%le" or even t ose w o are too youn& to &ain access" now find it muc easier to &amble online# !ince Internet addiction is relatively new" it can be ard to find a real2life su%%ort &rou% dedicated to t e issue li*e alco olics or &amblers# 9owever" attendin& &rou%s can el% you wor* t rou& your alco ol or &amblin& %roblems as well# !ex addicts anonymous may be anot er %lace to try if you are avin& trouble wit cybersex# T ere may also be &rou%s w ere you can wor* on social and co%in& s*ills" suc as for anxiety or de%ression# T ere are some Internet addiction su%%ort &rou%s

on t e Internet# 9owever" t ese s ould be used wit caution# Alt ou& t ey may be el%ful in orientin& you and %ointin& you in t e ri& t direction" you need real life %eo%le to best benefit from &rou% su%%ort# !o t e com%arison between t e addictions is similar" wit t e same ty%e of treatment t at is needed to el% ones addiction# Is the Internet becoming a problem with children? As a %arent if you severely limit a c ild or teen6s Internet use" t ey mi& t rebel and &o to excess# 5ut you s ould always c ec* t e com%uters and smart% one use" and online activity# As a youn& c ild or a teena&er bein& on t e Internet as more easy accessablity# $it a youn& mind &reats a &reater c ance of t e addiction to become more affective# Encourage other interests and social activities. :et your c ild out from be ind t e com%uter screen# Ex%ose *ids to ot er obbies and activities" suc as team s%orts" !couts" and aftersc ool clubs# Monitor computer use and set clear limits. Restrict t e use of com%uters or tablets to a common area of t e ouse w ere you can *ee% an eye on your c ild)s online activity" and limit time online# T is will be most effective if you as a %arent follow suit# If you can6t stay offline" c ances are your c ild won6t eit er# Use apps to limit your child s smartphone use. If your c ild as is or er own smart% one" it6s very difficult to directly monitor t eir time on t e Internet# 9owever" t ere are a number of a%%s available t at can effectively do t e monitorin& for you by limitin& your c ild6s data usa&e or restrictin& is or er textin& and web browsin& to certain times of t e day# 4ost of t e ma/or carriers offer %arental control a%%s# (t er t ird2%arty a%%s are also available t at eliminate textin& and emailin& ca%abilities w ile in motion" so you can %revent your teen usin& a smart% one w ile drivin&# !al" to your child about underlying issues. ;om%ulsive com%uter use can be t e si&n of dee%er %roblems# Is your c ild avin& %roblems fittin& in' 9as t ere been a recent ma/or c an&e" li*e a move or divorce" w ic is causin& stress' T ey mi& t lead to t e esca%e of t e Internet w ic were most of addiction be&ins# In conclusion Internet addiction does serve a %roblem w en it comes down to %eo%le and t e

over use of it# T ere is may ways to el% %eo%le avoid &ettin& cau& t u% in a virtual world or findin& an esca%e from t e real one#

+# Abou/aoude" E# <=>++?# Virtually you : the dangerous powers of the e-personality / Elias Aboujaoude. #ew $or"% #$& '.'. #orton. =# :erdes" L# <=>>-?# Addiction : opposing viewpoints. (an Diego% )A& *reenhaven +ress @# T om%son" !# <=>+@?# Teens as risk. #a% Detroit& *reenhaven +ress A# $ood" E# <=>>.?# hildren!s learning in a digital world. Malden% MA & ,lac"well +ub. -# 55; $orldwide# <=>>B?# Teens hooked on porn "electronic resource #video$%. tt%:CCencore#ute%#eduCiiiCencoreCrecordC;DDRb=->A00B