problem solution essay about internet addiction

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Internet Addiction: Causes, Effects, And Treatments

What Is An Internet Addiction?

• Signs Of Internet Addiction
• Causes Of Internet Addiction
• Risk Factors
• Effects And Consequences
• Co-Occurring Disorders
• Is Internet Addiction Real?
• Treatment Options
• Find Treatment For Internet Addiction

Internet addiction disorder (IAD) is a type of behavioral addiction that involves compulsive Internet use. People with an Internet addiction may have underlying mental health or substance use issues that may require specialized addiction treatment.

According to the Pew Research Center, 93 percent of adults in the United States use the Internet. Among teenagers, Internet use is likely even higher.

Internet use has become what some might call a necessity in daily life. For some people, however, Internet use—including social media and online gaming—can become a compulsive and even addictive habit.

While not officially recognized as a disorder in the United States, compulsive Internet use is believed to be fairly common, affecting an estimated 1.5 to 8.2 percent of people in North America.

Read more about the causes and treatment of behavioral addictions

Internet addiction, also known as Internet addiction disorder (IAD), is a behavioral addiction characterized by compulsive, uncontrollable Internet use that interferes with daily life.

Types of Internet addiction include:

• online gambling addiction
• cybersex addiction
• video game addiction
• social media addiction

Regular use of the Internet is common and even necessary for many occupations and academic pursuits. In addition, the Internet is also used to form or maintain social connections.

When a person feels unable to control their Internet use, however, and continues to do so despite negative effects on their life, this may be a sign of a problem.

Signs Of Internet Addiction Disorder

Using the Internet very often, or enjoying being online, are not signs of an addiction by themselves.

An addiction is generally characterized by repetitive behaviors that interfere with a person’s daily life, and that the person feels unable to control.

If you’re concerned about your Internet use, or that of someone else, there are several common signs and behaviors researchers have identified among people with Internet addiction.

Signs and symptoms of Internet addiction might include:

• excessive Internet use (i.e. spending a majority of time online)
• staying online for longer than intended
• lying about the extent of one’s Internet use
• unsuccessful attempts to limit Internet use
• neglecting relationships with others due to Internet use
• experiencing disruptions in work or academic pursuits as a result of Internet use
• experiencing guilt, shame, or frustration about one’s Internet use
• continuing to spend the majority of time online despite negative effects on physical or mental health

Psychological withdrawal symptoms have also been reported by people with compulsive Internet use. For example, feeling very on-edge, hostile, or anxious when unable to access a computer.

Causes Of Internet Addiction Disorder

Increased use of mobile technologies and the Internet for everyday activities is not by itself a cause for Internet addiction.

Although this is an ongoing subject of research, researchers currently believe Internet addiction could be influenced by genetic, biological, and interpersonal factors.

For instance:

• abnormalities in neurochemical processes
• history of mental illness or a personality disorder
• personal or family history of addiction
• Internet access and availability

One theory underlying Internet addiction, the quality of real life theory, suggests that people who experience difficulties in their offline lives may turn to the Internet to escape or avoid reality.

Therefore, people who have stressful lives, or are unhappy with their lives, may be more likely to turn to the Internet to cope.

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Risk Factors For Internet Addiction

Certain types of people are believed to be potentially more vulnerable to developing an Internet addiction compared to the general population, based on proposed risk factors.

Risk factors for Internet addiction include:

• history of mental health disorder
• history of substance misuse
• young age (e.g. child, teenager, young adults)
• genetic predisposition

Effects And Consequences Of Internet Addiction

Living with an addiction to the Internet can be isolating. While many people use the Internet and social media to connect online, some research shows this can actually increase loneliness.

People who become addicted to the Internet may experience distress over time, as their use becomes more compulsive and they become more disconnected from their offline reality.

In addition, other consequences of an Internet addiction might include:

• disrupted sleep patterns
• neglect of personal hygiene
• poor eating habits
• relationship troubles
• decreased work or academic performance
• vision problems
• psychological withdrawal symptoms

Behavioral addictions such as compulsive Internet use can be progressive. This means the effects and consequences of internet addiction may grow more severe with time.

Internet Addiction And Co-Occurring Disorders

It’s not uncommon for a person who compulsively uses the Internet to also have another type of mental health disorder.

Co-occurring disorders might include:

• alcohol use disorder
• drug abuse and addiction
• anxiety disorders
• major depression
• technological addictions (e.g. addiction to smartphones or television)

Internet Addiction And Substance Abuse

Most people who hear the term ‘addiction’ typically think of drug or alcohol addiction. According to some research, substance abuse and behavioral addictions can be connected.

Alcohol use disorder, in particular, is believed to be associated with compulsive Internet use, particularly among college students.

Drugs, alcohol, and the Internet can for some share a similar function: to numb, escape, or manage feelings or realities they’d prefer to avoid.

Is An Internet Addiction Real?

The existence of ‘Internet addiction’ is somewhat controversial. An increasing number of health professionals recognize that Internet addiction is a legitimate problem.

In South Korea, for instance, Internet addiction has been recognized by authorities as a national health problem. In the Middle East, Internet addiction is also believed to be fairly widespread.

Researchers in the United States have advocated for the inclusion of Internet addiction disorder within the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM), which is used to diagnose mental health and related conditions.

While it’s not currently recognized as an independent disorder, Internet addiction is a growing specialist area among mental health treatment providers who recognize its detrimental impact.

Treatment For Internet Addiction

Seeking treatment for Internet addiction may be necessary for people who feel unable to reduce their Internet use on their own.

The types of treatments recommended for Internet addiction can vary according to a person’s medical history, mental health history, and other personal factors.

Treatment options for Internet addiction might include:

• behavioral therapy
• mental health counseling
• group therapy
• family therapy
• digital detoxification (detox)
• self-help groups

Treatment may focus on helping a person overcome their compulsive Internet use by addressing its connection to emotions, thought patterns, and other behavioral tendencies.

For people with co-occurring substance use issues, a dual diagnosis treatment program through a substance abuse treatment center may also be recommended.

Dual Diagnosis Treatment For Internet Addiction And Substance Abuse

Dual diagnosis treatment is a type of treatment that aims to address all co-occurring mental health issues a person experiences, such as substance misuse and compulsive Internet use.

Dual diagnosis treatment can be effective for addictions, as well as mental health conditions like depression, anxiety, or a history of trauma.

Finding Treatment For Internet Addiction

If you or a loved one is struggling with compulsive Internet use, one of our addiction resource specialists may be able to help.

By calling our helpline, we can:

• identify appropriate treatment options
• verify your insurance
• find a treatment program that meets your needs

Call us today to find treatment for internet addiction , including dual diagnosis rehab and mental health treatment options.

Written by the Addiction Resource Editorial Staff

Addiction Resource aims to provide only the most current, accurate information in regards to addiction and addiction treatment, which means we only reference the most credible sources available.

These include peer-reviewed journals, government entities and academic institutions, and leaders in addiction healthcare and advocacy. Learn more about how we safeguard our content by viewing our editorial policy.

• American Psychiatric Association (APA)—New Research Press Briefing: Internet Addiction: Review of Neuroimaging Studies https://www.psychiatry.org/newsroom/news-releases/internet-addiction-review-of-neuroimaging-studies
• NPR News—Hooked On The Internet, South Korean Teens Go Into Digital Detox https://www.npr.org/2019/08/13/748299817/hooked-on-the-internet-south-korean-teens-go-into-digital-detox
• Pew Research Center—Demographics of Internet and Home Broadband Usage in the United States https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/fact-sheet/internet-broadband/
• U.S. National Library of Medicine—Internet Addiction: A Brief Summary of Research and Practice https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3480687/
• U.S. National Library of Medicine—Internet Addiction Prevalence and Quality of (Real) Life: A Meta-Analysis of 31 Nations Across Seven World Regions https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4267764/
• U.S. National Library of Medicine: PubMed—The association between harmful alcohol use and Internet addiction among college students: comparison of personality https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19335391/
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Current Research and Viewpoints on Internet Addiction in Adolescents

• Adolescent Medicine (M Goldstein, Section Editor)
• Published: 09 January 2021
• Volume 9 , pages 1–10, ( 2021 )

Cite this article

• David S. Bickham   ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0002-2139-6804 1  

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Purpose of Review

This review describes recent research findings and contemporary viewpoints regarding internet addiction in adolescents including its nomenclature, prevalence, potential determinants, comorbid disorders, and treatment.

Recent Findings

Prevalence studies show findings that are disparate by location and vary widely by definitions being used. Impulsivity, aggression, and neuroticism potentially predispose youth to internet addiction. Cognitive behavioral therapy and medications that treat commonly co-occurring mental health problems including depression and ADHD hold considerable clinical promise for internet addiction.

The inclusion of internet gaming disorder in the DSM-5 and the ICD-11 has prompted considerable work demonstrating the validity of these diagnostic approaches. However, there is also a movement for a conceptualization of the disorder that captures a broader range of media-use behaviors beyond only gaming. Efforts to resolve these approaches are necessary in order to standardize definitions and clinical approaches. Future work should focus on clinical investigations of treatments, especially in the USA, and longitudinal studies of the disorder’s etiology.

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Avoid common mistakes on your manuscript.

Introduction

Every day we carry with us a tool that provides unlimited social, creative, and entertainment possibilities. Activities facilitated by our smartphones have always been central to the developmental goals of adolescents—as young people move toward their peers as their primary social support system, their phones provide constant connection to their friends as well as access to the popular media that often defines and shapes youth culture. Considering young people’s continued use of more venerable forms of entertainment screen media (e.g., television, video games, computers), it is not surprising that adolescents spend more time using media than they do sleeping or in school—an average of 7 h 22 min a day [ 1 ]. While the majority of young media users adequately integrate it into their otherwise rich lives, an undeniable subset suffers from what has been termed by some as internet addiction [ 2 ] but, as discussed below, has been referred to by many different names. While overuse of technology and its impact has been of concern since the days of television, the constantly changing media landscape as well as advances in our understanding of the issue requires regular updates of what is known. The purpose of this review is to provide an understanding of this issue grounded in the established evidence of the field but primarily informed by work published between 2015 and 2020 and, in doing so, address the following questions: What is internet addiction and is this the best term for the problem? What is its prevalence among adolescents around the world? What individual characteristics predispose young people to internet addiction and what are the common comorbidities? And, finally, what treatment strategies are being use and which have been found to be effective?

Defining the Issue

To answer any of these questions, first we must define the problem at hand. Unfortunately, this is a difficult task as recent publications use a wide variety of terms to reference this problem. Video game addiction, problematic internet use, problematic internet gaming, internet addiction, problematic video gaming, and numerous other terms have been used to identify this problem in the last 5 years. Such terms all have limitations. Focusing on a specific behavior, such as internet gaming, does not capture the variety of media use problems experienced by young people. Even the term “internet” may not be especially precise or consistent in meaning as online functionality is now seamless and permeates all activities on a phone, computer, tablet, game system, or television. In order to focus the nomenclature on the variety of behaviors that cross devices and avoid the term addiction which may unnecessarily stigmatize game players and impede their seeking help, my colleagues and I have suggested the use of the term problematic interactive media use (PIMU) [ 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 ]. The term PIMU attempts to capture the broad spectrum of potential media use behaviors seen in clinical settings including gaming, information seeking, pornography use, and social media use without naming a specific behavior or type of media which could position the term for obsolescence [ 3 •].

A Focus on Gaming

Another approach to defining this issue has been to focus on internet games as they are seen as having unique features and elevated harm through excessive use [ 7 ]. In 2013 the American Psychiatric Association described internet gaming disorder (IGD) in its updated Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) as a condition needing further research in order to classify as a unique mental disorder [ 8 ]. The proposed clinical diagnosis of IGD includes persistent use of the internet to play games with associated distress or life impairment as well as endorsement of at least 5 of 9 symptoms including preoccupation with games, increased need to spend more time gaming, inability to reduce game time, lying to others about the amount of gaming, and using gaming to reduce negative mood [ 8 ]. Following suit, the World Health Organization included gaming disorder (GD) in its 11th revision of the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11) [ 9 ]. These two diagnostic approaches both characterize problematic gaming as repetitive, persistent, lasting at least a year, and resulting in significant impairments of daily life [ 10 ]. While there is considerable overlap in the identified clinical symptoms (e.g., loss of control over gaming and continued use of gaming even when after negative consequences), the GD diagnosis does seem to focus on more severe levels of problematic use and worse functional impairment [ 10 ]. The inclusion of IGD and GD in these major diagnostic manuals have been seen as an opportunity for unification in the field around the conceptualization, and measurement of problematic gaming and resulting discussions have, to some extent, indicated increasing agreement [ 7 ].

However, in the years following the definition of IGD, numerous authors took umbrage with these diagnostic criteria pointing out limitations of the defined symptoms and calling into question the idea that there is consensus in the field around this diagnosis [ 11 ••]. For example, preoccupation with gaming, they argue, could represent a form of engagement similar to other types of engrossing activities rather than something pathological [ 11 ••]. Similarly, using gaming to avoid adverse moods is unlikely to differentiate problematic from casual gamers. The use of the term “internet” in the name of the condition was also met with resistance considering that it assumes that video games accessed through the internet are different from other video games in terms of their addictive qualities [ 11 ••]. Some argue that the field is lacking the unified definitions and extensive, foundational research necessary that must precede a diagnosis [ 12 ]. Finally, by focusing on gaming, IGD does not account for other potentially addictive online behaviors. There appears, however, not to be an easy solution to this concern. A broader conceptualization of the disorder has been seen as too general by some, but it seems untenable to create new diagnostic criteria for each specific online behavior. This complexity is evident even within the APA’s description of IGD when the manual states that “Internet gaming disorder” is “also commonly referred to as Internet use disorder, Internet addiction, or gaming addiction [ 8 ].”

Scales and Assessment

Building effective igd scales.

As evidence that much of the field is accepting IGD as a unifying conceptualization of problematic media use, numerous clinicians and scientist have investigated the DSM-5 criteria by designing and testing new scales or applying existing scales to this new framework. Some early testing utilized an interview procedure to confirm a 5-symptom cutoff for IGD, although a cutoff of 4 was adequate for differentiating between those suffering from IGD and healthy controls [ 13 ]. Scales such as the Internet Gaming Disorder Scale and its short form as well as the Internet Gaming Disorder Test (IGDT-10) have been designed and tested demonstrating that fairly short (e.g., 9 or 10 items) assessments can demonstrate strong psychometric properties, support the defined cutoff of 5 symptoms, and successfully measure a single construct [ 14 , 15 , 16 , 17 ]. Testing has been done on other assessment tools that are aligned with the IGD criteria including the Clinical Video Game Addiction Test which provided further support for the 5-item cutoff diagnosis [ 18 ] and the Chen Internet Addiction Scale—Gaming Version which identified its own cutoff [ 19 ]. This abundance of screeners and other instruments demonstrates how, as a result of the inclusion of IGD in the DSM-5, researchers and clinicians have access to numerous well-designed and tested assessments for problematic game play. On the other hand, the profusion of scales may also indicate that the field is still far from one regularly stated goal: a universal and standardized measurement tool.

Internet Addiction Scales

To further expand the assessment landscape, researchers and clinicians who prefer a broader conceptualization of this disorder, one more aligned with internet addiction rather than gaming disorder, have also created scales for research and clinical settings. The Chen Internet Addiction Scale is one of the earliest and most utilized scales [ 20 ]. Developed by applying established concepts from substance abuse and impulse control, it and its revised form have established internal reliability and criterion validity [ 21 ]. The designers of the 20-item Internet Addiction Test (IAT) used the criteria for pathological gambling as the basis of the test and designed it specifically to differentiate between casual and compulsive internet users [ 2 ]. The IAT has high internal reliability [ 22 ], a consistent factor structure across age categories [ 23 ], and is associated with expected comorbidities including depression [ 22 ] and attention-deficit disorders [ 24 ]. The 18-item Problematic and Risky Internet Use Screening Scale (PRIUSS) has three subscales—social consequences, emotional consequences, and risky/impulsive internet use—and a 3-item version was created that used one question from each subscale [ 25 , 26 ]. The strong psychometric properties of both versions of this scale are indicative of their value as tools for identifying adolescents and young adults struggling with their technology use.

Much like the measures of IGD, these internet addiction scales are more similar than dissimilar. They all assess a diverse array of experiences and consequences related to PIMU including its impact on social relationships, sleep, and aspects of mental health. In fact, some items from the different scales are almost identical. For example, the IAT asks, “Do you choose to spend more time online over going out with others?” the PRIUSS asks, “Do you choose to socialize online instead of in person?” and the CIAS asks how much this statement matches your experiences: “I find myself going online instead of spending time with friends.” The scales share an overall approach of asking about internet use in general rather than about specific online activities. While this allows the instruments to focus on the impulsive and risky aspects of internet use in general, it requires young people to differentiate between online and offline activities, a distinction that may no longer be relevant. Scales using this approach should continually be tested and revised as technology develops.

Considering the similarities of the scales, a researcher or clinician would likely be well served by any of them. However, even though the IAT and the CIAS both have identified diagnostic cutoffs, the availability of a 3-item pre-screener for the PRIUSS makes this instrument especially useful for inclusion in a battery of in-office measures. The PRIUSS does, however, require the adolescent or young adult patient to endorse behaviors that are worded in such a way that might activate feelings of judgment or reactance. For example, the question “Do you neglect your responsibilities because of the internet?” puts the onus directly on the user with little room for rationalizing an external cause. That said, the consistently high performance of this scale indicates the set of questions as a whole are successful at classifying problematic internet users.

Because the field lacks standardized language, reporting on the current prevalence of this issue requires the use of work that employs different definitions. However, the similarities across measures likely result in reasonably comparable prevalence rates. In a systematic review focusing on problematic gaming, reported rates varied from 0.6 (in Norway) to 50% (in Korea) with a median prevalence rate of 5.5% across all included studies and 2.0% for population-based studies [ 27 ]. A meta-analyses using data across multiple decades found a pooled prevalence of 4.6% with a range of .6 to 19.9% with higher frequencies in studies performed in the 1990s (12.1%), those with samples under 1000 (8.6%), those that utilized concepts based of psychological gambling (9.5%), and those performed in Asia (9.9%) and North America (9.4%) [ 28 ••].

Recent studies reinforce the variability of prevalence in different regions of the world. In a study of 7 European countries with a representative sample of 12,938, the prevalence of IGD was 1.6% with 5.1% being considered “at-risk” for IGD with little variation among countries [ 29 ]. In studies of individual countries, prevalence of IGD in Germany ranged from 1.16 [ 30 ] to 3.5% [ 31 ]. In Italy, 12.1% were classified as having problematic use and .4% as having internet addiction [ 32 ].

Countries in Asia showed similar disparities. In a review of 38 studies from countries defined by the authors as Southeast Asia (with most being from India), prevalence of internet addiction ranged from 0 to 47.4% [ 33 ]. Among middle and high school students in Japan, prevalence was 7.9% for problematic internet use and 15.9% for adaptive internet use, a lower cutoff of the diagnostic questionnaire [ 34 ]. In rural Thailand, 5.4% reached the cutoff for IGD [ 35 ], and in Taiwan 3.1% met that threshold [ 17 ]. Among 2666 urban middle school children in China, prevalence of IGD was 13.0% [ 36 ]. Finally, in rural South Korea, the prevalence of PIU was 21.6% among a sample of 1168 13- to 18-year-olds [ 37 ].

With such disparate findings from around the world, it seems that PIMU prevalence varies considerably from county to country and region to region. While this may be the case, summary findings from two large reviews do have similar final estimates—5.5% [ 27 ] and 4.6% [ 28 •• ]. This rate is also similar to the prevalence of youth “at-risk” for IGD across Europe (5.1%) [ 29 ] and for full IGD in rural Thailand (5.4%) [ 35 ]. While far from definitive, 5% might be our strongest general prevalence estimate given the evidence. There are some sample and study characteristics that seem to result in a higher prevalence. Unsurprisingly, rates are higher when less restrictive definitions of the disorder are used. There is also some evidence that rates are lower in Europe and higher in North America and Asia, but these results were not universal. If we accept a prevalence of approximately 5% in the USA, that would translate to approximately 1.5 million adolescents experiencing significant life consequences as a result of their struggles with digital technology. Understanding who is most at risk and how best to treat this problem is essential for comprehensive, contemporary adolescent medicine.

Potential Determinants of PIMU

Individual characteristics, demographic features, and psychosocial traits have all been identified as possible determinants of PIMU. Perhaps the most widely documented risk factor is being male. Prevalence among boys and young men has been found to be 2 [ 38 ], 3 [ 28 ••], or even 5 [ 27 ] times higher than among girls and young women. Throughout early adolescence PIMU increases with age, but peaks around 15–16 [ 39 ]. Indicators of lower socioeconomic status including less maternal education and a single parent household have been shown to increase the risk for PIMU [ 36 ].

Family Functioning

Young people’s family functioning also seems to play a role in their development of PIMU. Risk factors seem to include lower levels of family cohesion, more family conflict, and poorer family relationships [ 40 ]. The most frequent finding in a recent systematic review was that a worse parent-child relationship was associated with more problematic gaming [ 41 ]. Less time with parents, less affection from parents, more hostility from parents, and lower quality parenting were all family characteristics potentially indicated in the development of gaming problems [ 41 ]. Game play and other online social activities may serve as solace from difficult family lives as adolescents seeking treatment for gaming addiction report that they are motived to play in part by escapism and the draw of virtual friendships [ 42 ]. At the other end of the spectrum, positive parent-child relationships may be protective against the development of problematic gaming [ 41 ]. Additionally, parental monitoring of adolescents’ internet use can also reduce PIMU which, in turn, improves parent-child relationships [ 43 ]. Parents, it seems, have some prevention tools available to them which could improve their family functioning overall. Fathers appear to have a particularly influential role as their relationships with adolescents has been shown to be especially protective [ 41 , 43 ].

Personality Traits

Certain individual personality traits appear to be common among adolescents with media use issues potentially indicating that young people with these traits are predisposed to develop PIMU. PIMU sufferers regularly demonstrate limitations in areas related to self-control including higher levels of impulsivity. In two studies examining problematic smartphone use, one identified dysfunctional impulsivity and low self-control as two key risk factors [ 44 ] and the other found impulsivity to predict this behavior in their female participants [ 45 ]. Patients diagnosed with IGD also demonstrated higher levels of impulsivity than healthy controls [ 46 ]. A systematic review of research examining the personality traits predictive of IGD concludes that impulsivity plays a role in IGD and that certain aspects of this trait, such as high levels of urgency, are especially potent risk factors. [ 47 •].

In addition to impulsivity, behavior traits related to aggression and hostility are common among adolescents with media use problems. Aggressive tendencies were identified as a predictor of IGD by multiple studies in a recent review of the research [ 47 •]. In a large European survey study, adolescents who reported IGD had higher scores on rule-breaking and aggressive behaviors scales [ 29 ]. While it may seem that aggression findings are simply indicative of the observed gender differences, models that include gender as well as other traits that predict PIMU found that hostility was independently associated with problematic smartphone use [ 48 ] and conduct problems were predictive of problematic internet use [ 49 ].

Neuroticism, the tendency to feel nervous and to worry, has been identified as a potential predisposing factor for PIMU. Using the Big Five model of personality to investigate commonalities among young people with IGD, the authors of a recent review highlighted multiple studies linking neuroticism with PIMU and concluded that this work demonstrates a clear and consistent link [ 47 •]. Some of the strongest evidence comes from clinical samples in which young people seeking care for IGD showed higher levels of neuroticism than healthy controls [ 50 ]. Additionally, neuroticism may be an important trait that differentiates game players who have problematic use versus those who are simply heavily engaged with the games [ 51 ] perhaps in part because the control provided by video games is especially appealing to those with neurotic tendencies [ 50 ]. Neuroticism is a common element of internalizing mood disorders including anxiety and depression [ 52 ], which, as described below, are frequently comorbid with PIMU.

While it is clear that some traits are common among PIMU sufferers (and there are others not covered above), we must stop short of claiming a defining personality profile. Young people experiencing PIMU are likely to have as much diversity as they do similarity in their psychological and personality characteristics. Some of the most conclusive findings originate from clinical samples, but, because of limited specialized care opportunities, this work has been almost entirely conducted outside of the USA. Seeing as culture plays an important role in the development of personality, investigations are necessary to determine if our current knowledge is generalizable to the USA.

Neurobiology and Brain Function

Apart from individual characteristics and family functioning, there appear to be some neurobiological dysfunction that may characterize PIMU sufferers. Working from models based on the brain functioning in gambling and substance use addicts, researchers have looked for similarities with these disorders. Sussman and colleagues call attention to the viewpoint that people are not actually addicted to a substance or a behavior itself but rather to the brain’s response to the drug or activity [ 53 ••]. This perspective opens the door for digital entertainment obsession to be compared to substance use and gambling disorder. Video games and certain types of internet use have been shown to release dopamine at a rapid rate leading to immediate gratification and the potential for a repetitive response that can include compulsive behaviors and increased tolerance [ 53 ••]. In a simultaneous test of reward processing and inhibitory control, both behavioral and electroencephalography findings indicate adolescents with IGD demonstrate irregularities in both systems [ 54 • ]. Additionally, fMRI studies have documented neurobiological explanations for dysregulated reward processing, diminished impulse control, and other behavioral and cognitive patterns in IGD sufferers that are similar to those from people with gambling disorders [ 55 ]. Imaging studies have demonstrated that the brains of adolescents with internet addiction share at least one structural abnormality with brains of those with substance use disorder, namely, reduced thickness in the orbitofrontal cortex [ 56 ]. The evidence at hand seems to indicate that PIMU shares similarities in neural functioning and potentially some brain structures with other compulsive behaviors as well as substance use. However, there are still many fewer neuroimaging studies of PIMU sufferers than of substance users, and many of the existing studies are hindered by small, heterogeneous samples and lack of attention to comorbid conditions [ 55 ].

The observed similarities between PIMU and substance use disorder do not necessarily signify that compulsive technology use should be characterized as a behavioral addiction. In fact, there are strong reasons to consider other conceptualizations for this set of behaviors. Excessive use may be indicative of maladaptive coping [ 57 ] or the manifestation of existing self-regulatory problems [ 58 •]. Rather than being a novel disorder, PIMU behaviors may be symptoms of existing psychiatric problems being expressed within the digital environment [ 3 •]. If these underlying disorders are appropriate explanations for these behaviors, then, some argue, we should not classify the set of symptoms as a behavioral addiction [ 59 ]. Furthermore, there is limited evidence that stopping use results in serious withdrawal symptoms which is a key factor in some diagnostic tools [ 60 ].The term addiction may also convey a sense of stigma and potentially interfere with one’s likelihood for seeking help or leading to incorrect treatment [ 3 , 61 ]. A consistent set of observed, troublesome, comorbid disorders may support the possibility that existing problems drive problematic media use rather than the behavior indicating a uniquely diagnosable behavioral addiction.

Comorbidities

A core set of mental health problems comorbid with PIMU have been identified and include depression, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), anxiety, and autism [ 62 •]. As most of the research in this area is cross-sectional, the exact explanation for the association between PIMU and these other disorders is unknown and could include a one directional relationship (in either direction), a bi-directional relationship, or a common factor causing both issues [ 62 •]. Bearing in mind the complex etiology of these severe mental health issues, PIMU may very well arise from pre-existing mental health problems. The behaviors and environment afforded by excessive game play and internet use may also exacerbate certain symptoms of these disorders. The associations likely differ by unique co-occurring disorder as well as by the specific behaviors evident in an individual’s experience of PIMU. Longitudinal representative research along with additional clinical investigations examining different presentations of PIMU (especially using samples from the USA) is needed to fully understand this relationship.

Depression and Anxiety

Regardless of the specifics of the relationships, identifying the most common mental health issues that are comorbid with PIMU can help illuminate the disorder. Depression is consistently found to be predictive of problematic video game, internet, and smartphone use [ 63 , 64 , 65 ]. In a study comparing multiple predictors of the Internet Addiction Scale, level of depression had the strongest association even when considering demographics, personality traits, and future time perspective (i.e., the ability to envision and pursue future goals) [ 22 ]. Considering anxiety is closely related to depression, it is not surprising that it too has been shown to be linked to PIMU. Young people’s use of technology to cope with depression and anxiety likely explains at least some of these observed relationships, but a reciprocal relationship between PIMU and depression or anxiety is likely most realistic [ 64 , 66 ].

Seeing as impulsivity is a common trait of adolescents suffering from PIMU, it follows that ADHD is one of its most common comorbidities. In a recent review, 87% of the included studies found significant relationships between ADHD symptoms and PIMU [ 62 •]. Findings from a meta-analysis align with these results with studies consistently showing that PIMU is present at higher rates among those with ADHD from those without [ 67 ]. Furthermore, adolescents with ADHD show more severe symptoms of PIMU and are less likely to respond to treatment [ 67 , 68 ]. Ease of boredom, poor self-control, and other typical symptoms of ADHD are likely driving this association [ 67 ].

PIMU was shown to be prevalence in 45.5% of a small clinical sample of youth with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) [ 69 ]. Youth with ASD have higher levels of compulsive internet use and video game play compared to healthy peers [ 70 ]. Online communication platforms especially those that occur within the well-defined ruleset of multiplayer games may be seen as less threatening and thereby particularly attractive to youth with ASD who desire connection but tend to lack well-developed social skills [ 4 ]. The coexistence of ADHD and ASD is an especially predictive combination with PIMU observed in 12.5% of patients with ADHD, 10.8% of those with ASD, and 20.0% of those with both disorders [ 71 ].

For clinicians hoping to better discriminate between adolescents who are heavily engaged with screen media and those who are experiencing problematic use, it is likely effective to attend carefully to young people with mental health issues commonly comorbid to PIMU. To inform on this effort, my colleagues and I have proposed the acronym A-SAD (ADHD, social anxiety, ASD,depression) to remember these key disorders [ 5 •]. While this suggestion is consistent with current evidence, research testing this approach is still necessary in order to understand its overall effectiveness in clinical settings.

Even though there is continued debate about the nomenclature around this issue and the appropriateness of labeling the problem an addiction or its own mental health diagnosis, adolescents around the world are seeking treatment to overcome their disordered media use and its consequences. As of yet, there is not an agreed upon approach for treating PIMU resulting in resourceful and skilled clinicians applying and adapting multiple approaches known to be effective to similar issues to this newer problem. For many years, there were few systematic investigations of these treatments, but recently the number of clinical trials has increased.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

With rigorous research in this field becoming more common, a recent review was able to rely more heavily on randomized clinical trials in reaching its conclusions [ 72 •]. This work identified 3 treatment possibilities as most heavily researched—cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), pharmacological, and group/family therapies—however, approaches in all three were only classified as experimental [ 72 •]. CBT seeks to change problematic thought patterns and their resulting behaviors especially in terms of coping with psychological problems in healthy, direct ways. The approach of using CBT to address the cognitions of problematic users was proposed almost two decades ago and has been applied and adjusted to numerous populations and settings [ 73 ]. In a prototypical study, patients identified as having internet addiction and a comorbid disorder received CBT for 10 sessions and showed improvement in both internet use and anxiety [ 74 •]. Pooled effect sizes from studies of this treatment have demonstrated that overall, CBT is successful at reducing symptoms of depression and of IGD and slightly less so for anxiety [ 75 ••]. Although there is less evidence for CBT’s effectiveness at reducing game play, such a goal is less central as gaming is not inherently problematic [ 75 ••]. Dialectical behavior therapy, which is based on CBT but addresses emotions along with thoughts and behaviors, has also been applied to PIMU and seems to offer promise for future treatment [ 6 ].

Pharmacological Treatment

Other treatments including pharmacological and group and family therapies have not been the subject of as many research investigations as CBT, but findings from these areas do show encouraging effects. The general approach of pharmacological treatment has been to use medications to treat comorbid conditions or underlying pathologies of PIMU including depression [ 76 ], ADHD [ 77 ], obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) [ 78 ], and others. In an exemplar RCT of 114 adolescents and adults with IGD, the effectiveness of two antidepressants (escitalopram and bupropion) were investigated [ 79 ••]. Both were effective at reducing IGD, but bupropion also improved impulsivity, inattention, and mood problems which is consistent with its reported use as a treatment for ADHD [ 79 ••]. Following a similar protocol, researchers compared the effectiveness of two ADHD medications, a stimulant (methylphenidate) and non-stimulant (atomoxetine), on symptoms of both ADHD and IGD [ 80 ]. Both medications successfully reduced symptoms of IGD seemingly through their ability to regulate impulsivity [ 80 ]. Other studies reveal similar effects resulting in an overall conclusion that a pharmacological approach can be successful in reducing symptoms of both PIMU and comorbid disorders [ 81 ].

Group and Family Therapies

Group and family therapies are also being used to address PIMU. While group-based interventions that are 8-weeks or longer and include 9–12 people appear most effective [ 82 ], these approaches vary greatly making it difficult to determine which other aspects of the approach contribute to any observed successes. A systematic review describes four studies using single-family groups, multi-family groups, and school-based groups and implementing CBT-based approaches, novel psychotherapy approaches designed specifically for PIMU sufferers, and traditional family therapy approaches [ 81 ]. Group interventions have also been designed to prevent PIMU among adolescents although the effectiveness of this approach is still unknown [ 83 ]. Investigations of these treatments do show some promise. For example, a study of using multi-family group therapy found 20 out of 21 adolescent participants were no longer considered addicted to the internet following the six, 2-h sessions [ 84 ]. While the approach as a whole is based on strategies known to be effective in substance use and other adolescent problems, the heterogeneity of the therapies makes it difficult to draw any final conclusions.

There has been much advancement in identifying and treating PIMU over the last 5 years. The inclusion of IGD in the DSM-5 and of GD in the WHO’s ICD-11 has been the impetus for a growing consensus around terminology and approach. Considerable research has demonstrated that IGD can be assessed reliably and that the defined cutoffs effectively differentiate between those with and without the disorder. However, a large debate continues about whether the terminology and subsequent conceptual and clinical approaches should be based on a specific activity or broader set of behaviors. A framework that describes and addresses a multitude of behaviors that share certain determinants, comorbidities, and expressions can avoid the unsustainable situation of developing a new term and tactic for every problematic media behavior.

Additional research is necessary to more fully develop our clinical understanding and treatment approach to PIMU. Foundational, longitudinal work would help disentangle the direction of association between mental health problems and PIMU, and clinical investigations could continue to determine how therapy and medication can most effectively treat the condition. Clinical work investigating patient samples from the USA are very rare and are necessary to build awareness and increase resources available to treat the problem. Additionally, new research should explore the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on PIMU. As screens have been relied upon for essential purposes including education, communication, and social connectedness, use has inevitably risen, and youth previously balancing media use and other activities may find themselves struggling. While our knowledge has grown substantially in this area, there are still questions that need to be answered before we can effectively treat this modern facet of adolescent health.

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Internet addiction is a growing problem globally. It refers to excessive use of the internet, leading to negative impacts on a person’s life.

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The advent of the internet has revolutionized human existence, providing limitless opportunities for learning, communication, and entertainment. However, this unprecedented access to information and connectivity has birthed a new form of dependency – internet addiction.

Understanding Internet Addiction

Internet addiction, also known as compulsive internet use, is characterized by excessive or poorly controlled preoccupations, urges, or behaviors regarding computer use and internet access. It is a psychological disorder that can lead to severe stress, anxiety, and a variety of other mental health problems.

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The causes of internet addiction are multifaceted, ranging from the need for social interaction, escapism, or the thrill of exploring virtual realities. The effects, however, can be detrimental, leading to academic failure, job loss, and the breakdown of personal relationships.

Prevention and Treatment

Prevention is always better than cure. Encouraging healthy internet usage habits, promoting physical activities, and fostering real-life social interactions can help prevent this addiction. However, once addicted, professional help may be necessary. Cognitive-behavioral therapy has proven effective in treating internet addiction by helping individuals to identify and change patterns of thought that lead to compulsive behaviors.

In conclusion, while the internet has undoubtedly brought about vast benefits, it has also introduced new challenges. Internet addiction is a growing concern that requires our attention. By understanding its causes and effects, we can develop strategies to prevent and treat this modern-day affliction.

500 Words Essay on Internet Addiction

Internet addiction, also known as compulsive internet use, has emerged as a significant issue in the digital age. It is a psychological condition that involves excessive use of the internet, resulting in negative impacts on an individual’s life.

Internet addiction is characterized by an individual’s inability to control their use of the internet, which eventually interferes with their daily life, work, and relationships. It is not merely about the amount of time spent online but the obsession with internet activities to the point where it affects mental and physical health, personal relationships, and productivity.

Causes and Symptoms

The causes of internet addiction can be multifaceted. It can be a symptom of other underlying mental health issues like depression, anxiety, and stress disorders. The anonymity, ease of access, and perceived environment of acceptance and escape the internet offers can also contribute to its addictive potential. Symptoms may include preoccupation with the internet, inability to control online use, neglect of personal life, and emotional changes such as restlessness or irritability when internet use is limited.

Impacts of Internet Addiction

Internet addiction can have severe impacts. It can lead to a sedentary lifestyle, which can result in obesity, cardiovascular issues, and other health problems. It can also lead to sleep disorders due to late-night internet use. From a psychological perspective, it can increase feelings of loneliness, depression, and anxiety. It can also lead to academic or job failures due to a lack of concentration and reduced productivity.

Preventing internet addiction involves promoting healthy internet use. This can be achieved by setting time limits, taking regular breaks, and promoting a balanced lifestyle with physical activities and offline social interactions. Treatment for those already addicted often involves cognitive-behavioral therapy, which helps individuals identify problematic behaviors and develop coping strategies. In severe cases, medication may also be used under professional supervision.

In conclusion, internet addiction is a growing concern that requires attention. As we continue to embrace digital technology, it is crucial to promote healthy internet use and provide help for those struggling with addiction. It’s a call to action for researchers, mental health professionals, and society as a whole to understand and address this modern-day issue effectively.

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Internet Addiction

Reviewed by Psychology Today Staff

More a popular idea than a scientifically valid concept, internet addiction is the belief that people can become so dependent on using their mobile phones or other electronic devices that they lose control of their own behavior and suffer negative consequences. The harm is alleged to stem both from direct involvement with the device—something that has never been proven—and from the abandonment of other activities, such as studying, face-to-face socializing, or sleep.

• What Is Internet Addiction?
• Signs of Excessive Internet Use
• Internet Use and Mental Health
• What to Do About Internet Addiction

There is much debate in the scientific community about whether excessive internet use can be classified as a true addiction. In an addiction to substances such as drugs or alcohol , consumption ceases being pleasurable but continues and is difficult to escape even as the likelihood of harm to the body and life mounts. In the case of internet use, there is no clear point at which being online becomes non-pleasurable for most individuals. In part for this reason, behavioral "addictions," including using the internet, remain controversial: Experts debate where the line should be drawn between passionate absorption in any activity—say, devoting a lot of time to playing the cello or reading books—and being stuck in a rut of compulsivity that stops being useful and detrimentally affects other areas of life.

In preparing the current edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders , psychiatrists and other experts debated whether to include internet addiction. They decided that there was not enough scientific evidence to support inclusion at this time, although the DSM-5 does recognize Internet Gaming Disorder as a condition warranting further study.

Most often, the word “addiction” is used in the colloquial sense. Common Sense Media finds that 59 percent of parents “feel” their kids are addicted to their mobile devices—just as 27 percent of the parents feel that they themselves are. Sixty-nine percent of parents say they check their own devices at least hourly, as do 78 percent of teens. Spending a lot of time on the internet is increasingly considered normal behavior, especially for adolescents. Much of their social activity has simply moved online. Like any new technology, the computer has changed the way everyone lives, learns, and communicates. It is possible to be online far too much, even though this does not constitute a true addiction in the eyes of most clinicians. 

Internet content creators leverage the ways in which the brain works to rally consumers '  attention . One simple example: A perceived threat activates your fight-or-flight response, a part of the brain known as the Reticular Activating System mobilizes the body for action. So online content exploits potential dangers—violence, natural disaster, disease, etc.—to attract and hold your attention.  

Problematic or excessive internet use can indeed pose a serious problem. It can displace such important needs as sleep, homework, and exercise, often a source of friction between parents and teens. It can have negative effects on real-life relationships. 

The idea of internet addiction is a particular concern among parents, who worry about the harmful effects of screen time and often argue about device use with their children. According to a 2019 survey conducted by Common Sense Media, children aged 8 to 12 now spend 5 hours a day on digital devices, while teens clock more than 7 hours—not including schoolwork. Teen screen time is slowly ticking upward, and most teens take their phones to bed with them.

Whether classified as an addiction or not, heavy use of technology can be detrimental. It can impair focus, resulting in poor performance at school or work. Excessive internet consumption also makes it more difficult for people to communicate normally or to regulate their emotions. They spend less time on non-internet-related activities at the cost of relationships with friends, family, and significant others.

One way to assess whether you’re using the internet too much is to ask yourself if your basics needs (or your child’s, if they are the concern) are being met. Do you sleep enough, eat healthy, get enough exercise, enjoy the outdoors, and spend time socializing in-person? The real harm of screen time may lie in missed opportunities for growth and connection.

Excessive screen time can be particularly harmful to a developing brain: It decreases focus and attention span while increasing the need for more constant stimulation and instant gratification. Those who use the internet excessively may feel anxious if their access to their device gets restricted. They tend to be more impulsive and struggle to recognize facial and nonverbal cues in real life.

Internet use becomes a problem when people start substituting online connections for real, physical relationships. The effects of technology on relationships include increased isolation and loneliness . Defaulting to online communication also denies us the opportunity to hear someone’s voice and read their facial cues in-person; it can also lead to poorer outcomes and miscommunication. Experts recommend that we save the important conversations for when we can be face-to-face for just this reason.   

Online content has been designed to elicit specific “checking habits,” which can result in distraction and poor performance at school or work. Constantly checking your smartphone or another device can also lead to relationship-sabotaging behaviors, like phubbing (snubbing loved ones for the instant gratification of checking the internet on your device). As more time is spent online, less is devoted to the natural pleasures of everyday life.  

Excessive use of the internet is known to negatively impact a person’s mental health. It has been associated with mental health issues, such as loneliness, depression , anxiety , and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. Research suggests that people are likely to use the internet more as an emotional crutch to cope with negative feelings instead of addressing them in proactive and healthy ways.

This is a subject of debate at present. While internet addiction is not in the DSM-V, it is clearly a behavior that negatively impacts mental health and cognition for many, and many struggle to cut back on their time online. The term "addiction" is often used as a shorthand for, “My child spends a lot of time on social media , texting friends, or playing video games, and I’m worried how it will affect his or her future development and success.” At the same time, many people label it a behavioral addiction, engaging reward circuitry seen in other problematic behaviors such as gambling.

Time online is also sometimes used as an escape from boredom or relief from loneliness or other unpleasantness. Occasionally, excessive screen time masks a state of depression or anxiety. In such cases, digital engagement becomes an attempt to remedy the feelings of distress caused by true mental health disorders that could likely benefit from professional or other attention.

Given how much people rely on technology to complete everyday tasks, from online schooling to paying bills to ordering food to keeping in touch with loved ones who are far away, it isn’t feasible to stop using the internet altogether. In most cases, the goal should be to reduce the time spent online. Many of those who’ve struggled to balance internet use with other activities recommend such simple “digital detox” measures as leaving devices in the kitchen or any other room but the bedroom at night. Cognitive behavioral therapy can also help address addiction-like behaviors, like constant checking habits. 

Amidst growing concerns about the increased amount of time people are spending online, the “digital detox” has become a popular way to cope. A digital detox involves temporarily abstaining from using devices, like computers and smartphones. Someone may go on a digital detox in order to re-engage with a passion or activity, focus more on in-person interactions, or break free of a pattern of compulsive or excessive use. Digital detoxes also allow more time for self-care that a person may have been neglecting in order to stay plugged into the internet, which can lead to lower stress levels and better sleep.

There is no one-size-fits-all answer. You may want to digitally detox if you notice that you’re experiencing sleep disruptions due to staying up late or waking up early to be on a device, if the internet is making you feel depressed, or if the constant need to be connected causes you stress. Other signs may include feeling anxious if you can’t locate your phone, having FOMO ( fear of missing out) if you’re not checking the internet or social media, struggling to focus without (or due to) constant checking behaviors, etc.

Unlike other detoxes where the goal is to abstain completely, digital detoxes are more flexible and tailored to the individual. It may not be possible due to work or personal obligations to shut your devices off entirely for long periods of time. If it’s time for a digital detox , there are some strategies you can try: Block off non-screen time during the day and/or night, set a “digital curfew” for using devices at night or on weekends, specify digital-free spaces in your home (e.g., the bedroom or dinner table), and use the additional time in fulfilling ways (e.g., socialize, rekindle old interests, volunteer, etc.).

Use the internet and social media with purpose; set time limits on your unstructured use to avoid going down long and unfulfilling rabbit holes. Take advantage of the extra free time you suddenly have. Spend more time socializing in-person and volunteer. Rekindle old interests or take up a new hobby. Go outside. Pay more attention to how you are feeling, both physically and emotionally.

In a new study, teens report finding more benefits than harms online, yet they admit to feeling “happy” and “peaceful” when away from their smartphones.

Today, more teens are at peace and happier when they are detached from their devices. Here are 5 ways to help parents create a smartphone contract to manage screen time.

Personal Perspective: How the internet influences understanding mental illness.

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The internet contains violent and sexual images that can traumatize youngsters. Parents must stay informed, communicate, and use the tools available to manage children's exposure.

The problem is teens' lack of engagement in offline challenges. But a solution may be at hand.

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How to Overcome Internet Addiction

Last Updated: July 8, 2022 References

This article was co-authored by Wes Pinkston . Wes Pinkston is a Certified Holistic Life Coach and the Founder of Wes Pinkston Life Coaching. With more than five years of experience, he specializes in helping people achieve greater fulfillment and understand their full potential. He received his Holistic Lifestyle Coach Certification from The CHEK Institute. This article has been viewed 118,988 times.

Too much time spent online can cause a host of emotional and physical problems, damage personal relationships, and decrease performance at work or school. Nevertheless, Internet addiction is a growing issue. However, if you are struggling with the problem, you can overcome it by taking steps to limit your Internet usage, filling your time with alternative activities, and seeking support.

Controlling Your Internet Usage

• Omit any time that you must use the Internet strictly for work, business, or school.
• Make a list of all of the other obligations you have and desired uses of your time, such as sleeping, time spent with friends and/or family, exercise, commuting, working or studying, etc.
• Determine how much time per week you would ideally devote to these needs.
• Consider how much time you have left per week, how much time you want to set aside for relaxing or personal use. From the remaining time, set aside an appropriate number of hours for personal Internet use. You can then apply this information to other methods to cut back on the time you spend online.
• Set a timer on your phone so you only stay plugged in for a specific amount of time.

• You can set an alarm clock to go off at a certain point when you think you should get offline. [6] X Research source It might be difficult at first, but stick to the goal.
• Plan necessary activities or events so that they will prevent you from being online. For instance, if you know you tend to start browsing aimlessly in the afternoons, schedule important meetings and appointments for that time.
• There are a variety of apps you can use to cut back on your Internet use. [7] X Research source For instance, some of them work by shutting down Internet capabilities for a predetermined period.

• For example, you may decide that you want to get around to that book you’ve been meaning to read rather than spend another hour shopping online for things you really don’t need or want.
• Prioritize offline versions of activities over online ones. For instance, set a goal of spending more time with friends in person instead of interacting with them via social media.
• You can also set priority tasks that you want to do prior to spending any personal time online. For instance, tell yourself that you will spend the weekend cleaning out the garage before getting online.

• “Playing X game is taking away time I could spend with friends.”
• “I’m not happy when I spend all night online.”
• “I won’t take my laptop to bed tonight.”

Getting Help

• Motivational interviewing and reality therapy are techniques sometimes used by counselors to treat Internet addiction. [13] X Trustworthy Source PubMed Central Journal archive from the U.S. National Institutes of Health Go to source [14] X Research source These methods involve a therapist providing open-ended questions, reflective listening, and other techniques to help you understand your problem better.

Tiffany Douglass, MA

Our Expert Agrees: If you're addicted to the internet, seek the help of a process addiction therapist. It can be nearly impossible to eliminate the internet from your life and work entirely, but your therapist will help you learn to find ways you can go online safely without it damaging your life.

Identifying the Problem

• Be online longer than you intended. Checking your email, for instance, turns into hours of browsing.
• Think about being online even when you are doing other activities.
• Need to use the internet more and more just to have the same level of satisfaction or enjoyment

• Feeling restless, angry, irritable, etc. when you don’t have as much time online or try to cut back.
• Using time online to escape or to relieve an emotional problem.
• Getting online instead of other activities you need to do or used to enjoy.
• Feelings of guilt, shame, or disgust due to time spent online.
• Inability to cut back after repeated attempts.

• Weight gain
• Weight loss
• Carpal tunnel syndrome
• Neglecting sleep to get online

• Loss of a job or poor work performance due to time spent on the Internet
• Decreasing performance at school
• Trouble in a personal relationship (fighting because of time spent online, for instance)
• A relationship has ended because of your Internet usage
• Lying to others (significant others, family, coworkers, etc.) about your Internet usage
• Neglecting time with family or friends in order to be online

• Sneaking around to get online
• Lying about time spent online
• Anger or irritability when electronic devices or Internet privileges are taken away
• A strong desire to get back online as soon as possible
• Staying up all night to be online
• Refusing or forgetting to do chores, homework, or other tasks
• Forming new bonds with people online (especially when offline relationships deteriorate)
• Loss of interest in activities the child previously enjoyed

Expert Q&A

You Might Also Like

• ↑ http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3480687/
• ↑ https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/3fe7/7890b4d85ebae6196829084034a6a20aef55.pdf
• ↑ https://www.mentalhelp.net/articles/internet-addiction-treatment/
• ↑ http://netaddiction.com/
• ↑ http://centerforparentingeducation.org/library-of-articles/kids-and-technology/how-much-time-internet-kids/

About This Article

If you’re worried you have an Internet addiction, try setting time limits for your Internet use so you become less dependent on it. If you’re still having trouble, you can use a computer app that stops Internet access after a certain amount of time. You may also try filling your schedule with activities, such as cleaning or grocery shopping, during times you feel tempted to be online. Don’t worry if you can’t do it all on your own! It’s okay to seek help from a support group or counselor. To learn how limiting your Internet use can improve your health, read more from our Social Worker co-author. Did this summary help you? Yes No

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Technology and internet addiction: How to recognize it and recover from it

“Internet Addiction” is a growing problem. As more individuals gain internet access every year, the number of people becoming obsessed with and then addicted to a digital lifestyle is increasing as well. Internet addiction shares a lot of similarities to other addictions, and like other addictions, can also be treated. This guide will help you understand what internet addictions can look like, and how they can be treated.

Defining Internet Addiction

In 2012, popular satire news website  The Onion posted a fake video news report: “ Brain-Dead Teen, Only Capable Of Rolling Eyes And Texting, To Be Euthanized.”

The video amusingly dramatizes the slow degradation of “Caitlin,” a once energetic and active young girl whose brain has succumbed to lifelessness amidst texting and social media usage (and, one would assume, the general malaise of being a teenage girl). Her doting yet troubled parents have decided to take the most loving step they can consider: euthanasia. As the fake doctor in the clip states:

“Her eyes may flutter a bit, or she may murmur: ‘Are you for real killing me right now?’, but then the struggle will finally be over.”

The Onion is well known for its biting humor, but also, in a similar fashion to television’s Saturday Night Live , for the observational intelligence of its satire. In this case, the site hits fairly close to home for many who have dealt with technology and internet addiction, or who have family members currently struggling with this growing problem. Although real internet addiction rarely, if ever, results in such a dramatic effect as The Onion’s notably hyperbolic example, its consequences and impact on relationships and quality of life are often deeply felt.

That said, the debate over whether internet addiction is a legitimate disorder has yet to be decided, at least officially in Western countries. The American Psychological Association, for example , does not list internet, technology, or social media disorders in its most recently updated Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-V), although it does give internet gaming addiction a nod. However, a growing number of Asian countries officially consider these addictions legitimate, including China, which officially classified internet addiction in 2008 .

Despite disagreements about the efficacy of internet addiction claims and research, many medical professionals, including a number of psychologists , sociologists , and psychiatrists , currently do consider internet addiction–also referred to as problematic internet use (PIU), or internet addiction disorder (IAD)–as legitimate a disorder as any other addiction and worthy of just as much concern and attention.

While that debate still rages on, the number of individuals whose lives are tangibly affected by internet and technology overuse continues to swell. One 2014 study from the University of Hong Kong suggested that as many as 420 million people worldwide suffer from internet and technology addictions of some form. While others questioned the reach of that study, numerous examples continue to emerge regarding this issue, especially among younger generations.

Observations and studies point to the fact that younger generations are being brought up using the internet, mobile devices, and social media during their most formative years where habits are ingrained in the brain’s chemistry . However, counter to perceived logic, it may be that previous generations, in particular, Generation X, may be more likely to develop technology addictions than younger ones.

As with most addictions, there’s no one type of addict. The addiction will look different from person to person, and vary in just how deeply it impacts someone’s life. However, there are ways to identify whether technology and internet addictions actually exist in someone’s life, with observable negative consequences. Furthermore, there now exists a large body of actionable ways to combat these addictive behaviors that may help those suffering recover from the harm addictions can cause.

What are technology and internet addictions?

Internet and other technology addictions can cover several categories, and fit into several definitions. Here, we’ll provide a broad definition of “technology addiction,” and parse this into smaller chunks that better define internet addiction, smartphone (or mobile phone) addiction, and social media addiction.

Technology addiction: high-level definition

“Technology addiction” can be broadly defined as an inability to control one’s technology use due to a dependence developed through emotional, psychological, social, environmental, and biological factors. This means that an individual may have difficulty with impulse control when it comes to technology usage, be it the internet, gaming, texting, smartphones, social media, or otherwise.

The above definition is purposefully broad to align “technology addiction” with the more general definition of addiction as provided by the American Psychological Association (APA). The APA defines addiction as: “a chronic disorder with biological, psychological, social and environmental factors influencing its development and maintenance.”

The APA goes on to explain that addiction has a significant genetic component, with roughly half of one’s risk for developing an addiction coming from genetic history. Development of that addiction then occurs based on the factors mentioned above each playing a role to varying degrees. All addictions are strongly developed through biological and psychological factors, however. The addictive behaviors begin to take hold due to the brain providing a chemical and emotional “reward” for the behavior, thus leading individuals to return to and more actively seek out that behavior. Simply put, this is a form of conditioning .

Socially, these addictions may develop following consistent peer or family pressures where such behavior is seen as socially acceptable or even required, or environmentally, where access to the addicting-causing medium may be easy, thus leading to a quick reward and limiting an individual’s ability to manage impulse control successfully.

It is easy to see, then, why the broader definition of addiction can be applied to the more specific “technology addiction,” and provides a good argument for why technology addictions exist and develop in the first place. Technology is often associated with and used variously for different types of entertainment which provide an emotional and chemical reward doled out by the brain. When this reaction is combined with the social acceptance of technology use of certain types, followed by increasingly easier-to-access technologies and the increasing sophistication of mobile devices, it’s hard to overstate why technology addictions can arise so easily.

Internet addiction defined

Where internet addiction differs from the larger concept of technology addiction is in the very specific requirement for internet access. Internet addiction can fall directly under the umbrella of technology addiction, while itself being the tree for other types of technology addictions that exist solely because of internet access.

Internet addiction has several different names, including “compulsive internet use” (CIU), “internet overuse,” “problematic internet use” (PIU), and “internet addiction disorder” (IAD). Of these, IAD and PIU are the more common terms. However, as stated earlier, the APA and other professional medical associations of note do not officially classify internet addiction as a disorder. As a result, no single term exists to unify the concept.

Internet addiction is highlighted by an individual’s uncontrollable compulsion to utilize the internet. For such individuals, internet use of various sorts triggers the reward center of the brain, flushing the body with chemicals such as dopamine , serotonin , or even adrenaline , depending on the activity.

An article in Financial Times notes that researchers have outlined five specific types of internet addiction: computer games, gambling and shopping, pornography, web surfing, and online relationships. While helpful, it is increasingly difficult to quantify the subject in such a way, as the number of activities one can obsessively turn to that require internet connectivity only increase over time. Ghostery , lists out five types that are similar to, but broader than, the categories mentioned above, lending weight to the idea that internet addiction is still a somewhat poorly defined area of study.

All other types of addiction we’ll be discussing are subsets of internet addiction, as they would not exist without an internet connection.

Smartphone addiction defined

Smartphone addiction is highlighted by an individual’s obsessive and compulsive need to use or hold a smartphone or other mobile device. While the hallmark of this addiction tends to be very visual and physical (e.g., it’s easy to see when an individual has difficulty putting away a device), it often goes unnoticed as smartphone use has become far more socially acceptable in an increasing number of contexts.

Like other forms of addiction, smartphone addiction exists due to pleasure centers of the brain rewarding smartphone use. In some cases, anxiety can arise in addicted individuals when the device is not present, and consequently, the very presence of the device may serve to add a level of comfort or feeling of security. Indeed, some researchers have even proposed a new disorder: “ Smart-loss anxiety disorder ,” to describe the psychological impact and coping mechanisms that exist after the of loss of one’s smartphone

It becomes easy for addicted individuals to justify smartphone addiction, particularly due to the many valuable uses of a smartphone. Whether directly communicating with others through text or voice, looking up information or directions, or even reading eBooks, the many ways a smartphone can be used make it increasingly necessary in a 21st-century environment, thereby making it easier to become addicted to its use and harder to disengage from its use.

More broadly in this area, smartphone addiction is akin to “information addiction,” or separately, closer to “technology addiction,” as those with a smartphone addiction are likely to use the device to provide themselves with constant sensory input through different types of media that may or may not require internet access.

Social media addiction defined

Social media addiction is perhaps the easier of these topics to define. With social media addiction, the same reward centers of the brain are aroused, but social media is the sole avenue for the addiction. The reason why social media can become an addiction resides in three key areas: social interactions and relationships; positive responses, and encouragement; and information acquisition. All of these areas could be seen as rewards in and of themselves, and all exist on social media platforms, making social media, in particular, a strong motivator for addiction.

Social media users can easily become addicted to gaining “likes” and reshares, as this results in positive emotions on the part of the user. Users will return to the behaviors and actions on social media that result in likes and shares, and addicts, in particular, will learn to curate their posts to increase the number of likes and shares they receive. This type of behavior is a noticeably strong sign of addiction.

The hit Lady Gaga song “Applause” is a good example of a pop song that, among many things, speaks to the drive toward emotional attention seeking that exists in a social-media-driven society. Given that a large social media network or following provides anyone with a wide audience, and many people are equally on social media with some regularity, making posts to gain likes and shares can result in an almost immediate emotional reward.

The ease with which one can get that reward, and the lengths individuals might go to get it, is why social media addiction is particularly concerning, especially for children and teenagers, and especially when it leads to risky behaviors.

Are technology addictions really a problem?

Whether or not technology addictions are problematic somewhat resides in the continuing argument over whether they’re real “addictions” over simply “bad habits,” and whether, even if they are addictions, they’re actually of the type one should be concerned about. In a 2011 opinion article published in The New York Times , Virginia Heffernan wrote of one self-described internet addict, “The Internet as Gabriela uses it simply is intellectual life, and play. She’s just the person I’d want for a student, in fact — or a friend, or a daughter.” In Heffernan’s perception, internet addiction is not necessarily bad or harmful. From her perspective, the negative labeled exists mostly because technology addictions are not as highbrow as other pursuits, such as opera, theater, or reading.

However, some chemical and behavioral addictions are universally accepted as harmful. Alcoholism, hard drug addictions (such as heroin or cocaine), and gambling addictions are always considered a clear and present danger for the addicts and their families. For more subtle behavioral addictions such as smartphone, internet, or social media addictions, the direct impact on others and the addict is often less pronounced but still follows very similar patterns as other addictions.

It’s clear from many case studies and examples that these addictions can have realistic and sometimes painful consequences. Just a quick search through the Huffington Post , for instance, results in dozens of articles on the subject, with many writers identifying a distinct improvement to their quality of life when trying to cut out the addiction-causing technology.

“ Does Facebook Make You Depressed? ” asks Dr. Perpetua Noa in a 2016 article. While going back and forth on the issue (a yes-no of sorts), she states, “if you find yourself planning agendas, holidays and meals to revolve around what you can post on social media, perhaps ask yourself if this really satisfies you. Because many have confided about how empty it feels.” Her statement points to something many recent studies, including one from the University of Pittsburgh , have been observing: Heavy social media and other increased technology use are heavily linked to higher rates of depression.

Cause and effect arguments aside, there are other problematic associations with technology addictions as well. That list includes sleep deprivation , noticeable degradation of brain functions and structure (gray matter atrophy, reduced cortical thickness, loss of processing efficiency, compromised white matter integrity), social isolation , and a decrease in productivity , among other issues. A 2016 article in The Washington Post also explored the significant consequences that these addictions are having on younger generations, including job loss.

Despite its unofficial status, most people and an increasing number of health professionals now acknowledge internet, social media and smartphone addictions as real and impactful. Furthermore, mounting evidence indicates that there are sometimes severe negative consequences to leaving these addictions unaddressed.

To place more details to the matter, those who suffer technology-related addictions:

• Are more likely to have interpersonal and anxiety issues
• Are more likely to have health issues and suffer depression
• Are more likely to have multiple addictions (e.g., internet gaming addicts are also more likely to have pornography addictions)
• Are more likely to have strained family relationships
• Are less likely to be self-directed and more likely to have issues with impulse control
• Are more likely to experience stressful life events
• Are more likely to self-harm
• Are more likely to struggle academically
• Are more likely to have low self-esteem

As potentially circumstantial effects and behavior patterns begin to emerge, it becomes harder to align oneself with the idea that there is only a correlative relationship between technology addictions and significant, impactful lifestyle and health consequences. Indeed, despite having no formal definition, it is likely that the APA will include more versions of technology addiction in the next revision of the DSM (DSM-VI), beyond just internet gaming addiction. Even with internet gaming addiction, the DSM-V only recommends further study. The DSM was last updated in 2013 and is currently taking feedback from the medical community on what to include in the next (currently planned, but undated) update.

How do I know if I have a problem? Assessing technology addictions and identifying symptoms

There are a large number of tests and surveys that are designed to assess technology addiction. Most are highly unscientific, however. For this reason, we’ve turned to a questionnaire developed by researchers from Iowa State University . Their 2015 study, which focused specifically on what they called “nomophobia,” or a fear of being without a smartphone, is something we believe can be more broadly applied to social media and internet addictions as well, given the interconnectedness of the issues.

This test was adapted from a post on The Huffington Post . The questions and scoring are given below. Please take the time to answer the questions honestly , and then use the scoring metric at the bottom to determine what you number represents.

If you’re completing this test because you are concerned that someone you love may be addicted, please try not to be overly critical when writing down your ratings.

*Many studies that research this issue use the Internet Addiction Test developed by Dr. Kimberly Young, a foremost expert in internet addiction. We used the test below as it was developed much more recently and includes more questions. However, you may find the questions to Dr. Young’s test by clicking here .

Do you have a technology addiction?

Rate each item on a scale of 1 (“completely disagree”) to 7 (“strongly agree”) and tally up your total score to find out. Be honest!

• I would feel uncomfortable without constant access to information through my smartphone.
• I would be annoyed if I could not look information up on my smartphone when I wanted to do so.
• Being unable to get the news (e.g., happenings, weather, etc.) on my smartphone would make me nervous.
• I would be annoyed if I could not use my smartphone and/or its capabilities when I wanted to do so.
• Running out of battery in my smartphone would scare me.
• If I were to run out of credits or hit my monthly data limit, I would panic.
• If I did not have a data signal or could not connect to Wi-Fi, then I would constantly check to see if I had a signal or could find a Wi-Fi network.
• If I could not use my smartphone, I would be afraid of getting stranded somewhere.
• If I could not check my smartphone for a while, I would feel a desire to check it.

If I did not have my smartphone with me …

• I would feel anxious because I could not instantly communicate with my family and/or friends.
• I would be worried because my family and/or friends could not reach me.
• I would feel nervous because I would not be able to receive text messages and calls.
• I would be anxious because I could not keep in touch with my family and/or friends.
• I would be nervous because I could not know if someone had tried to get a hold of me.
• I would feel anxious because my constant connection to my family and friends would be broken.
• I would be nervous because I would be disconnected from my online identity.
• I would be uncomfortable because I could not stay up-to-date with social media and online networks.
• I would feel awkward because I could not check my notifications for updates from my connections and online networks.
• I would feel anxious because I could not check my email messages.
• I would feel weird because I would not know what to do.

Analyze Your Results:

0-20: Not at all nomophobic. You have a very healthy relationship with your device and have no problem being separated from it.

21-60: Mild nomophobia. You get a little antsy when you forget your phone at home for a day or get stuck somewhere without WiFi, but the anxiety isn’t too overwhelming.

61-100: Moderate nomophobia. You’re pretty attached to your device. You often check for updates while you’re walking down the street or talking to a friend, and you often feel anxious when you’re disconnected. Consider a personal detox.

101-120: Severe nomophobia. You can barely go for 60 seconds without checking your phone. It’s the first thing you check in the morning and the last at night and dominates most of your activities in-between. You may need to seek professional assistance.

Additional technology addiction symptoms

A questionnaire may not capture the nuances that exist within addictions. Below, we’ve provided some additional details and supporting research on what addiction looks like for smartphone, social media, and internet addictions individually.

Internet addictions: signs and symptoms

The clearest sign you will have for internet addiction is a distinct and noticeable difficulty disconnecting from online. This is highlighted by an increasing irritability when not online, and consistently going onto the internet or internet browsing frequently.

However, it’s not just frequency that is a concern. A meta-analysis of clinical research involving internet addictions found some commonalities among the 46 studies that were included. According to the study, internet addictions shared a lot in common with mental disorders, such that “the clinical context, Internet addiction can be viewed as mental disorder requiring professional treatment if the individual presents with significant levels of impairment.”

The research goes on to state that “psychotherapists treating the condition indicate the symptoms experienced by the individuals presenting for treatment appear similar to traditional substance-related addictions, including salience, mood modification, tolerance, withdrawal, conflict, and relapse.”

In psychology, “salience” refers to anything (such as a behavior or trait) that is obvious in context. For internet addiction sufferers, this means that the addictive behavior is self-evident and obvious enough for others and the sufferer to notice.

The other symptoms are more easy to identify, such as mood modification, withdrawal, conflict, and relapse. Tolerance is a bit more difficult for most individuals to understand, but in general terms, relates to the addict’s need to have more of the addiction-causing behavior to reap the same reward, as is the case with chemical addictions. For internet addiction, which thrives on triggering reward chemicals in the brain, tolerance results in the need to spend more time online or engage in internet-related activities to receive the same result.

Smartphone addictions: signs and symptoms

You will find that smartphone addiction symptoms and the signs of an addiction are not dissimilar to internet addiction. Highlighting this addiction are all of the following:

• Mood modification

However, as smartphone addiction is a very visual type of addiction in the sense that others can see when it is a problem, one of the clearest signs is someone’s inability to put down, or part with, their smartphone.

The research on “nomophobia,” or “no-mobile-phone-phobia,” from Iowa State University is a good guide to what this looks like. Sufferers of smartphone addiction will exhibit the traits that are present for those with internet addiction, but may be separately classified as “nomophobic” if the answers to the earlier questionnaire fall within the 21 points (mild nomophobia) to 101 points (severe nomophobia) or above.

Within the context of both smartphone addictions and nomophobia more specifically, signs and symptoms can include:

• Social phobias
• Social anxiety disorder
• Reduction of face-to-face interactions
• Obsessive mobile phone checking
• Distress and irritability when smartphone stops working properly, internet connectivity is lost, the battery dies, or the phone is lost
• Depression when any of the above is true
• Loss of sleep
• The need to have the phone on to sleep

One should not take active participation in social media as a sign of positive emotional status as well. Despite this, an individual suffering with a smartphone addiction may still be experiencing feelings of loneliness and depression, which are marked by mood and habit changes.

Social media addictions: signs and symptoms

As with smartphone addictions, social media addictions share a lot in common with internet addictions. However, social media addicts tend to focus their mental and emotional energy specifically on social media, and may not turn to other areas, such as casual internet browsing or online gaming, to gain the same psychological rewards inherent with any addiction.

In a review of the psychological literature on social media addictions , Daria Kuss and Mark Griffiths write:

“[E]xtraverts appear to use social networking sites for social enhancement, whereas introverts use it for social compensation, each of which appears to be related to greater usage, as does low conscientiousness and high narcissism. Negative correlates of [Social Networking Sites] usage include the decrease in real life social community participation and academic achievement, as well as relationship problems, each of which may be indicative of potential addiction.”

Kuss and Griffiths additionally note that all of the following appear to correlate with social media addictions:

• Neglect of personal life
• Mental preoccupation
• Mood modifying experiences
• Concealing the addictive behavior

Kuss and Griffiths explain that these behaviors are common with addictions in general, but appear to be particularly true for some individuals who use social media to excess.

To that effect, we can consider the above to be distinct signs of a social media addiction, when combined with what we already know to be more obvious signs of social media addiction, such as constant posting on and scrolling through social media accounts.

There is some indication that females may be more likely to develop social media addictions , and that such addictions can lead to body image issues and eating disorders . Additionally, social media addictions and excessive use of social media among younger individuals, such as teenagers and pre-teens, is directly associated with risky online behaviors .

Internet, smartphone, and social media addiction: Seeking help and treatments

As internet, smartphone, and social media addictions are still considered a new, and sometimes controversial subject, treatment for these issues is less prevalent and less well defined than many other well-established addictions.

However, it is best to think of and treat these addictions as similar to other behavioral addictions, such as gambling addictions, eating disorders, or even sex addictions. Additionally, as easy it’s for many professional to underestimate the life impact of these addictions, it’s common to find that similar resources for other behavioral addictions simply do not exist for these internet-related addictions.

As research helps change opinions on the reality and problematic nature of these addictions, however, greater attention is being given to providing addicts with some assistance. To that effect, more resources now exist than just a decade ago, and many suggestions for self-help for those with milder cases do exist as well.

Treating mild to moderate internet, smartphone, and social media addictions

Mild-to-moderate addictions can be managed using some fairly simple self-help methods. For this, we’ve applied some research on how behavioral addictions are often treated, as well as some sound advice on breaking habits, which are a marker for these and other types of addictions.

Detoxing is not just for chemical dependencies. It’s important to remember that when you have a  behavioral addiction, such as technology-related addictions, you are exciting the pleasure centers of the brain and releasing chemicals into your body. These chemicals draw you back into the behavior, but you need more of that behavior at extended intervals to get the same feeling. Self-detoxing is one method to help break mild addictions.

Here are some ways to help detox:

• Start with a full ban on technology for a set amount of time. Addiction expert Dr. Young has her patients start with a 72-hour detox, in which no technology is used at all that might feed the addiction. This may be hard for some individuals, but can be useful and necessary as a first step.
• Create a regular schedule for when you can use your technology. This may require you to have the help of a family member or friend who can keep you on schedule. After the initial detox period, schedule set amounts of time each week where you can use technology. While on your “off” times, find something to do that will occupy your mind. A good thing to do is immerse yourself in a physical task that requires some mental energy and focus, such as cleaning or yard work. It’s a good idea to keep this habit going even after you break the addiction.
• Decrease the amount of time you’re allotted in your schedule each week. Use a graduated approach to slowly reduce the amount of time you give yourself during your scheduled times. The idea here is to change your behavior so that you become more used to doing other activities during those times.
• Go on complete technology fasts. This means going for entire periods, such as a day, or several days, where you aren’t using technology at all. This may be particularly challenging if your work or life requires engagement in technology. However, try to organize your schedule in such a way that this is possible.

Develop new behaviors

Developing new behaviors is going to be important to recovering from a technology disorder. Part of the reason why you or a loved one started to develop that addiction is due to the use of technology become a behavior.

• Find a new hobby. One way to develop a new behavior is to find a new hobby that will help you decrease the time you’re immersing yourself into your technology addiction and habit. This might include taking up a sport, learning an instrument, or learning a language. Dedication to any of these is key, so the following will be helpful.
• Pay for a regularly scheduled class that doesn’t involve technology use. The key here is the payment part. If you try to take classes that are voluntary, e.g., there’s no payment involved and therefore little personal investment, it’s easy to shove them off and instead re-immerse yourself in your addiction. However, if you pay for classes related to your new hobby, such as music lessons, language lessons, art classes, etc., then you’re more likely to feel personally invested and less likely to miss the class. Additionally, the class will incentivize you to practice that new hobby at home to show improvements in the class during the next session.

Make the technology inaccessible to yourself

This action may take a friend or family member to assist. However, if you limit your ability to access your technology, or make it so that the technology is only accessible with the aid of someone else, you increase your chances of helping decrease the behavior and addiction. For technology addictions, this may mean giving a loved one control of your computers and accounts. Only turn to this method with someone you implicitly trust.

You can have those individuals make a password on your computer such that you cannot access it without their permission. You can also have them set a new password for your social media accounts, in which you can only access the account or change the password with their permission and action. For smartphone addictions, you may want to give up your device and only give yourself access to it when your loved one hands it over.

You may also want to consider deleting your social media apps from your mobile devices. This way, you can only access those applications from your web browser. An ease of access feeds many addictions. Creating roadblocks to your access may help you fight the addiction.

Even with mild to moderate addictions, expect to experience significant mood changes with this one. A large part of addiction is control. Giving up control can be terrifying and result in angry and frustrated outbursts as well as noticeable depression. These feelings will fade as you become more used to having less control over the source of your addiction but will begin to fade as your brain adjusts to new behaviors.

Treating severe addictions

If you or a loved one are suffering from a serious technology addiction, we recommend seeking help from a skilled professional. When someone gets to the point where the addiction is causing significant life changes and impacting health and relationships, it’s important to have an immediate change.

If working with a loved one, go for an intervention . Interventions can be tough to plan and pull off correctly, but it’s important to remember that when you do an intervention, the mood in the room and the language you use should be firm, but loving at all times. The addict will almost always lash out in anger, use name calling, and at times even physical violence. This is all part of the addiction, the first part of which is denial that there is a problem.

To learn more about effective interventions, click here to access a helpful guide from the Mayo Clinic.

Find an addiction recovery center

Addiction recovery centers abound. Most countries have a few, and there’s a good chance that there is one in your city or town, or nearby. As mentioned earlier, technology addictions are still poorly defined, but most addiction centers will be willing to run an assessment at least and if need be, take a patient who appears to be suffering from a behavioral addiction of any kind, even technology addictions.

There are a number of addiction centers and services you may use, including:

United States

• Addictions.com
• The Center for Internet and Technology Addictions

United Kingdom

• UK Addiction Treatment Centers (Mostly substance abuse, but does include gambling addictions. May take technology addiction sufferers)
• AddictionsUK
• Nightingale Hospital (London)

Join a support group and use aftercare

This is more of a step for after seeking effective treatment. Following your addiction treatment for a severe addiction, it’s important to maintain encouragement from those who can understand your struggles.  Part of the process involves joining a support group and availing yourself of aftercare services. Most rehabilitation and treatment centers will have information on support groups and other aftercare services.

Without aftercare, it’s incredibly easy to fall back into bad habits. Addiction is a lifetime struggle. Once addictive habits have taken hold and reached a severe range, it may be impossible for your life to be the same ever again, or for you to have a normal relationship with the addiction-causing technology. This is particularly true because of how much of addiction is tied to genetics.

As with substance addictions, behavioral addictions can come screaming back when you let your guard down. Recovering from a severe technology addiction will take constant maintenance on your behalf and will take the involvement of your loved ones to keep you living a happy, healthy, addiction-free life.

For parents: Managing technology use through parental control software and apps

Parents can take an actionable approach for their children by using parental software to help manage screen time and access to sites more commonly associated with internet addiction.

Parental control software usually comes in the form of apps and operating system tools that allow parents to monitor all incoming and outgoing traffic on a device. These tools, such as Qustodio, typically allow parents to control internet access in a few ways:

• By monitoring and receiving alerts when certain types of websites are access
• By applying filters to block out adult content
• By blacklisting certain websites, including pornographic sites, gaming sites, and social media sites
• By implementing app limit which restricts how much time can be spent on certain apps
• By allowing parents to turn internet access to specific devices on or off remotely, or allow for a schedule for when internet access is available

Many parental control tools come as part of more extensive antivirus software applications. Symantec, for example, offers its Norton Family Premier tools as a separate application, or as part of its Norton 360 Deluxe software package. Others, like the earlier mentioned Qustodio, focus their efforts purely on standalone parental control software.

Related: Qustodio review

Depending on your needs and the amount of control you wish to have, it may be worthwhile exploring all of your options to help regain control of your children’s’ internet usage and help reduce or stem a slide into addiction.

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Solutions to Effects of Excessive Internet Use on Youth Essay

The internet was availed for public use for the first time in1993, and it immediately became popular among young people. It has been a useful tool of information in the society especially for the youth. However, excessive use of the internet by the youth has adverse effects such as low productivity, wastage of time and psychological depression in severe cases. The education system and parents have a major role in the effort to reduce excessive use of the internet among the youth.

Some youths he user may spend too much time on activities that are not productive. Addictive pornography, excessive gaming, and obsessive social networking are some of the characteristics of excessive internet use (Bernardi & Pallanti 512). The most effective strategy for treating individuals with tendencies of pathological internet use is by training them on how to manage their time properly.

This enables the youth to utilise the internet for constructive purposes for a reasonable period. This can be done using several approaches (Walton 6). When a youth is being treated for pathological use of the internet, it is important to plan time used for every activity every day. This enables the patient to reduce time spent on the internet. It is not a realistic goal to stop the youth from accessing the internet completely (Sieberg 22).

However, the time spent on the internet can be reduced to a reasonable proportion of a day’s total time. Specific number of hours should be allocated. A reasonable period would be two or three hours per day (Li & Chung 1070). It may become difficult to control the usage of some websites and social networks on the internet. A pathological internet user may spend most of the time on only one programme or social network (Nalwa & Anand 662).

A moderate alternative to the site can be found. The alternative should be easily controllable to avoid addiction. Most youth who engage in pathological use of the internet utilise it as a recreational tool. It is important for the person to find an alternative recreational activity to replace the internet. Most conventional recreational activities are less addictive than the internet (Young 19).

Another approach to minimising the amount of time spent on the internet by a user is through enhancement of the quality of social aspect of life for the youth. As the world becomes technologically advanced, life becomes busier and social activities diminish among the youth.

One of the major causes of excessive internet use is the lack of adequate social interaction among the youth (Grohol 2). Numerous social networking sites on the internet provide an alternative to the real social life. Since accessibility to the internet may be unlimited, a young user creates an ever-growing network of internet personalities, who are the major preoccupation for the young person.

In addition, pathological use of the internet is common among school going youth. Creation of a curriculum that allows more social activities and outgoing behaviour is a viable solution for this problem. This will reduce the urge to engage in internet social networking among youths. The youth are increasingly assuming inactive lifestyles where the computers and personal digital assistants dominate their activities during recreation time.

The education system encourages to focus on academic excellence without considering the importance of excellence in other activities. Thus, social life has been replaced by technology and the internet (Young 15). It is important for the education system to recognise excellence in academics and other activities. This will reduce the preoccupation of the youth with the internet.

Finally, the family as an institution can be used to reduce incidences of excessive use of the internet. The family is the basic social institution that determines the course of development of an individual (Subrahmanyam & Šmahel 31).

In most families, children and young adults are allowed an unlimited access to the internet by their parents. The parents even go further to pay for the internet data and connection. However, they fail to limit the children’s access to the internet since they believe that it is a major source of knowledge (Breslin & Decker 89).

They also fail to acknowledge that internet can be a source of other dangerous habits and preoccupations. Thus, there should be civic education to educate people on the importance of controlling internet use among youth. Parents are the only people with the ability to control the use of internet at home unlike in public institutions where internet and internet content access can be controlled by employing general restrictive measures (Saisan 3). Thus, it is imperative that families are eager to control the internet use among the youth.

Internet is an important source of knowledge and information today. It is used as a tool for learning, accessing information, and social interaction in today’s society. It is an important part of the modern society that cannot be separated from the youth in the near future. However, internet can destroy personalities and decrease productivity of individuals.

Thus, internet use needs to be controlled especially among the youth. It is evident that the family and the education system are the major players in the effort to curb excessive internet use. These two institutions are the closest to any youth

Works Cited

Bernardi, Silvia, and Stefano Pallanti. “Internet addiction: a descriptive clinical study focusing on comorbidities and dissociative symptoms..” Comprehensive Psychiatry 50.6 (2009): 510-516. Print.

Breslin, John, and Stefan Decker. “The Future of Social Networks on the Internet: The Need for Semantics.” IEEE Internet Computing 11.6 (2007): 86-90. Print.

Grohol, John M.. “ Internet Addiction and Online Addiction .” Psych Central – Trusted mental health, depression, bipolar, ADHD and psychology information . Version 5. PsycheCentral. 2012. Web.

Li, S, and T Chung. “Internet function and Internet addictive behavior.” Computers in Human Behavior 22.6 (2006): 1067-1071. Print.

Nalwa, Kanwal, and Archana Anand. “Internet Addiction in Students: A Cause of Concern.” CyberPsychology & Behavior 6.6 (2003): 653-656. Print.

Saisan, Joanna. “Helpguide.” Internet and Computer Addiction . Version 5. Helpguide. 2012. Web.

“Internet Addiction.” American Behavioral Scientist 48.4 (2004): 402-415. Print.

Sieberg, Daniel. The digital diet: the 4-step plan to break your tech addiction and regain balance in your life . New York: Three Rivers Press, 2011. Print.

Subrahmanyam, Kaveri, and David Šmahel. Digital youth the role of media in development . New York: Springer, 2011. Print.

Walton, Alice. “ Internet Addiction Is The New Mental Health Disorder – Forbes .” Information for the World’s Business Leaders – Forbes. Version 5. 2011. Web.

Young, Kimberly S., and Cristiano Nabuco de. Abreu. Internet addiction: a handbook and guide to evaluation and treatment . Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons, 2011. Print.

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Internet Addiction Effect on Quality of Life: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Farzaneh noroozi.

1 Department of Health Promotion, School of Health, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran

Soheil Hassanipour

2 Cardiovascular Diseases Research Center, Department of Cardiology, Heshmat Hospital, School of Medicine, Guilan University of Medical Sciences, Rasht, Iran

Fatemeh Eftekharian

3 Institute of Health, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran

Kumars Eisapareh

Mohammad hossein kaveh.

4 Research Center for Health Sciences, Institute of Health, Department of Health Promotion, School of Health, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran

Associated Data

The data used to support the study are available from the corresponding author upon request.

Due to the use of different methodologies, tools, and measurements, the positive or negative impact of Internet use on human life quality is accompanied by a series of ambiguities and uncertainties. Therefore, in this study, a systematic review and meta-analysis are conducted regarding the effect of Internet addiction on the quality of life.

A systematic search of resources was conducted to investigate the effect of Internet addiction on the quality of life. The databases of PubMed, Cochrane Library, Scopus, Web of Science, Embase, and Science Direct were searched from January 1980 to July 2020. The articles were screened by two researchers in multiple levels in terms of the title, abstract, and full-text; then, final studies that met the inclusion criteria were retrieved and included in the study.

After searching the previously mentioned international databases, 3863 papers were found, 18 of which we included in the final analysis. Surveys indicated that people who had a high Internet addiction received lower scores of quality of life than those who were normal Internet users (OR = 2.45, 95% CI; 2.31–2.61, p < 0.001; I 2  = 85.23%, p < 0.001). Furthermore, There was a negative significant relationship between Internet addiction and quality of life in the psychological (OR = 0.56, 95% CI: 0.32–0.99, p =0.04, I 2  = 97.47%, p < 0.001), physical (OR = 0.58, 95% CI: 0.39–0.86, p =0.007, I 2  = 95.29%, p =0.001), and overall quality of life score (OR = 0.39, 95% CI: 0.27–0.55, p < 0.001, I 2  = 0.0%, p =0.746).

These findings illustrate that Internet addiction should be regarded as a major health concern and incorporated into health education and intervention initiatives.

1. Introduction

Among the different media types, the Internet is a recent achievement of mankind, a highly reachable global medium with an advanced modern communication technology capable of providing access to a wide range of information sources [ 1 , 2 ].

Although the Internet and its technologies have provided valuable opportunities in scientific, communicative, and economic aspects for human societies, its inappropriate and extreme application, mostly for recreational purposes, is a serious threat to the health and well-being of the human population, especially young people [ 3 ]. According to studies, the increasing demand for Internet technology is associated with major health, psychological, and social problems, overwhelming mental health, interactions, and communications. Researchers also believe that excessive use of the Internet and social networks can indicate stress, anxiety, and depression; indeed, the excessive use of these networks is a way to reduce negative emotions [ 4 ].

The Internet affects various dimensions of lifestyle, social interaction, and occupational performance in both positive and negative ways. As to its positive effects, people can solve most of their daily problems via the Internet. In terms of developing interpersonal relationships, it goes beyond the geographical boundaries. Further, it has become an important part of everyday lives by helping exchange information and personal or professional experience, carry out economic/commercial activities, reduce transportation costs and problems, and develop business and marketing activities [ 5 ].

Negative effects have also been reported as real physical communications are decreasing compared with online communications due to the power of new technologies in the development and transformation of social communications, leading to weaker social relationships in the real world [ 6 ]. Overall, the Internet and social networks are not only changing human relationships and interactive patterns but also create intense interactions and influence individual life [ 7 ].

Internet addiction (IA) is an extreme form of this phenomenon, an inability to avoid using the Internet that has adverse effects on various life aspects (e.g., interpersonal relationships and physical health) [ 8 ]. It is considered a disorder in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th Edition (DSM-5) [ 8 , 9 ]. Estimation of the IA prevalence varies widely across countries (1.5% to 10.8%) [ 4 , 10 , 11 ]. Based on a meta-analysis result, its prevalence is 6% in 31 countries; the highest prevalence is 10.9% in the Middle East, and the lowest rate of 2.6% belongs to the north and west of Europe [ 8 ].

The studies of the IA show the reduction of life satisfaction in terms of family, friends, school, and living environment. References [ 12 – 14 ] have shown negative effects of IA on physical health aspects. As reported, the use of social networks causes insomnia, physical inactivity, and eye problems, as well as depression, social phobia, and hyperactivity disorders, in most users [ 12 , 15 ]. Based on a meta-analysis by Ho et al., IA is significantly associated with alcohol abuse, attention deficit, hyperactivity, depression, and anxiety [ 16 ].

As mentioned, the Internet has a great impact on various aspects of health. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), health is defined as a complete state of physical, mental, and social well-being [ 17 ]. Quality of life (QOL) is a comprehensive measure of health outcomes [ 18 ]. It is a multidimensional concept that includes understanding mental and objective conditions of individuals' life in their sociocultural and economic environment [ 19 ]. The effect of excessive Internet use on health can be found by examining the impact of IA on QOL.

Several studies have indicated that IA reduces QOL [ 20 ]. On the contrary, some other studies have shown an insignificant association between the use of the Internet and social networks with QOL [ 21 , 22 ]. For example, Ko et al. claim no relationship between QOL and moderate or intense Internet use [ 23 ]. A review study by Veenhoven, who examined IA and its derivatives, showed that the Internet increases QOL, and if the IA really exists, it can affect a relatively small percentage of an online population [ 24 ]. According to another review study, there is a positive relationship between using the Internet and computer and the QOL of the elderly [ 25 ]. Tran et al. have shown that the Internet can help people obtain a higher perceived QOL by promoting their work, education, and communication [ 26 ]. A cross-sectional study of college students found that the quality of life in daily users of social networking sites was higher than that of nondaily users [ 27 ].

On the other hand, a more in-depth study on types of applied programs on the Internet by individuals indicates the impact of a particular program on the individuals' mental well-being. In other words, spending time on programs involved with photo and video sharing is associated with higher levels of depression and anxiety; in contrast, using programs involved with book reading reduces depression and anxiety, thus increasing levels of mental well-being [ 28 ]. Researchers have also reported that people who spend much time online have lower perceived QOL due to the lack of long-term sleep, deteriorated physical health, difficulties in concentrating on work, and reduced intimacy with family members [ 29 , 30 ].

The association between the Internet and the quality of human life is accompanied by a series of ambiguities and uncertainties due to the wide range of its potential positive and negative effects. Possible reasons may be different methodologies and tools, leading to differences in the measurement of Internet use rates. The selection of a specific and agreed form of inappropriate use, namely, the IA, as an independent variable and the definition and measurement based on well-known tools and standards of QOL as a consequence can probably result in precise findings on their relationship. According to the previously mentioned considerations, a systematic review and meta-analysis are conducted on the impact of IA on QOL.

2. Materials and Methods

The present study was a systematic review and meta-analysis. A systematic search of resources was conducted by a librarian (L.E) to investigate whether IA affects the QOL (condition) of people (population) across the world (context).

The research method was based on the PRISMA checklist [ 31 ].

2.1. Data Sources and Search Strategy

The Web of Science, Scopus, Cochrane Library, Embase, Science Direct, and PubMed databases from Jan 1980 to Jul 2020 were searched to find English articles. Also, SID and Magiran databases were searched for Persian studies. The grey literature and ongoing studies were searched in OpenGrey and Google Scholar; further, ProQuest was searched for thesis, dissertations, and studies presented at conferences.

The search was performed using MESH and free keywords. The keywords selected for the search were “Internet addiction” and “quality of life.” After determining relevant keywords, searches were done on databases using associated keywords with “AND” and “OR” operators combined together to determine relevant terms and synonyms. Search strategy included the following keywords: “compulsive Internet,” “computer addict,” “cyber addict,” “excessive Internet use,” “Internet addict,” “Internet dependent,” “Internet disorder,” “Net addict,” “online addict,” “quality of life,” “life quality,” and “health related quality of life.” The PubMed advanced mesh search features used for example were: (((((((((((((“quality of life” [MeSH Terms]) OR (“value of life” [Title/Abstract])) AND (impact [Title/Abstract])) AND (“Internet addiction” [Title/Abstract])) OR (“problematic Internet use” [Title/Abstract]) OR (“online gaming addiction” [Title/Abstract])) OR (“game addiction” [Title/Abstract])) OR (“excessive Internet use” [Title/Abstract])) OR (“social media addiction” [Title/Abstract])) OR (“Internet dependency” [Title/Abstract])) OR (“pathological Internet use” [Title/Abstract])) OR (“computer addiction” [Title/Abstract])) OR (“social networking addiction” [Title/Abstract])) OR (“pornography addiction” [Title/Abstract])). The complete search strategy of other databases is in Supplementary File 1 .

The collected information entered EndNote, X7 (Thomson Reuters, Carlsbad, CA, USA), and duplicate papers were automatically deleted.

All cross-sectional, case-control, and cohort studies that examined the relationship between IA and QOL were searched.

2.2. Inclusion Criteria

• The study type had to be observational (cross-sectional, case-control, and cohort).
• The study was required to investigate the relation between IA and quality of life.
• The correlation level ( r ) between IA and quality of life had to be presented, or information based on which the correlation could be computed was required to be given.
• Papers had to be in English (due to the lack of translators for other languages) and Persian.

2.3. Exclusion Criteria

• The authors did not provide further information upon request, including the correlation level ( r ) between IA and QOL.
• Articles that had full texts written in non-English or non-Persian in spite of having abstracts in English or Persian were excluded.
• The study type was nonobservational (qualitative and interventional studies).

2.4. Study Selection

The selected articles were screened in multiple levels based on the title, abstract, and full-text; then, final studies that met the inclusion criteria were retrieved and included in the study. The initial search was conducted by two people. If there was unmatching between them, the team's supervisor (corresponding author) announced the final comment on that paper.

2.5. Articles' Quality Assessment

The STROBE checklist was used to check and control the quality of papers. This tool consists of 22 questions classified into “yes, no, and unclear.” It aims to assess the methodological quality of studies and strategies to identify bias in designs, implementations, and analyses in studies. During the evaluation process, papers with less than 50% of the inclusion criteria were excluded from the study [ 32 ].

2.6. Data Extraction and Quality Assessment

The information extracted from the articles was entered in the extraction form. Extracted data included: first author, year of publication, study name, country of study, sample size, sample characterization, age mean (SD), and study instrument.

2.7. Statistical Analysis

The heterogeneity between studies was examined by Cochran's test (with a significant level less than 0.1) and its composition using I 2 statistics (with a value greater than 50%). A random-effect model was used in the presence of heterogeneity, while a fixed-effect model was used in its absence. The odds ratio (OR) index, obtained from the comprehensive meta-analysis (CMA) software was used for comparing meta-analysis results. All analyses were done using the statistical CMA 2 software.

3.1. Search Results

Studies were reviewed and selected in three stages. At the first stage, 3863 papers from bases using keywords were retrieved and transferred to the reference management software (Endnote). Titles of papers were reviewed, and 1651 repetitive and 2178 irrelevant papers (to the main subject of research) were deleted. At the second stage, 34 papers associated with the main purpose of the project were selected by studying 2212 abstracts of the remaining papers. At the third stage, 14 studies were included in the final review by investigating the full text of 34 papers and considering inclusion criteria. The papers excluded at this stage were those with English abstract but non-English full text (two articles) and qualitative and interventional methodologies (9 articles), and not receiving the correlation level ( r ) between IA and QOL after communicating with authors (five articles). Finally, the results were evaluated using 18 papers eligible for inclusion in the study. Figure 1 shows the process of retrieving and selecting articles.

Flowchart of the included studies in systematic review.

3.2. Articles' Quality Assessment

All studies met more than 50% of the inclusion criteria (medium or high quality) and no studies were excluded during the evaluation process.

3.3. Characteristics of Included Studies

Table 1 presents the specifications of the articles investigated [ 33 ].

Data extraction results from studies.

3.4. Statistical Analysis

The meta-analysis results were divided into several sections in the present study: first, the comparison of QOL of ordinary people with IA people based on overall scores of QOL and each of its dimensions; second, the analysis of the relationship between the severity of IA and QOL based on r index and calculated OR index.

Due to the high heterogeneity of the analysis, the relationship between the severity of Internet addiction and each dimension of the quality of life, a power analysis was performed. The high power of the analysis for each dimension of the quality of life showed that the results of the study were not affected by heterogeneity.

3.5. Comparing the Quality of Life of Ordinary People with Internet Addicts

Four studies examined the overall scores of both groups. Based on the results, people with a high IA (779 participants) received lower scores of QOL than those with normal Internet use (2589 participants) (95% CI: 2.31–2.61; I 2  = 85.23%, p < 0.001).

Four studies examined other QOL dimensions. Based on the obtained results, people with severe IA received lower QOL scores than those with normal Internet use in terms of the environmental (95% CI: 1.65–2.08; I 2  = 22.45%, p =0.276), physical (95% CI: 2.44–2.93; I 2  = 0.0%, p =0.962), psychological (95% CI: 2.71–3.57; I 2  = 38.32%, p =0.182), and social dimensions (95% CI: 1.63–2.95; I 2  = 86.31%, p < 0.001). Figure 2 shows results of the Forest plot for comparison of the QOL of ordinary people with IA ( Figure 2 ).

Comparing the quality of life of ordinary people with that of internet addicts.

3.6. The Relationship between the Severity of Internet Addiction and Quality of Life

The research results indicated that IA is associated with a decrease in QOL. There was a negative significant relationship between the severity of IA and QOL in psychological (95% CI: 0.32–0.99; I 2  = 97.47%, p < 0.001) ( Figure 3 ), physical (95% CI: 0.39–0.86; I 2  = 95.29%, p =0.001) ( Figure 4 ), and overall QOL (95% CI: 0.27–0.55; I 2  = 92.7%, p < 0.001) ( Figure 5 ); however, no statistical significant reduction was observed in environmental (95% CI: 0.50–1.06; I 2  = 93.89%, p < 0.001) ( Figure 6 ) and social dimension (95% CI: 0.45–1.24; I 2  = 96.63%, p < 0.001) ( Figure 7 ).

The relationship between the severity of internet addiction and the quality of life in the psychological dimension.

The relationship between the severity of internet addiction and the quality of life in the physical dimension.

The relationship between the severity of internet addiction and the overall quality of life score.

The relationship between the severity of internet addiction and the quality of life in the environmental dimension.

The relationship between the severity of internet addiction and the quality of life in the social dimension.

Based on the results of the Egger ( p =(0/601)) and Begg test ( p =(0/945)), no publication bias was observed among studies due to the symmetry of the funnel plot ( Figure 8 ).

Funnel plot for assessing possible publication bias.

4. Discussion

Despite the increasing volume of research on the relationship between IA and QOL, no systematic review or meta-analysis has been conducted to summarize the findings to the best of the authors' knowledge. More specifically, the first study assessing IA and QOL has been published in 2013 [ 34 ]. Accordingly, the association between IA and sleep has been studied over the last seven years, and the cumulative evidence requires to be summarized. The present review is the first meta-analysis that uses empirical evidence from the past seven years to understand the association between IA and QOL. By a rigorous selection method using PRISMA guidelines, 18 studies with 11,097 participants were included in the present meta-analysis.

The high power of analysis for each dimension of quality of life showed that the results of the study were not affected by heterogeneity; one of the reasons could be the high number of samples in the study.

Meta-analysis results show differences in QOL based on Internet usage. As the results of four studies show that people with a high IA receive lower scores of QOL than those with normal Internet use (OR: 2.45, p < 0.001). This result was consistent with those of other studies in the field [ 35 – 38 ]; these results suggest that, in comparative studies, even after controlling some background variables affecting QOL, there are still significant independent correlations between IA and all aspects of QOL.

According to the obtained results of the meta-analysis (11studies), IA is associated with a decline in overall QOL (OR: 0.39; p < 0.001). This result, except in one [ 39 ] case, is consistent with the results of other studies included in the analysis [ 36 , 40 – 48 ]. In these studies, an Indian study had the smallest sample size which was 60 [ 39 ], and a Filipino study had the largest sample size, which was 1447 [ 40 ]. The studies are also conducted across 11 countries mostly located in Asia ( n  = 11), followed by Europe ( n  = 5) and the USA ( n  = 2). Although the meta-analysis results in the present review are primarily derived from Asian populations, based on the Egger ( t : 0.539, p : 0.601) and Begg test ( z : 0.137, p : 0.190), no publication bias is observed among them. Additionally, with moderate- and high-quality studies using the STROBE checklist and standard measurement tools, the methodological concerns might have minimal impacts on the present findings.

The research results indicate a significant negative relationship between IA and QOL in the psychological (OR = 0.56, p =0.04) and physical dimensions (OR = 0.58, p =0.007). Different and sometimes contradictory results are reported in studies on the impact of IA on the QOL dimensions. For instance, in two studies by Solati et al. in Iran [ 44 ] and Kelley and Gruber in USA [ 34 ], IA decreased the QOL physical effect. Further, in a study by Lu et al. in China, IA reduced QOL in terms of physical, psychological, and environmental aspects [ 35 ]. Fatehi et al. [ 36 ] in Iran showed that IA decreased the QOL in physical, psychological, and social dimensions [ 36 ]. The results of three studies in Taiwan [ 37 ], China [ 49 ], and the USA [ 38 ] indicated that IA decreased the QOL in physical, social, psychological, and environmental aspects. In addition to a small number of cross-sectional studies, which make the comparison and deduction of causal relationships difficult, differences in contexts and ignorance of the underlying factors affecting the QOL dimensions (such as unemployment, chronic diseases, mental/psychological disorders (depression, negative feelings, and stress)) can be considered as reasons for the contradiction between results on the Internet impact on QOL dimensions [ 45 , 50 , 51 ].

On the other hand, a study conducted in Taiwan shows three specific IA manifestations (compulsive, interpersonal, health, and time management problems) to reduce the physical dimensions of QOL among college students. A possible explanation is that participants with higher compulsivity may have impaired control over Internet use, thereby developing the other two types of IA problems manifested through unhealthy lifestyles, such as poor diet and sleep deprivation, leading to lower physical QOL. Also, compulsivity concerning Internet use may cause poor mental health (depression, loneliness, anxiety, and stress), harming psychological HRQOL [ 37 ].

A longitudinal study in Hong Kong show that time management problem (staying online longer than originally intended) is considered the most common among the participants during the study period [ 52 ]. Such findings show the need for the implementation of IA intervention programs (time management, self-regulation, and self-efficacy) to prevent the deterioration of IA-related physical HRQOL.

4.1. Strengths and Limitations

Despite the increasing influence of the Internet in daily life, in the last eight years, no meta-analysis study has been conducted to investigate the effect of IA on QOL, and this study is the first study in this period.

The quality of the studies has been determined according to the information in the articles, and it is possible that the studies were of higher quality but did not provide all the information and as a result were in the group of medium-quality articles.

The study protocol was not registered before the start for this review and is considered as one of the limitations of the study because there is a concern that it may add to the possible bias over time.

5. Conclusion

According to the present review results, the Internet negatively affects overall QOL, physically and psychologically. Since the Internet meets the needs of information, entertainment, and social interactions, its use is an integral part of everyday human life (both work and leisure). Internet use can also trigger a compulsive need in a minority of individuals. These findings show that IA should be regarded as a major health concern and incorporated into health education and intervention initiatives. Also, further studies are suggested, in particular with a cohort and empirical design in different societies, using standardized methodologies and analytical reports that facilitate the comparison.

Acknowledgments

The authors acknowledge all the participants who were involved directly and indirectly in the study and provided professional, technical, and nontechnical support.

Abbreviations

Data availability, conflicts of interest.

There are no conflicts of interest regarding the publication of this study.

Supplementary Materials

The complete search strategy of other databases is provided as Supplementary File 1.