Internet Addiction - Essay Example

Download file to see previous pages As the paper stresses internet addiction is a disorder is that about seven percent of the individuals who are surf suffer from website dependency. These are individuals who cannot do any other work before they use the web. It comes as a result of the regular use of websites for a long period of time where the individual becomes an addict, just like any other individual can become an addict over the regular use of something over a long period of time. When an individual becomes an addict in something, life without that thing becomes quite hard and the individual may require some assistance from professionals. It is also believed that some of the services offered by the internet affect individuals who use the internet psychologically and may induce distortion, instant gratification and dissociation.
According to the study findings a certain percentage of internet addicts experience some emotional problems such as anxiety and depression-related disorders. These individuals use the fantasy that is found on the internet to escape the stressful situations and the unpleasant feelings that are associated with these emotional problems. Most of the individuals that have gone to seek treatment in the centers for internet addiction recovery have confessed to overindulging in sexual activities like watching pornographic movies on the internet or engaging in dirty sexual conversations over the internet. A large percentage of those seeking treatment also suffer from other addictions such as alcohol, drugs, sex, etc. (Carla, 1999: p.6). An argument that has been considered quite valid is the comparison of symptoms of internet addictions with other compulsive disorders. Most of the symptoms of internet addiction are similar to those of compulsive disorders. Some of them include: excessive use as the individual uses it more and more regularly and this is related with a loss of sense of time. Just like in the compulsive disorders, when access is denied, the individual tends to have withdrawal symptoms, increased tolerance and negative effects that may include isolation. Most of the individuals suffering from internet addiction also portray some other mental health disorders. This makes the diagnosis of the disorder quite complicated since the specialists must begin somewhere.

Opposition
Most of the individuals who oppose the fact that internet addiction is an addiction by itself argue that it is a symptom of other existing disorders (Julia & Mark, 2004: p.1). The title that has been given to the habit gives the individuals that claim to suffer from the disorder an opportunity for a scapegoat. They argue that an individual may chat with another friend over the ...Download file to see next pagesRead More