Internet Addiction

Internet Addiction The use of the Internet on school campuses and in society has increased dramatically in recent years. Whereas the academic use of the Internet is primarily intended for learning and research, the Internet is primarily intended for learning and research. However, from time to time, cases of over involvement with the Internet have been observed on different campuses. The internet is not a habit. It’s an indelible feature of modern life. Internet Addiction Disorder (IAD) was originally proposed as a disorder in a satirical hoax by Ivan Goldberg, M. D. , in 1995. He took pathological gambling as diagnosed by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM- IV) as his model for the description of IAD. It is not however included in the current DSM as of 2009. IAD receives coverage in the press and possible future classification as a psychological disorder continues to be debated and researched. Online Activities which, if done in person, would normally be considered troublesome, such as compulsive gambling or shopping, are sometimes called net compulsions. Others, such as reading or playing computer games, are troubling only to the extent that these activities interfere with normal life. Supporters of disorder classification often divide IAD into subtypes by activity, such as excessive viewing of pornography, overwhelming and excessive gaming, inappropriate involvement in online social networking sites or blogging, and internet shopping addiction. One counter argument is that compulsive behaviors may not themselves be addictive (http://en. wikipedia. rg/wiki/Internet_addiction_disorder). In some respects, addictive use of the Internet resembles other so-called â€Å"process† addictions, in which a person is addicted to an activity or behavior rather than a substance (mood-altering drugs, tobacco, food, etc). People who develop problems with their Internet use may start off using the Internet on a casual basis and then progress to using the technology in dysfunctional ways. Many people believe that spending large amounts of time on the Internet is a core feature of the disorder. The amount of time by itself, however, is not as important a factor as the ways in which the person’s Internet use is interfering with their daily functioning. Use of the Internet may interfere with the person’s social life, school work, or job-related tasks at work. In addition, cases have been reported of persons entering to be a patient with that disorder in order to get attention or sympathy. Treatment options often mirror those for other addictions. Although only a limited amount of research has been done on this disorder, the treatments that have been used appear to be effective (http://www. inddisorders. com/Flu-Inv/Internet-addiction-disorder. html). Dr. Goldberg pointed out two main characteristics of IA: using the Internet leads to constant distress; and damages physical, interpersonal, social status. People believe IA is just like the drug or cigarette addiction, but the psychiatrists believe it’s just like the gaming addiction. About 83 million Americ ans were connected to Internet in August 1999, by the year 2000 the number of those increased by 12 million. As the number of internet users’ increase, the number of internet addicts increases, and problems it causes. It is a disaster, because we only know a very few about the true nature of the internet addiction and treatment methods. According to statistic research every second internet user is an internet addict, they spend their lives at chats, forums, online games and other internet services. They cut their words and sentences to a couple of letters like AFK, BB, and MU, to save the time for internet searching. The majority of internet addicts are teenagers; people that are just have started their life, which need to stay outdoors as long as it is possible to grow up strong, smart and intelligent. But they spent their time sitting in front of the gleaming monitor, talking to virtual friends about the virtual problems of virtual people whom they have never even seen with their own eyes, and probably never will. They recognize the world through Internet information, written by faceless someone for faceless anyone. When they need a book they never go to library, instead they go to Yandex or Google, write the name of the author and the novel they need and here you go, the digital copy of eternal Dostoevsky’s â€Å"Idiot† minimized from a hundreds of pages to a couple of kilobytes. The glimmer of the monitor leads to the visual impairment, anorexia. Coffee, that helps internet users to keep their selves vigil, causes the stomach upset. It’s an irreversible process that changes the whole nature of human psychic and physic. As you can see the internet addiction is an extremely dangerous disease, and it’s very important to know how to recognize it, in order to help and save those you care about (http://www. thelanaddiction. com/index. html). According to Grohol (1999), si ce the aspects of the Internet where people are spending the greatest amount of time online has to do with social interactions, it would appear that socialization is what makes the Internet so â€Å"addicting†. That’s right—plain old hanging out with other people and talking with them. Whether it’s via e-mail, a discussion form, chat, or a game online (such as MUD), people are spending this time exchanging information, support, and chit-chat with other pe ople just like themselves. Would we ever characterize any time spent in the real world with friends as â€Å"addicting†? Of course not, teenagers talk on the phone for hours on end, with other people they see every day! Do we say they are addicted to the telephone? Of course not, people lose hours at a time, immersed in a book, ignoring friends and family, and often not even picking up the phone when it rings. Do we say they are addicted to the book? Of course not, if some clinicians and researchers are now going to start defining addiction as social interactions, then every real-world social relationship we have is an addictive one. Also, in potential explanations for pathological use, Young (1996) initiated telephone surveys to formally study pathological Internet use (PIU) based upon modified criteria of Pathological Gambling defined in the DSM-IV (American Psychiatric Association, 1995). Case studies showed that Dependents classified used the Internet an average of thirty-eight hours per week for non-academic or non-employment related purposes which caused detrimental effects such as poor grade performance among students, discord among couples, and reduce work performance among employees. This is compared to non-addicts in this study who used the Internet an average of eight hours per week with no significant consequences reported. Subsequent research on PIU based upon a self report determination of addiction was conducted utilizing online survey methods. Brenner (1996) received 185 responses in one month to his online survey regarding behavior patterns associated with the Internet. His survey showed that 17% used the Internet more than 40 hours per week, 58% said that others had complained about their excessive net usage, and 46% indicated getting less than 4 hours of sleep per night due to late night log ins. Egger (1996) received 450 responses to his online survey. Self-professed addicts in this study often looked forward their next net session, felt nervous when offline, lied about their online use, easily lost track of time, and felt the Internet caused problems on their jobs, finances, and socially. Steve Thompson (1996) developed the â€Å"McSurvey† which yielded 104 valid responses. Among respondents to his online survey, 72% felt addicted and 33% felt their internet usage had a negative effect on their lives. Surveys conducted on college campuses (Morhan-Martin, 1997; Scherer, 1997) also supported that students suffered significant academic and relationships impairment due to excessive and uncontrolled Internet usage. Formal Computer/Internet addiction treatment centers have been established at such clinical setting as Proctor Hospital in Peoria, Illinois and Harvard affiliate McLean Hospital in response to the serious impairment caused by PIU. The Internet itself is a term which represents different types of functions that are accessible online. Therefore, before discussing addictive nature of the Internet, one must examine the types of applications being used. When dependents were asked â€Å"What applications do you most utilize on the Internet? †, 35% indicated chat rooms, 28% MUDs, 15% News groups, 13% E-mail, 7% WWW, and 2% Information Protocols (e. g. gopher, ftp, etc. ). Upon examination, traditional information protocols and Web pages were the least utilized among Dependents compared to over 90% of respondents who became addicted to the two way communication functions: chat rooms, MUDs, news groups. Or e-mail. This makes the case that the database searches, while interesting and often times time-consuming are not actual reasons Dependents become addicted to the Internet. Chat rooms and MUDs were the two most utilized mediums which both allow multiple online users to simultaneously communicate in real time; similar to having a telephone conversation except in the form of typed messages. Over 1,000 users can occupy a single virtual area. Text scrolls quickly up the screen with answers, questions, or comments to one another. Privatized messages are another available option which allows only a single user to read message sent. Multi-user Dungeons, more commonly known as MUDs, differ from chat rooms as these are an electronic spin off the old Dungeon and Dragons games where players take on character roles. There are literally hundreds of different MUDs ranging in themes from space battles to medieval duels. In order to log into a MUD, a user maidens or buys weapons in a make believe role playing game (http://www. healthyplace. com/addictions/center-for-internet-addiction-recovery/what-makes-the-internet-addictive/menu-id-1105/page-2/). The initial idea behind the internet started in 1961. However, in 1993 the Internet experienced one of its largest growths and today is accessible and used by people everywhere in the world (http://www. teen-beauty-tips. com/internet-addiction. html). 21st century is distinguished with the high rate of business person. High rate of technical progress demands from us quick reaction on external changes of the world, economy and the way of life. Things that are urgent today become totally unnecessary tomorrow, so it takes much time and powers to keep in line. This constant wild race for new information, new welfare, and for being first leaves us no time for normal life, for going out with our friends, visiting the libraries, visiting our relatives, reading books, news papers, watching films, not only news. We have no time for all that, but we still have a desire to get it, so we’re looking for ways to get it with the minimal loss of time and maximal grant of pleasure. Modern science made it possible. Our dreams became true, we can buy books, films, cloth, visit different countries and our relatives, and reach our friend from the far away without leaving our flats, even without leaving our chairs. We have an Internet. With the help of internet we fill the emptiness inside us, we compensate the lack of communication and attention we need. Internet saves us from the loneliness we feel. We spend too much time working hardly so we have no strength for our pleasures. But we always have time and strength for internet, because it’s fun, informative and easy, it relaxes us. Therefore, it’s just a one side of the medal. With the lapse of time it becomes integral part of our life, you keep thinking about persons you met there, and you have no other connection with, and you’re dying to chat with them again. That’s how it starts. You may say its okay to care about someone, about your friends, and there’s nothing terrible they are just words at the contact list if behind them are real people, people you care about. Of course there’s nothing terrible, if it’s just like you say, but just for a minute try to think over, try to remember lust 6 months of your life. First you used internet to communicate with your friends because you were too exhausted to go out and had no time, but now, I bet, you missed a number of opportunities to go out with your friends in a favor of internet communication, don’t you? I also bet that first there were only those you know in real life at your contact list, and now the number of those hardly reaches 20%. Psychiatrists says that those who are not addict use internet only in order to find necessary information and keep in touch with their friends they knew before, but the addicts constantly surfing internet, without any important reason and multiplies the number of virtual friends they’ve never met in the real life, and never will. Thus, internet is very attractive for person as a way of escaping from the reality through the anonymous interactions, which gives an opportunity to express oneself without risk of being ridicule or misunderstood. It’s an opportunity to bring to life some fantasies and desires with a feedback, and, of course, unlimited access to the information, so called informational necrosadism (http://www. thelanaddiction. com/the_origin_of_internet_addiction. html). The term â€Å"addiction† is borrowed from psychologist’s lexicon, to stress that internet attachment is a problem; it’s not just a hobby or the way to spend time and communicate, and it’s a serious disorder of mind and psychic. Internet is very attractive for teenagers as it’s totally anonymous. Teenagers often have an inferiority complex because of their appearance or other criteria’s, and internet gives them an opportunity to find soul mates, someone to share their feelings and pain with. First it helps them not to feel lonely, but in time it turns them to hermit, and they lose their connection with real world, and may even become maniacs. Some scientists distinguish 5 types of Internet Addiction: Pornography Online games Online Gambling Online Shopping Chat rooms/Virtual dating addiction (http://www. thelanaddiction. com/types_of_internet_addiction. html). Over the past few decades, an immense industry for the production and consumption of pornography has grown, with the increasing use of the VCR, the DVD, and the Internet, as well as the emergence of social attitudes more tolerant of sexual portrayals. Performers in pornography are referred to as pornographic actors (or actresses), or the more commonly known title â€Å"porn star† and are generally seen as qualitatively different from their mainstream counterparts. Amateur pornography has become widely popular and generally distributed via the Internet for free (http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Pornography). The second addiction is online games. Online games is defined as a common cause if computer addiction. It is consist of multi-player games via the internet. This is where the player assumes a character in the game and plays against other people from all around the world. There are many internet games on the market and some of them have millions upon millions of players worldwide. The majority of the players involved enjoy just a casual game after school, work, or at weekends. A minority, however, have become so addicted, and alarmingly so, that they are spending upwards of 12 hours per day playing the game they are addicted to. Reports have come in that some people have been playing around the clock and not eating or sleeping for days and days because they do not want to leave the computer and the character they are pretending to be (http://ezinearticles. com/? Types-of-Computer-Addiction&id=551846). Moreover, the rising of Flash and Java led to an Internet revolution where websites could utilize streaming video, audio, and a whole new set of user interactivity. When Microsoft began packaging Flash as a pre-installed component of IE, the Internet began to shift from data/information spectrum to also offer on-demand entertainment. This revolution paved by the way for sites to offer games to web surfers. Some online multiplayer games like World of War craft, Final Fantasy XI and Lineage II charge a monthly fee to subscribe to their services, while games such as Guild Wars offer an alternative no monthly fee scheme. Many other sites relied on advertising revenues from on site sponsors, while others, like RuneScape, let people play for free while leaving the players the option of paying, unlocking new content for the members. After the dot-com bubble burst in 2001, many sites solely relying on advertising revenue dollars faced extreme adversity. Despite the decreasing profitability of online gaming websites, some sites have survived the fluctuating and market by offsetting the advertising revenue loss by using the content as a cross-promotion tool for driving web visitors to other websites that the company owns. The term online gaming in many circles is being strictly defined to describe games that do not involve wagering, although many still use the term online gaming synonymously with online gambling (http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Online_game). The third one is, online Gambling. These are possibly the most damaging of all computer addictions. These millions of dollar a year businesses make their money by sucking addicts of their money. The thrill of possible winning by gambling is very real and has never been easier since the onset of online casinos and other forms of online gambling. Serious debts have been incurred by these computer addicts. Some have even lost everything, their family, homes, possessions, and even more extreme, their lives. There are organizations that specifically deal with this kind of computer addiction and they have helped many thousands of people to get rid of this damaging addiction and have been able to give advice on helping to pull their lives back together again (http://ezinearticles. com/? Types-of-Computer-Addiction&id=551846). There are 4 types of Online gambling, these are, online casinos, online sports betting, online bingo and mobile gambling. There are a large number of online casinos, in which people can play casino games such as roulette, blackjack, pachinko, baccarat and many others. These games are played against the â€Å"house†, which makes money due to the fact that the odds are in its favor. Online Sports Betting, bookmakers, spread betting firms and betting exchanges offer a variety of ways to wager over the Internet on the results of sporting events, the most popular being fixed-odds gambling. Online bingo is the game of bingo played on the Internet. Global betting and Gaming consultants estimates the global gross gaming yield of bingo was $0. billion USD in 2006; they forecast it will grow to $1. 0 billion USD by 2010. Unlike balls used in regular bingo halls, online bingo sites use a random number generator. The online bingo play works almost exactly like playing online poker or online casino games with everything being virtual. Most bingo halls also offer links to online poker and casino offerings. One notable feature of online bingo is the chat functionality. Successful online bingo sites foster a sense of community and interaction between players. And lastly, mobile gambling, it refers to gambling done on a remote wirelessly connected device. These devices can include wireless tablet PC’s, mobile phones and other non traditional mid-level networked computing devices. Some online casinos and online poker card rooms offer mobile options. (http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Online_gambling). The Fourth internet addiction is online shopping, in this kind of addiction comes in the form of many kinds. There is the person who is addicted to buying items from the many online shops. Then there is the person who is addicted to auction type buying. Either one could put a person in debt in a matter of seconds. Just one click the mouse could take money from their credit card and rack up enormous debts. This type of addiction usually starts with small purchases and paying with their credit card. Many small purchases of this kind then add up to many thousands of dollars. The thrill of bidding on an item in an online auction and then overbidding just to win the item (which they may not really want anyway) does cause addiction. Once the item has been bid on and won, a contract has been entered into. A very easy addiction to get into but very hard to get out once the debt has set in (http://ezinearticles. om/? Types-of-Computer-Addiction&id=551846). Furthermore, online shopping is the process of buying goods and services from merchants who sell on the Internet. Since the emergence of the World Wide Web, merchants have sought to sell their products to people who surf the Internet. Shoppers can visit web stores from the comfort of their homes and shop as they sit in front of the computer. Consumer s buy a variety of items from online stores. In fact, people can purchase just about anything from companies that provide their products online. Books, clothing, household appliances, toys, hardware, software, and health insurance are just some of the hundreds of products consumers can buy from an online store (http://www. wisegeek. com/what-is-online-shopping. htm). (http://ezinearticles. com/? Types-of-Computer-Addiction&id=551846). Also, Virtual Dating Addiction is a disease of outsiders. One can’t find person with the same interests, passions or views in real life, among schoolmates, so he is looking for them at chats, forums, ICQ. On the one hand it’s normal, it helps not to become a self-contain hermit, but on the other hand person lose connection with the real life. He or she has no need in it anymore, one already have a true friends, who cares they’re just a letters and symbols if they are soul-mates, but in a few month we have the same problem – teenager becomes a hermit (http://www. thelanaddiction. com/types_of_internet_addiction. html). One symptom of Internet addiction is excessive time devoted to Internet use. A person might have difficulty cutting down on his or her online time when they are threatened with poor grades or loss of a job. There have been cases reported of college students failing courses because they would not take time off from Internet use to attend classes. Other symptoms of addiction may include lack of sleep, fatigue, declining grades or poor job performance, apathy, and racing thought. There may also be a decreased investment in social relationships and activities. A person may lie about how much time was spent online or deny that they have a problem. They may be irritable when offline, or angry toward anyone who questions their time on the Internet (http://www. minddisorders. com/Flu-Inv/Internet-addiction-disorder. html). Skipping meals. When you skip a meal just because you’re enjoying what you are doing in front of the computer, your body reacts with what I like to call â€Å"famine mode†. What I mean by that is that our internal workings tell us that we need food to survive, and if we don’t have it we must find it quickly. Even though we, ourselves, know that we can go at anytime of the day to get nutrients. Human nature hasn’t evolved in such a way that we don’t have primal human instincts and going too long without food makes us eat way too much at the next opportunity. Any food that we do eat, after skipping a meal, will be stored as fats so that in the even of another skipped meal (famine) we will be able to fall back on that stored fat for survival. The problem with this stored fat is that we never reach the point that we can burn it off, so it translates on the scales in excess weight. There are three major consequences of skipping a meal: Poor Performance, Foggy Head and Binging (calorie loading). However, stress is another contributor to people skipping meals. Stress hormones can actually stop the feeling of â€Å"hunger†. This doesn’t mean that your body isn’t starving for nutrients (http://www. inchesweightloss. com/index. php? option=com_content&view=article&id=85:skipping-meals-is-never-a-good-idea&catid=12:blog&Itemid=82). Working with computers can sometimes be stressful. And dealing with computer stress is really no different than dealing with any other type of stress in life. The more you understand and focus upon the underlying causes computer stress, the better you will fare in trying to cope with it. There are ten (10) common causes of computer related stress: Failing to Anticipate Problems Trying to Get by on the Cheap Failing to Ask for Help Failing to Relate to Stress as Feedback Trying to Cut Corners Unrealistic Expectations Beating Up On Yourself Unnecessarily Conflicts with Other People Failing to Do Your Homework and Compromising Your Own or Other’s Integrity http://stresscure. com/hrn/common. html). Stress symptoms commonly include a state of alarm and adrenaline production, short-term resistance as a coping mechanism, and exhaustion, as well as irritability, muscular tension, inability to concentrate and a variety of physiological reactions such as headache and elevated heart rate (http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Stress_(biology))) ). Backache is one of the most common ailments prevalent today. Sedentary living habits, hazardous work patterns and psychological conditions associated with emotional stress, which bring about spasm of the muscles, cause backaches. As the back bears the weight of the entire body, overweight persons feel the strain on the back when they have to carry an extra load. In most cases of backache, the pain is usually felt either in the middle of the back or lower down. It may spread to both sides of the waist and the hips. In a condition of acute pain, the patient is unable to move and is bedridden. About 90% of backache patients suffer from what is called cervical and lumbar spondylosis. It is a degenerative disorder in which the different vertebrae adhere to each other through bony unions. As a result of this, the spine loses its flexibility (http://www. ome-remedies-for-you. com/remedy/Backache. html). On the other hand, Internet Dependency is also one of the signs or symptoms of being an internet addict. Internet Dependency is a term for excessive use of the Internet to the detriment of one’s physical, psychological, social, or vocational well- being. The majority of Americans and virtually all college stud ents now use the Internet as a source of information and entertainment on at least an occasional basis. Most use it on a regular basis without becoming dependent upon it. However, for some, involvement on the internet begins to have serious, negative consequences. When such consequences are minimized or ignored while Internet use increases, Internet dependency is occurring. Excessive Internet use may revolve around chat rooms, pornography; database searches; blogging; gambling; gaming; shopping; or any number of other online activities. As of 2005, it is estimated that 6% of users are Internet dependent. Being too dependent on the internet may also lead us to Tolerance, Withdrawal and Compulsive Use of Internet that may harm ourselves (http://www. villanova. edu/studentlife/counselingcenter/infosheets/psych_topics. htm? page=internet_depend. tm). Withdrawal can refer to any sort of separation, but is most commonly used to describe the group of symptoms that occurs upon the abrupt discontinuation/separation or a decrease in dosage of the intake of medications, recreational drugs, and/or alcohol or not in front of the computer. The individual feels very uncomfortable, obnoxious or irritable if not engaged in the behavior after sometime. Compulsi ve Use or Craving. The individual feels a strong compelling need or urge to engage in the behavior, and thereafter plans for the next opportunity to perform the behavior. About 25% of the people in the world are active Internet users. More than 100 million Facebook users log on at least once per day. Nine blogs are created each minute. As advancements in Internet technology continue to make the world smaller and smaller, new users are plugging into the Net at an unbelievable pace. But what happens when these users are logging too often? Where do you draw the line between harmless and harmful? Many experts today are asking these questions about Internet usage. The internet can be a valuable tool for accessing information, making connections, and maintaining relationships. People all over the world use their cell phones, laptops, and home computers to access the Internet and branch out in all directions on the information superhighway. But for some, one wrong turn changes the Internet from a mode of communication to a medium of compulsion. Of course, this process seems a little extreme for the everyday Internet user. But think about it: have you ever felt that nagging urge to check your email or Facebook on your iPhone right after you checked it on your laptop? Does receiving a new e-mail or stumbling upon a new website put a smile on your face? Sometimes simple daily pleasure like hese can slowly lead to serious compulsive behaviors (http://neuroanthropology. net/2009/05/28/caught-in-the-net-the-internet-compulsion/). Along with all the positive influence of the Internet, there will always be some negative effects on it. Carpal Tunnel Syndrome or median neuropathy is a painful progressive condition caused by compression of a key nerve in the wrist. It occurs when the median nerve, which runs from the forearm into the hand, becomes pressed or squeezed at the wrist. Symptoms usually start gradually, with pain, weakness, or numbness in the hand and wrist, radiating up the arm. As symptoms worsen, people might feel tingling during the day, decreased grip strength may make it difficult to form a fist, grasp small objects, or perform other manual tasks. In some cases no direct cause of the syndrome can be identified. Most likely the disorder is due to a congenital predisposition – the carpal tunnel is simply smaller in some people than in others. However, the risk of developing carpal tunnel syndrome especially, common in those performing assembly line work (http://www. ninds. nih. gov/disorders/carpal_tunnel/carpal_tunnel. htm). Dry Eyes Syndrome is a chronic lack of sufficient lubrication and moisture in the eye. Its consequences range from subtle but constant irritation to ocular inflammation of the anterior (front) tissues of the eye. Dry eyes also are described by the medical term, keratitis sicca, which generally means decreased quality or quantity of tears. Keratoconjunctivitis sicca refers to eye dryness affecting the cornea and conjunctiva (http://www. allaboutvision. com/conditions/dryeye. htm). Migraine Headache is a form of vascular headache. Migraine headache is caused by vasodilatation (enlargement of blood vessels) that causes the release of chemicals from nerve fibers that coil around the large arteries of the brain. Enlargement of these blood vessels stretches the nerves that coil around them and causes the nerves to release chemicals. The chemicals cause inflammation, pain, and further enlargement of the artery. The increasing enlargement of the arteries magnifies the pain. Migraine attacks commonly activate the sympathetic nervous system in the body. The sympathetic nervous system is often thought of as the part of the nervous system that controls primitive responses to stress and pain, the so-called â€Å"fight or flight† response, and this activation causes many of the symptoms Internet Addiction Internet Addiction The use of the Internet on school campuses and in society has increased dramatically in recent years. Whereas the academic use of the Internet is primarily intended for learning and research, the Internet is primarily intended for learning and research. However, from time to time, cases of over involvement with the Internet have been observed on different campuses. The internet is not a habit. It’s an indelible feature of modern life. Internet Addiction Disorder (IAD) was originally proposed as a disorder in a satirical hoax by Ivan Goldberg, M. D. , in 1995. He took pathological gambling as diagnosed by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM- IV) as his model for the description of IAD. It is not however included in the current DSM as of 2009. IAD receives coverage in the press and possible future classification as a psychological disorder continues to be debated and researched. Online Activities which, if done in person, would normally be considered troublesome, such as compulsive gambling or shopping, are sometimes called net compulsions. Others, such as reading or playing computer games, are troubling only to the extent that these activities interfere with normal life. Supporters of disorder classification often divide IAD into subtypes by activity, such as excessive viewing of pornography, overwhelming and excessive gaming, inappropriate involvement in online social networking sites or blogging, and internet shopping addiction. One counter argument is that compulsive behaviors may not themselves be addictive (http://en. wikipedia. rg/wiki/Internet_addiction_disorder). In some respects, addictive use of the Internet resembles other so-called â€Å"process† addictions, in which a person is addicted to an activity or behavior rather than a substance (mood-altering drugs, tobacco, food, etc). People who develop problems with their Internet use may start off using the Internet on a casual basis and then progress to using the technology in dysfunctional ways. Many people believe that spending large amounts of time on the Internet is a core feature of the disorder. The amount of time by itself, however, is not as important a factor as the ways in which the person’s Internet use is interfering with their daily functioning. Use of the Internet may interfere with the person’s social life, school work, or job-related tasks at work. In addition, cases have been reported of persons entering to be a patient with that disorder in order to get attention or sympathy. Treatment options often mirror those for other addictions. Although only a limited amount of research has been done on this disorder, the treatments that have been used appear to be effective (http://www. inddisorders. com/Flu-Inv/Internet-addiction-disorder. html). Dr. Goldberg pointed out two main characteristics of IA: using the Internet leads to constant distress; and damages physical, interpersonal, social status. People believe IA is just like the drug or cigarette addiction, but the psychiatrists believe it’s just like the gaming addiction. About 83 million Americ ans were connected to Internet in August 1999, by the year 2000 the number of those increased by 12 million. As the number of internet users’ increase, the number of internet addicts increases, and problems it causes. It is a disaster, because we only know a very few about the true nature of the internet addiction and treatment methods. According to statistic research every second internet user is an internet addict, they spend their lives at chats, forums, online games and other internet services. They cut their words and sentences to a couple of letters like AFK, BB, and MU, to save the time for internet searching. The majority of internet addicts are teenagers; people that are just have started their life, which need to stay outdoors as long as it is possible to grow up strong, smart and intelligent. But they spent their time sitting in front of the gleaming monitor, talking to virtual friends about the virtual problems of virtual people whom they have never even seen with their own eyes, and probably never will. They recognize the world through Internet information, written by faceless someone for faceless anyone. When they need a book they never go to library, instead they go to Yandex or Google, write the name of the author and the novel they need and here you go, the digital copy of eternal Dostoevsky’s â€Å"Idiot† minimized from a hundreds of pages to a couple of kilobytes. The glimmer of the monitor leads to the visual impairment, anorexia. Coffee, that helps internet users to keep their selves vigil, causes the stomach upset. It’s an irreversible process that changes the whole nature of human psychic and physic. As you can see the internet addiction is an extremely dangerous disease, and it’s very important to know how to recognize it, in order to help and save those you care about (http://www. thelanaddiction. com/index. html). According to Grohol (1999), si ce the aspects of the Internet where people are spending the greatest amount of time online has to do with social interactions, it would appear that socialization is what makes the Internet so â€Å"addicting†. That’s right—plain old hanging out with other people and talking with them. Whether it’s via e-mail, a discussion form, chat, or a game online (such as MUD), people are spending this time exchanging information, support, and chit-chat with other pe ople just like themselves. Would we ever characterize any time spent in the real world with friends as â€Å"addicting†? Of course not, teenagers talk on the phone for hours on end, with other people they see every day! Do we say they are addicted to the telephone? Of course not, people lose hours at a time, immersed in a book, ignoring friends and family, and often not even picking up the phone when it rings. Do we say they are addicted to the book? Of course not, if some clinicians and researchers are now going to start defining addiction as social interactions, then every real-world social relationship we have is an addictive one. Also, in potential explanations for pathological use, Young (1996) initiated telephone surveys to formally study pathological Internet use (PIU) based upon modified criteria of Pathological Gambling defined in the DSM-IV (American Psychiatric Association, 1995). Case studies showed that Dependents classified used the Internet an average of thirty-eight hours per week for non-academic or non-employment related purposes which caused detrimental effects such as poor grade performance among students, discord among couples, and reduce work performance among employees. This is compared to non-addicts in this study who used the Internet an average of eight hours per week with no significant consequences reported. Subsequent research on PIU based upon a self report determination of addiction was conducted utilizing online survey methods. Brenner (1996) received 185 responses in one month to his online survey regarding behavior patterns associated with the Internet. His survey showed that 17% used the Internet more than 40 hours per week, 58% said that others had complained about their excessive net usage, and 46% indicated getting less than 4 hours of sleep per night due to late night log ins. Egger (1996) received 450 responses to his online survey. Self-professed addicts in this study often looked forward their next net session, felt nervous when offline, lied about their online use, easily lost track of time, and felt the Internet caused problems on their jobs, finances, and socially. Steve Thompson (1996) developed the â€Å"McSurvey† which yielded 104 valid responses. Among respondents to his online survey, 72% felt addicted and 33% felt their internet usage had a negative effect on their lives. Surveys conducted on college campuses (Morhan-Martin, 1997; Scherer, 1997) also supported that students suffered significant academic and relationships impairment due to excessive and uncontrolled Internet usage. Formal Computer/Internet addiction treatment centers have been established at such clinical setting as Proctor Hospital in Peoria, Illinois and Harvard affiliate McLean Hospital in response to the serious impairment caused by PIU. The Internet itself is a term which represents different types of functions that are accessible online. Therefore, before discussing addictive nature of the Internet, one must examine the types of applications being used. When dependents were asked â€Å"What applications do you most utilize on the Internet? †, 35% indicated chat rooms, 28% MUDs, 15% News groups, 13% E-mail, 7% WWW, and 2% Information Protocols (e. g. gopher, ftp, etc. ). Upon examination, traditional information protocols and Web pages were the least utilized among Dependents compared to over 90% of respondents who became addicted to the two way communication functions: chat rooms, MUDs, news groups. Or e-mail. This makes the case that the database searches, while interesting and often times time-consuming are not actual reasons Dependents become addicted to the Internet. Chat rooms and MUDs were the two most utilized mediums which both allow multiple online users to simultaneously communicate in real time; similar to having a telephone conversation except in the form of typed messages. Over 1,000 users can occupy a single virtual area. Text scrolls quickly up the screen with answers, questions, or comments to one another. Privatized messages are another available option which allows only a single user to read message sent. Multi-user Dungeons, more commonly known as MUDs, differ from chat rooms as these are an electronic spin off the old Dungeon and Dragons games where players take on character roles. There are literally hundreds of different MUDs ranging in themes from space battles to medieval duels. In order to log into a MUD, a user maidens or buys weapons in a make believe role playing game (http://www. healthyplace. com/addictions/center-for-internet-addiction-recovery/what-makes-the-internet-addictive/menu-id-1105/page-2/). The initial idea behind the internet started in 1961. However, in 1993 the Internet experienced one of its largest growths and today is accessible and used by people everywhere in the world (http://www. teen-beauty-tips. com/internet-addiction. html). 21st century is distinguished with the high rate of business person. High rate of technical progress demands from us quick reaction on external changes of the world, economy and the way of life. Things that are urgent today become totally unnecessary tomorrow, so it takes much time and powers to keep in line. This constant wild race for new information, new welfare, and for being first leaves us no time for normal life, for going out with our friends, visiting the libraries, visiting our relatives, reading books, news papers, watching films, not only news. We have no time for all that, but we still have a desire to get it, so we’re looking for ways to get it with the minimal loss of time and maximal grant of pleasure. Modern science made it possible. Our dreams became true, we can buy books, films, cloth, visit different countries and our relatives, and reach our friend from the far away without leaving our flats, even without leaving our chairs. We have an Internet. With the help of internet we fill the emptiness inside us, we compensate the lack of communication and attention we need. Internet saves us from the loneliness we feel. We spend too much time working hardly so we have no strength for our pleasures. But we always have time and strength for internet, because it’s fun, informative and easy, it relaxes us. Therefore, it’s just a one side of the medal. With the lapse of time it becomes integral part of our life, you keep thinking about persons you met there, and you have no other connection with, and you’re dying to chat with them again. That’s how it starts. You may say its okay to care about someone, about your friends, and there’s nothing terrible they are just words at the contact list if behind them are real people, people you care about. Of course there’s nothing terrible, if it’s just like you say, but just for a minute try to think over, try to remember lust 6 months of your life. First you used internet to communicate with your friends because you were too exhausted to go out and had no time, but now, I bet, you missed a number of opportunities to go out with your friends in a favor of internet communication, don’t you? I also bet that first there were only those you know in real life at your contact list, and now the number of those hardly reaches 20%. Psychiatrists says that those who are not addict use internet only in order to find necessary information and keep in touch with their friends they knew before, but the addicts constantly surfing internet, without any important reason and multiplies the number of virtual friends they’ve never met in the real life, and never will. Thus, internet is very attractive for person as a way of escaping from the reality through the anonymous interactions, which gives an opportunity to express oneself without risk of being ridicule or misunderstood. It’s an opportunity to bring to life some fantasies and desires with a feedback, and, of course, unlimited access to the information, so called informational necrosadism (http://www. thelanaddiction. com/the_origin_of_internet_addiction. html). The term â€Å"addiction† is borrowed from psychologist’s lexicon, to stress that internet attachment is a problem; it’s not just a hobby or the way to spend time and communicate, and it’s a serious disorder of mind and psychic. Internet is very attractive for teenagers as it’s totally anonymous. Teenagers often have an inferiority complex because of their appearance or other criteria’s, and internet gives them an opportunity to find soul mates, someone to share their feelings and pain with. First it helps them not to feel lonely, but in time it turns them to hermit, and they lose their connection with real world, and may even become maniacs. Some scientists distinguish 5 types of Internet Addiction: Pornography Online games Online Gambling Online Shopping Chat rooms/Virtual dating addiction (http://www. thelanaddiction. com/types_of_internet_addiction. html). Over the past few decades, an immense industry for the production and consumption of pornography has grown, with the increasing use of the VCR, the DVD, and the Internet, as well as the emergence of social attitudes more tolerant of sexual portrayals. Performers in pornography are referred to as pornographic actors (or actresses), or the more commonly known title â€Å"porn star† and are generally seen as qualitatively different from their mainstream counterparts. Amateur pornography has become widely popular and generally distributed via the Internet for free (http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Pornography). The second addiction is online games. Online games is defined as a common cause if computer addiction. It is consist of multi-player games via the internet. This is where the player assumes a character in the game and plays against other people from all around the world. There are many internet games on the market and some of them have millions upon millions of players worldwide. The majority of the players involved enjoy just a casual game after school, work, or at weekends. A minority, however, have become so addicted, and alarmingly so, that they are spending upwards of 12 hours per day playing the game they are addicted to. Reports have come in that some people have been playing around the clock and not eating or sleeping for days and days because they do not want to leave the computer and the character they are pretending to be (http://ezinearticles. com/? Types-of-Computer-Addiction&id=551846). Moreover, the rising of Flash and Java led to an Internet revolution where websites could utilize streaming video, audio, and a whole new set of user interactivity. When Microsoft began packaging Flash as a pre-installed component of IE, the Internet began to shift from data/information spectrum to also offer on-demand entertainment. This revolution paved by the way for sites to offer games to web surfers. Some online multiplayer games like World of War craft, Final Fantasy XI and Lineage II charge a monthly fee to subscribe to their services, while games such as Guild Wars offer an alternative no monthly fee scheme. Many other sites relied on advertising revenues from on site sponsors, while others, like RuneScape, let people play for free while leaving the players the option of paying, unlocking new content for the members. After the dot-com bubble burst in 2001, many sites solely relying on advertising revenue dollars faced extreme adversity. Despite the decreasing profitability of online gaming websites, some sites have survived the fluctuating and market by offsetting the advertising revenue loss by using the content as a cross-promotion tool for driving web visitors to other websites that the company owns. The term online gaming in many circles is being strictly defined to describe games that do not involve wagering, although many still use the term online gaming synonymously with online gambling (http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Online_game). The third one is, online Gambling. These are possibly the most damaging of all computer addictions. These millions of dollar a year businesses make their money by sucking addicts of their money. The thrill of possible winning by gambling is very real and has never been easier since the onset of online casinos and other forms of online gambling. Serious debts have been incurred by these computer addicts. Some have even lost everything, their family, homes, possessions, and even more extreme, their lives. There are organizations that specifically deal with this kind of computer addiction and they have helped many thousands of people to get rid of this damaging addiction and have been able to give advice on helping to pull their lives back together again (http://ezinearticles. com/? Types-of-Computer-Addiction&id=551846). There are 4 types of Online gambling, these are, online casinos, online sports betting, online bingo and mobile gambling. There are a large number of online casinos, in which people can play casino games such as roulette, blackjack, pachinko, baccarat and many others. These games are played against the â€Å"house†, which makes money due to the fact that the odds are in its favor. Online Sports Betting, bookmakers, spread betting firms and betting exchanges offer a variety of ways to wager over the Internet on the results of sporting events, the most popular being fixed-odds gambling. Online bingo is the game of bingo played on the Internet. Global betting and Gaming consultants estimates the global gross gaming yield of bingo was $0. billion USD in 2006; they forecast it will grow to $1. 0 billion USD by 2010. Unlike balls used in regular bingo halls, online bingo sites use a random number generator. The online bingo play works almost exactly like playing online poker or online casino games with everything being virtual. Most bingo halls also offer links to online poker and casino offerings. One notable feature of online bingo is the chat functionality. Successful online bingo sites foster a sense of community and interaction between players. And lastly, mobile gambling, it refers to gambling done on a remote wirelessly connected device. These devices can include wireless tablet PC’s, mobile phones and other non traditional mid-level networked computing devices. Some online casinos and online poker card rooms offer mobile options. (http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Online_gambling). The Fourth internet addiction is online shopping, in this kind of addiction comes in the form of many kinds. There is the person who is addicted to buying items from the many online shops. Then there is the person who is addicted to auction type buying. Either one could put a person in debt in a matter of seconds. Just one click the mouse could take money from their credit card and rack up enormous debts. This type of addiction usually starts with small purchases and paying with their credit card. Many small purchases of this kind then add up to many thousands of dollars. The thrill of bidding on an item in an online auction and then overbidding just to win the item (which they may not really want anyway) does cause addiction. Once the item has been bid on and won, a contract has been entered into. A very easy addiction to get into but very hard to get out once the debt has set in (http://ezinearticles. om/? Types-of-Computer-Addiction&id=551846). Furthermore, online shopping is the process of buying goods and services from merchants who sell on the Internet. Since the emergence of the World Wide Web, merchants have sought to sell their products to people who surf the Internet. Shoppers can visit web stores from the comfort of their homes and shop as they sit in front of the computer. Consumer s buy a variety of items from online stores. In fact, people can purchase just about anything from companies that provide their products online. Books, clothing, household appliances, toys, hardware, software, and health insurance are just some of the hundreds of products consumers can buy from an online store (http://www. wisegeek. com/what-is-online-shopping. htm). (http://ezinearticles. com/? Types-of-Computer-Addiction&id=551846). Also, Virtual Dating Addiction is a disease of outsiders. One can’t find person with the same interests, passions or views in real life, among schoolmates, so he is looking for them at chats, forums, ICQ. On the one hand it’s normal, it helps not to become a self-contain hermit, but on the other hand person lose connection with the real life. He or she has no need in it anymore, one already have a true friends, who cares they’re just a letters and symbols if they are soul-mates, but in a few month we have the same problem – teenager becomes a hermit (http://www. thelanaddiction. com/types_of_internet_addiction. html). One symptom of Internet addiction is excessive time devoted to Internet use. A person might have difficulty cutting down on his or her online time when they are threatened with poor grades or loss of a job. There have been cases reported of college students failing courses because they would not take time off from Internet use to attend classes. Other symptoms of addiction may include lack of sleep, fatigue, declining grades or poor job performance, apathy, and racing thought. There may also be a decreased investment in social relationships and activities. A person may lie about how much time was spent online or deny that they have a problem. They may be irritable when offline, or angry toward anyone who questions their time on the Internet (http://www. minddisorders. com/Flu-Inv/Internet-addiction-disorder. html). Skipping meals. When you skip a meal just because you’re enjoying what you are doing in front of the computer, your body reacts with what I like to call â€Å"famine mode†. What I mean by that is that our internal workings tell us that we need food to survive, and if we don’t have it we must find it quickly. Even though we, ourselves, know that we can go at anytime of the day to get nutrients. Human nature hasn’t evolved in such a way that we don’t have primal human instincts and going too long without food makes us eat way too much at the next opportunity. Any food that we do eat, after skipping a meal, will be stored as fats so that in the even of another skipped meal (famine) we will be able to fall back on that stored fat for survival. The problem with this stored fat is that we never reach the point that we can burn it off, so it translates on the scales in excess weight. There are three major consequences of skipping a meal: Poor Performance, Foggy Head and Binging (calorie loading). However, stress is another contributor to people skipping meals. Stress hormones can actually stop the feeling of â€Å"hunger†. This doesn’t mean that your body isn’t starving for nutrients (http://www. inchesweightloss. com/index. php? option=com_content&view=article&id=85:skipping-meals-is-never-a-good-idea&catid=12:blog&Itemid=82). Working with computers can sometimes be stressful. And dealing with computer stress is really no different than dealing with any other type of stress in life. The more you understand and focus upon the underlying causes computer stress, the better you will fare in trying to cope with it. There are ten (10) common causes of computer related stress: Failing to Anticipate Problems Trying to Get by on the Cheap Failing to Ask for Help Failing to Relate to Stress as Feedback Trying to Cut Corners Unrealistic Expectations Beating Up On Yourself Unnecessarily Conflicts with Other People Failing to Do Your Homework and Compromising Your Own or Other’s Integrity http://stresscure. com/hrn/common. html). Stress symptoms commonly include a state of alarm and adrenaline production, short-term resistance as a coping mechanism, and exhaustion, as well as irritability, muscular tension, inability to concentrate and a variety of physiological reactions such as headache and elevated heart rate (http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Stress_(biology))) ). Backache is one of the most common ailments prevalent today. Sedentary living habits, hazardous work patterns and psychological conditions associated with emotional stress, which bring about spasm of the muscles, cause backaches. As the back bears the weight of the entire body, overweight persons feel the strain on the back when they have to carry an extra load. In most cases of backache, the pain is usually felt either in the middle of the back or lower down. It may spread to both sides of the waist and the hips. In a condition of acute pain, the patient is unable to move and is bedridden. About 90% of backache patients suffer from what is called cervical and lumbar spondylosis. It is a degenerative disorder in which the different vertebrae adhere to each other through bony unions. As a result of this, the spine loses its flexibility (http://www. ome-remedies-for-you. com/remedy/Backache. html). On the other hand, Internet Dependency is also one of the signs or symptoms of being an internet addict. Internet Dependency is a term for excessive use of the Internet to the detriment of one’s physical, psychological, social, or vocational well- being. The majority of Americans and virtually all college stud ents now use the Internet as a source of information and entertainment on at least an occasional basis. Most use it on a regular basis without becoming dependent upon it. However, for some, involvement on the internet begins to have serious, negative consequences. When such consequences are minimized or ignored while Internet use increases, Internet dependency is occurring. Excessive Internet use may revolve around chat rooms, pornography; database searches; blogging; gambling; gaming; shopping; or any number of other online activities. As of 2005, it is estimated that 6% of users are Internet dependent. Being too dependent on the internet may also lead us to Tolerance, Withdrawal and Compulsive Use of Internet that may harm ourselves (http://www. villanova. edu/studentlife/counselingcenter/infosheets/psych_topics. htm? page=internet_depend. tm). Withdrawal can refer to any sort of separation, but is most commonly used to describe the group of symptoms that occurs upon the abrupt discontinuation/separation or a decrease in dosage of the intake of medications, recreational drugs, and/or alcohol or not in front of the computer. The individual feels very uncomfortable, obnoxious or irritable if not engaged in the behavior after sometime. Compulsi ve Use or Craving. The individual feels a strong compelling need or urge to engage in the behavior, and thereafter plans for the next opportunity to perform the behavior. About 25% of the people in the world are active Internet users. More than 100 million Facebook users log on at least once per day. Nine blogs are created each minute. As advancements in Internet technology continue to make the world smaller and smaller, new users are plugging into the Net at an unbelievable pace. But what happens when these users are logging too often? Where do you draw the line between harmless and harmful? Many experts today are asking these questions about Internet usage. The internet can be a valuable tool for accessing information, making connections, and maintaining relationships. People all over the world use their cell phones, laptops, and home computers to access the Internet and branch out in all directions on the information superhighway. But for some, one wrong turn changes the Internet from a mode of communication to a medium of compulsion. Of course, this process seems a little extreme for the everyday Internet user. But think about it: have you ever felt that nagging urge to check your email or Facebook on your iPhone right after you checked it on your laptop? Does receiving a new e-mail or stumbling upon a new website put a smile on your face? Sometimes simple daily pleasure like hese can slowly lead to serious compulsive behaviors (http://neuroanthropology. net/2009/05/28/caught-in-the-net-the-internet-compulsion/). Along with all the positive influence of the Internet, there will always be some negative effects on it. Carpal Tunnel Syndrome or median neuropathy is a painful progressive condition caused by compression of a key nerve in the wrist. It occurs when the median nerve, which runs from the forearm into the hand, becomes pressed or squeezed at the wrist. Symptoms usually start gradually, with pain, weakness, or numbness in the hand and wrist, radiating up the arm. As symptoms worsen, people might feel tingling during the day, decreased grip strength may make it difficult to form a fist, grasp small objects, or perform other manual tasks. In some cases no direct cause of the syndrome can be identified. Most likely the disorder is due to a congenital predisposition – the carpal tunnel is simply smaller in some people than in others. However, the risk of developing carpal tunnel syndrome especially, common in those performing assembly line work (http://www. ninds. nih. gov/disorders/carpal_tunnel/carpal_tunnel. htm). Dry Eyes Syndrome is a chronic lack of sufficient lubrication and moisture in the eye. Its consequences range from subtle but constant irritation to ocular inflammation of the anterior (front) tissues of the eye. Dry eyes also are described by the medical term, keratitis sicca, which generally means decreased quality or quantity of tears. Keratoconjunctivitis sicca refers to eye dryness affecting the cornea and conjunctiva (http://www. allaboutvision. com/conditions/dryeye. htm). Migraine Headache is a form of vascular headache. Migraine headache is caused by vasodilatation (enlargement of blood vessels) that causes the release of chemicals from nerve fibers that coil around the large arteries of the brain. Enlargement of these blood vessels stretches the nerves that coil around them and causes the nerves to release chemicals. The chemicals cause inflammation, pain, and further enlargement of the artery. The increasing enlargement of the arteries magnifies the pain. Migraine attacks commonly activate the sympathetic nervous system in the body. The sympathetic nervous system is often thought of as the part of the nervous system that controls primitive responses to stress and pain, the so-called â€Å"fight or flight† response, and this activation causes many of the symptoms