Interactive and

Emerging Technologies
Unit 4
Issues of Internet
Addiction
Introduction
• compulsive computer use that had ceived, scientific understanding has lagged,
in part contributed to personal distress, or social, occupational, financial, or
legal consequences”. (Shapira et. al., 2003)

• Some investigators have linked Internet addiction to addictive disorders

grouping it alongside alcohol and drug use disorders. Others have linked
Internet addiction to obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) or to the impulse
control disorders (ICDs)

• Popular names given to the condition are compulsive computer use,

pathological internet use, problematic internet use, internet dependency,
internet addiction and even internetomania.
 Signs and Symptoms
• It is accompanied by
a) changes in mood
b) preoccupation with the Internet and digital media
c) the inability to control the amount of time spent interfacing with digital technology
d) the need for more time or a new game to achieve a desired mood
e) withdrawal symptoms when not engaged
f) a continuation of the behavior despite family conflict
g) a diminishing social life and adverse work or academic consequences
 Diagnostic Criteria
• Beard (2005) recommends that the following five diagnostic criteria are required for a
diagnosis of Internet addiction:
• (1) Is preoccupied with the Internet (thinks about previous online activity or anticipate
next online session)
• (2) Needs to use the Internet with increased amounts of time in order to achieve
satisfaction
• (3) Has made unsuccessful efforts to control, cut back, or stop Internet use
• (4) Is restless, moody, depressed, or irritable when attempting to cut down or stop Internet
use
• (5) Has stayed online longer than originally intended
• Additionally, at least one of the following must be present:

• (6) Has jeopardized or risked the loss of a significant relationship, job, educational or
career opportunity because of the Internet

• (7) Has lied to family members, therapist, or others to conceal the extent of involvement
with the Internet

• (8) Uses the Internet as a way of escaping from problems or of relieving a dysphoric mood
(e.g., feelings of helplessness, guilt, anxiety, depression)
 Assessment Tools
• Young’s Internet Addiction Test (Young, 1998)

• Problematic Internet Use Questionnaire (PIUQ) (Demetrovics, Szeredi, & Pozsa, 2008)

• the Compulsive Internet Use Scale (CIUS) (Meerkerk et.al., 2009)

• Internet Addictive Behavior Inventory (IRABI) (Brenner, 1997)

 Cognitive-behavioral model of
pathological internet use
• David Concluded that there are two types of PIU

Specific PIU Generalized PIU

Dependent on one specific utility of A general and multidimensional

the internet use of the internet

e.g. Overuse of the internet for e.g. Excessive use of chat rooms,
accessing sexual content, auction instant mails messaging, online
services, stock trading, gambling games & e-mails
 Impact of Internet addiction on
children & adolescents
• Academic Performance: Excessive internet use can negatively affect children's
academic performance. A study by Liu, et al. (2016) found that internet addiction
was associated with lower grades and reduced academic achievement among
adolescents.
• Physical Health Issues: Excessive screen time and sedentary behavior associated
with internet addiction can lead to various physical health problems such as
obesity, musculoskeletal issues, and sleep disturbances. A study by Jelenchick, et
al. (2013) reported a positive association between internet addiction and increased
body mass index (BMI) in adolescents.
• Mental Health Disorders: Internet addiction has been linked to the development
of mental health disorders, including depression, anxiety, and social phobia. A
systematic review by Kuss, et al. (2014) indicated a strong relationship between
internet addiction and poor mental health outcomes among young individuals.
• Impaired Social Skills: Excessive internet use can lead to social isolation and
hinder the development of crucial social skills. Research by Valkenburg and Peter
(2009) found that greater internet use was associated with lower social
competence among children and adolescents.
• Decreased Offline Interactions: Children addicted to the internet may spend less
time engaging in face-to-face interactions, resulting in reduced quality and
quantity of offline relationships. A study by Gross, et al. (2002) showed that
excessive internet use was associated with decreased offline social involvement
and increased feelings of loneliness.
• Sleep Disturbances: Internet addiction can disrupt children's sleep patterns and
contribute to sleep disorders. Research by Lam, et al. (2014) found that internet
addiction was associated with poorer sleep quality and increased daytime
sleepiness among adolescents.
• Cognitive Impairments: Excessive internet use can impact cognitive functions
such as attention, memory, and decision-making. A study by Lin, et al. (2015)
reported that internet addiction was associated with impaired inhibitory control
and working memory performance in adolescents.
 Impact of Internet addiction on
Young adults
• Mental Health Issues: Internet addiction has been associated with an increased risk
of mental health disorders among young adults. Studies have found links between
internet addiction and conditions such as depression, anxiety, social isolation, and
self-esteem issues. For example, a study by Lam, et al. (2009) reported a
significant relationship between internet addiction and higher levels of depressive
symptoms among college students.
• Impaired Academic Performance: Excessive internet use can negatively affect the
academic performance of young adults. Research by Kandell (1998) found that
internet addiction was associated with decreased academic achievement and lower
grade point averages among college students.
• Disrupted Interpersonal Relationships: Internet addiction can strain interpersonal
relationships and negatively impact social interactions among young adults.
Excessive online engagement may lead to decreased face-to-face communication,
social isolation, and difficulties in maintaining healthy relationships. A study by
Kim, et al. (2009) found that internet addiction was associated with lower levels of
social support and lower quality of offline relationships.
• Impaired Time Management and Productivity: Young adults with internet addiction
often struggle with time management skills and may experience decreased
productivity in various areas of life, including work, education, and personal
responsibilities. A study by Barber and Santuzzi (2015) revealed that internet
addiction was negatively correlated with self-regulation skills and academic
self-efficacy among college students.
• Sleep Disorders: Internet addiction can disrupt sleep patterns and contribute to the
development of sleep disorders among young adults. Excessive internet use,
especially late at night, can interfere with the quality and duration of sleep. Research
by Li, et al. (2018) found that internet addiction was associated with higher rates of
sleep disturbances and poorer sleep quality in college students.
• Impaired Cognitive Functioning: Internet addiction may affect cognitive functions,
such as attention, memory, and decision-making, among young adults. Studies have
shown that internet addiction is associated with decreased attentional control, reduced
working memory capacity, and impaired decision-making abilities. For example, a
study by Lin, et al. (2012) reported that individuals with internet addiction exhibited
poorer cognitive performance in tasks requiring attention and executive functions.
 Impact of Internet addiction on
adults
• Mental Health Issues
• Impaired Work Performance
• Relationship difficulties
• Impaired physical health & Sleep issues
• Impaired social interactions
• Cognitive Impairments
Internet Gaming
 What is Internet Gaming?
• Online games are very popular, at least one person plays video games in two-thirds of
American households, according to the Entertainment Software Association. Roughly
160 million American adults play internet-based games, one recent study estimates. The
games can be very entertaining, and it may be easy to get absorbed in the competition,
but can they be addictive? That is a question still being debated among researchers and
health professionals, but early evidence suggests that videogames are one of the most
addicting technologies around. In fact, new research shows that there are plenty of safe
and effective treatments for videogame addiction already in use.
 Stages of Gaming Addiction
• Initial exposure: an individual’s early experiences with video gaming, during which enjoyment of
and a fascination with such games may develop very quickly.

• Deeper interest: gaming begins to take up a position of greater significance in the individual’s life,
perhaps requiring growing investment in hardware, software and time. Other activities may begin to
take on a diminished significance in consequence.

• Growing obsession: gaming begins to take up a central role in the individual’s life, with their
thoughts becoming increasingly solely directed towards gaming and other activities and, now,
relationships becoming increasingly neglected as the great majority of the individual’s free time is
now taken up with gaming.

• Full-blown addiction: gaming becomes the individual’s dominant or even sole interest. All their free
time is taken up with gaming, and all their energies are focused upon it, possibly at the cost of work or
academic progress. Dietary and sleeping patterns are likely to be hugely affected by constant gaming,
and the gamer may find themselves entirely dislocated from friends, family and the real world.
 Causal & Risk Factors
• low self-esteem •a pessimistic outlook on life
• a feeling of having been neglected • loneliness

• using computer games to manage

• having been subjected to
moods
authoritarian parenting
• anxiety/neuroticism
• social anxiety
• having an aggressive personality
•a lack of empathy
• depression
• isolation

• Gender (Men affected more than

Women)
 How does Gaming affect the Brain?
• Gaming addiction is a disorder of the brain’s reward system. High levels of an addictive
stimulus – in this case, video gaming – experienced over time initiate the production of
increasingly large quantities of dopamine in the brain, which stimulates receptors which
in turn drive the impulse to repeat the behavior.

• The more frequently this is repeated, the more easily dopamine production is stimulated;
after a while, however, the brain develops a tolerance to high levels of dopamine, and
thus the individual feels compulsion to engage in the addictive behavior: to play video
games – more often to feel the same level of satisfaction which was initially
experienced.

• Once this tolerance has developed, stopping the addictive behaviour will result in
unpleasant sensations– driving cravings until enough time has passed that the brain
chemistry has normalized and the addiction has been quashed
 Signs of Internet Gaming Addiction
• Emotional Symptoms • Physical Symptoms
a) Restlessness a) Fatigue
b) Irritability b) Migraines
c) Preoccupation with thoughts of c) Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
previous or next gaming activity
d) Poor personal hygiene
d) Lying about the amount of time spent
playing e) Eyesight Issues
e) Isolation from others to spend more
time gaming
f) Other mental health conditions like
Depression, Anxiety or Substance Use
 Internet Gaming Disorder
• Internet gaming disorder is a pattern of excessive and prolonged Internet gaming
that results in a cluster of cognitive and behavioral symptoms, including
progressive loss of control over gaming, tolerance, and withdrawal symptoms,
analogous to the symptoms of substance use disorders. As with substance-related
disorders, individuals with Internet gaming disorder continue to sit at a computer
and engage in gaming activities despite neglect of other activities.

• They typically devote 8-10 hours or more per day to this activity and at least 30
hours per week. If they are prevented from using a computer and returning to the
game, hey become agitated and angry. They often go for long periods without
food or sleep. Normal obligations, such as school or work, or family obligations
are neglected. (DSM 5)
 Proposed Criteria (DSM-5)
Persistent and recurrent use of the Internet to engage in games, often with other players,
leading to clinically significant impairment or distress as indicated by five (or more) of the
following in a 12-month period:

1. Preoccupation with Internet games. (The individual thinks about previous gaming activity
or anticipates playing the next game; Internet gaming becomes the dominant activity in
daily life).
2. Withdrawal symptoms when Internet gaming is taken away. (These symptoms are
typically described as irritability, anxiety, or sadness, but there are no physical signs of
pharmacological withdrawal.)
3. Tolerance—the need to spend increasing amounts of time engaged in Internet games.
4. Unsuccessful attempts to control the participation in Internet games.
5. Loss of interests in previous hobbies and entertainment as a result of, and with the
exception of, Internet games.

6. Continued excessive use of Internet games despite knowledge of psychosocial problems.

7. Has deceived family members, therapists, or others regarding the amount of Internet
gaming.

8. Use of Internet games to escape or relieve a negative mood (e.g., feelings of helplessness,
guilt, anxiety).

9. Has jeopardized or lost a significant relationship, job, or educational or career opportunity

because of participation in Internet games.
 ICD 11 Criteria
The 11th version of the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11) officially
included gaming disorder as a mental disorder
• The ICD-11 criteria involve
(1) impaired control over gaming;
(2) increasing priority given to gaming over other activities
(3) continuation of gaming despite the occurrence of negative consequences
(4) resulting clinically significant distress or impairments in important areas of
functioning
 Management of Internet Addiction
• Limit the length of any given gaming session
• Do not play every day
• Do not play after a given time every night. try to leave at least one hour between
finishing gaming and going to bed.
• Do not take your gaming equipment on any holiday you may take
• Be receptive to any concerns voiced by anyone close to you about the amount of
time you spend gaming, and always prioritize important relationships over
gaming.
• If you notice any of the signs and symptoms mentioned above, and/or have tried
to stop gaming or even cut down on the amount of time you spend gaming and
have failed, contact an addiction specialist immediately.