Understanding the nature of excessive Internet use as an illness of addiction or compulsion: an exploratory research

This paper examines the nature of Internet overuse as an addictive disorder or a compulsion.

So much research has been done so far on Internet overuse but there is no consensus over its

addictive nature and diagnostic criteria. There are researchers who are for or against calling

Internet overuse as an addictive disorder. Researchers who support to call Internet overuse an

addictive disorder; say that people who are overusing the Internet show the symptoms like

salience, mood modification, tolerance, withdrawal, social dysfunction and a tendency to

relapse after the online activity is discontinued. These symptoms are same as other

established addictions so Internet overuse is an addictive disorder. On the other hand,

researchers who oppose this term say that it is no more than a symptom of other, existing

disorders like depression, anxiety, impulsive control disorders or pathological gambling.

Some even say that Internet overuse is pathological like gambling but the Internet is largely a

pro-social, interactive and information driven medium, offers several direct benefits as a

technological advancement in our society while gambling is seen as a single, anti-social

behavior that has very little social value. So there is no clear consensus as to whether Internet

addiction 'exists.