Cyberspace Addiction – Does It Develop Compulsive Behaviour?

Cyberspace Addiction – Does It Develop Compulsive Behaviour?

In terms of human history, the Internet has caused a dramatic upheaval in our social psyche. It provides instant information and entertainment, and changes the way we work, socialize and interact. To many it has become a “Cyber-Messiah”; an interconnected portal to anything and anywhere.

But now critics are starting to question whether we can do without this technology. Stanford University has conducted the first large-scale, random-sample epidemiological study ever done, showing that more than one in eight American adults shows signs of addiction.

Inappropriate use

Of 2,513 respondents surveyed by phone, nearly 14 percent had difficulty prying themselves away from the computer, while almost nine per cent concealed their use from spouses or family, and another eight percent used it as a form of escape. The typical user spends up to 30 hours a week on non-essential Internet use.

The October 2006 issue of CNS Spectrums (International Journal of Neuropsychiatric Medicine) reported that US household Internet penetrance has reached 74%, or over 220 million users. It said “for a subset of users, the medium may have become a consuming problem that exhibits features of impulse control disorders recognized in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders.” Social isolation, which the associated freedom brought on by online anonymity seems to further, is also said to be increasing.

This is all leading to “a small but growing number of Internet users who are starting to visit their doctors for help with unhealthy attachments to cyberspace,” Stanford lead author Elias Aboujaoude said in the Daily Tech. Most concerning is the number of people who hide their nonessential Internet use or use the Internet to escape a negative mood, much in the same way that alcoholics might. “In a sense, they’re using the Internet to self-medicate,” he added.

Who is vulnerable?

Internetworldstats.com says that globally, more than 1 Billion users are now logged online, which is a 16.7% total population penetration. Astoundingly, this is a 200% increase since the year 2000, with the top 32 countries having an average of almost 70% Internet penetration rate. It is a phenomenon never seen in history, and sure to increase.

But far from being a safe way to escape the problems of life, the Internet is actually an interactive, anonymous, and completely unregulated information database. This, says the Center for Online and Internet Addiction (COLA), may make it easier for those who suffer from depression, bipolar disorder, anxiety, and low self-esteem, to develop compulsive habits.

In March 2004, COLA stated that addicts, sometimes known as “Internet vampires”, display characteristics of what some professionals call Internet Addiction Disorder (IAD). This includes impulsive-control problems such as addiction to adult chat rooms, online relationships, porn, and net compulsions such as gambling, day trading, or auction shopping.

What is an obsession?

Still, many argue that the internet is a powerful tool for personal use. In the past, people would visit their bank, call their broker, grab a paper or drive to work more frequently. Now, online content saves us valuable time, by being connected to services which meet our needs.

But ironically, studies also say users are becoming less productive, less respondent to people and less attentive at work or school. In other words, the internet seems to be turning on many, making them less efficient, and causing an alarming lack of control over behavior.

How this will affect us as a society is sure to invite vigorous debate, but we know that the history of the Internet has taught us to expect the unexpected.