Is Internet Addiction a Diagnosed Mental Disorder?

[Bloggeries]

When it comes to diagnosed mental disorders; is an internet addiction one of them?

FOXNews.com - Are We All Addicted to the Internet? - Health News | Current Health News | Medical News

Some seem to think so; if it is I guess I have a mental disorder; wait I think we all do?

[Strongbow]

Maybe but there are certainly far worse things a person could be addicted to.

[ReformedSmoker]

It's funny. No matter what we choose to do with our spare time, if it's something people generally like to do, suddenly it's an addiction.

Drinking, smoking, tv, internet. We probably spend too much time having sex, but I'll not go into that, I'm British you know.

[rhyswynne]

I think it is a bad thing. I've been trying to disassociate myself with the internet for at least a few hours a day - to do something else productive (I've taken up some exercise). Not because I was addicted just because there must've been something else to do.

Ironically it's made me more productive than when I vegetated in front of the computer for hours.

[skleiner]

Reformed Smoker - that cracked me up!

Why to is it that when we enjoy something, we are made to feel guilty about it.. isn't that what life is all about. Enjoying it?

[c0sm1n]

Many doctors have said that People who stay to much at the computer risk in the future to have permanent brain damage. That's kind of creepy.

[Ferox]

Any activity that gives you some sort of pleasure or reward can become an addiction. It doesn't necessarily mean that you are addicted to it though. Try stepping away for a while and see if you get withdrawl symptoms!

[Skolor]

I don't about in the US, but I know I read an article a couple of months back about some Korean Internet Rehab centers. Apparently there were all these kids spending like 10-16 hours a day, every day, playing online. Someone set up these Rehab centers where parents could send their kids to break their internet addiction. I think the funniest part of the entire article was one of the kids they interviewed; after the rehab he was proud he was down to only 3 hours a day online.

Other than that, I'd say internet addiction. I had an interesting lecture from one of my professors about a month ago. He talked about how the internet, tv, and the like will lead to a state of schizophrenia in the population. It was rather interesting, he kept talking about how we're being assaulted be many times more information than our minds can make use of, and that it will eventually cause the mind to rebel, and schizophrenia will become the normal state of mind.

[Shopping4Coupons]

Once I thought I was finally cured Click Here Or Here but then I realized it was a cruel trick. I'll keep looking for it though.

[Bloggeries]

Originally Posted by rhyswynne

I think it is a bad thing. I've been trying to disassociate myself with the internet for at least a few hours a day - to do something else productive (I've taken up some exercise). Not because I was addicted just because there must've been something else to do.

Ironically it's made me more productive than when I vegetated in front of the computer for hours.

I hear you there it gives you energy let's you think without being distracted by the constant stimuli and gives you purpose to some extent instead of doing endless non productive cycles