The various forms of internet use, including social networking, online shopping, gambling, and gaming are a product of the time in which we live and represent an integral part of how we conduct and engage in social interaction. Internet platforms are used daily providing people with the ability to connect, and efficiently exchange important information, as well as provide educational functions and raise awareness/support of problems faced by individuals and societies globally. However, excessive use of internet-related content has shown a significant association with addictive behavior which could have serious repercussions on an individual’s mental health. Where it is generally accepted that a combination of biological, psychological, and social factors contributes to the pathophysiology of addiction, the ongoing debate remains as to whether certain excessive behaviors should be classified as addictions, including social networking addiction. Although any internet-related addiction is not specifically identified in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) or International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11), it shares a common underlying etiological framework with other (substance or behavioral) addictions.
"I don't even help [my children] with their homework in the evening because I'm in the chat rooms, and I don't help put them to bed because I don't realize how late it is. I also don't help them get ready for school in the morning like I used to do because I'm checking my e-mail. And I just can't stop myself."-Raymond, an Internet addict. Internet addiction is real. Like alcoholism, drug addiction, or compulsive gambling, it has devastating effects on the lives of addicts and their families: divorce, job loss, falling productivity at work, failure in school, and, in extreme cases, criminal behavior. The problem has already reached epidemic proportions in the United States, and the number of "netaholics" continues to grow rapidly as more households and businesses go on-line. Yet, until now, no one from the mental health community has come forward with a specific description of Internet addiction and its effects or a strategy for treatment and recovery. In Caught in the Net, Kimberly Young shares the results of her three-year study of Internet abuse. Often using the words of the Internet addicts themselves, she presents the stories of dozens of lives that were shattered by an overwhelming compulsion to surf the Net, play MUD games, or chat with distant and invisible neighbors in the timeless limbo of cyberspace. Why is the Internet so seductive? What are the warning signs of Internet addiction? Is recovery possible? Dr. Young answers these questions and many more. She provides a questionnaire to help Net users determine whether they are addicts, and offers concrete steps to help problem users regulate Internet usage and devise a more balanced place for it in their daily lives. For Internet addicts as well as their parents, spouses, friends, and employers, Caught in the Net offers guidance on where and how to seek help from counselors, therapists, and other professionals who take this affliction seriously. For mental health professionals, this book provides insights into the nature and causes of Internet addiction and encourages counselors and therapists to expand their addiction recovery programs to address the specific problems of Internet addicts. "Think that computer addiction is a joke? Think again. This groundbreaking book is the first to explore on-line addiction in a serious way and to consider the effects on individuals and their families. Caught in the Net is an important book for anyone who spends mornings and evenings connected to the Net."-Clifford Stoll, author of The Cuckoo's Egg and Silicon Snake Oil. "An excellent account of the dangers of the burgeoning Internet industry. Dr. Young carefully outlines the traps into which people can fall and offers pragmatic self-help suggestions. Caught in the Net is valuable for both consumers and the professionals who deal with them."-Maressa Hecht Orzack, PhD, Founder and Coordinator, Computer Addiction Services, McLean Hospital Lecturer, Harvard University Medical School "I don't mean to spend all my time this way, but I can't stop. It's the only place my opinion matters and I feel important."-bobage38.automechanic.internet.addict "I feel guilty about it, but when I tried to break free, I simply didn't have the strength....I'm a long-time smoker, but I've found the craving to go on the Internet first thing every morning is stronger than my urge to light a cigarette."-marylouage40.motheroffour.internet.addict "When you're talking about the Internet, you're talking about power. It's the most powerful information tool I have ever known. When I explore the on-line world, I feel like that robot in the movie Short Circuit. I need more input! More input!"-daveage28.militarytelecommunicationsexpert.internet.addict "I feel the rush every time my mind gets connected to this intensely powerful information whirlpool. When I enter cyberspace, I become one with my mind. It's like Mr. Spock doing the Vulcan mind meld."-joshage29.computerprogrammer.internet.addict itt.edu and view her website at: www.netaddiction.com.
This book explains the rationale for changes in the DSM-5(R) related to incorporating behavioral addictions alongside substance use disorders; it also illuminates the significance of including the construct of behavioral addictions in this widely used psychiatric diagnostic manual. The chapters herien describe eight behaviors often considered addictions, including gambling disorder, internet gaming disorder, internet addiction, food addiction, hypersexuality, shopping addiction, exercise addiction, and tanning addiction. Also examined are prevalence rates in epidemiological samples, risk factors, and promising treatment approaches. The result is an easy-to-use resource and guide for clinicians, students, and researchers.
Thoroughly revised and updated, this Student Edition of the successful Handbook of New Media has been abridged to showcase the best of the hardback edition. This Handbook sets out boundaries of new media research and scholarship and provides a definitive statement of the current state-of-the-art of the field. Covering major problem areas of research, the Handbook of New Media includes an introductory essay by the editors and a concluding essay by Ron Rice. Each chapter, written by an internationally renowned scholar, provides a review of the most significant social research findings and insights.
Handbook of Adolescent Development fills a gap in the literature on adolescent development and behaviour: all of the authors of the various chapters were invited to include as many findings on European adolescents as possible. Through this specific emphasis, the handbook provides a complement to other reviews of the literature that are mostly based on North American samples. The contributors are all eminent researchers in the field and the individual chapters cover their specific areas of expertise. Theories of adolescence, along with emotional, physical and cognitive issues, are explored. Topics covered include families, peer relations, school and leisure time, as well as problem areas such as depression, drug consumption and delinquency. Handbook of Adolescent Development also incorporates a comprehensive review of the literature in the area and considers avenues for future research. This multidisciplinary text will be of interest to those studying and researching in the fields of developmental psychology, sociology, demography, epidemiology and criminology.
DSM-V broke new ground in May of 2013, designating a new disorder called "behavioral addiction." Clinicians immediately wanted to know: how is a behavioral addiction different from an impulse control disorder? What are the criteria for determining that some behaviors are addictions rather than impulses? What, if anything, does this mean in terms of effective treatment?Behavioral Addictions is the first and most authoritative text ever written on the subject of behavioral addictions. This comprehensive work explains the criteria used to determine addiction, the evidence for identifying assorted behaviors as addictions, and the evidence-based treatment for each.With contributions from preeminent experts covering an exhaustive list of behavioral addictions, this book is unique in its coverage of behavioral addictions, their criteria, and treatment. It is a valuable and timely resource for any clinician treating addictions. - A guide to understanding the new DSM-V designation of behavioral addiction - Defines the criteria for behavior to be considered an addiction designation - Discusses the evidence for behaviors meeting addiction criteria - Identifies what is now, likely will be, and is not a behavioral addiction per evidence - Discusses behaviors formerly considered impulse control disorders - Presents evidence-based treatment for each behavioral addiction
"Technological Addictions is the first guide designed to provide insight and strategies to clinicians, patients, and families grappling with the collateral damage of technology's pervasiveness and pull. Mental health professionals are beginning to understand that video games, online pornography, internet gaming, internet gambling, and other technological pastimes can be every bit as addictive as substances such as alcohol, tobacco, and illicit drugs. Editor Petros Levounis is among the foremost experts on addiction and, together with coeditor James Sherer and a roster of prominent contributors, has created a groundbreaking book that emphasizes the lived reality of the people who struggle with these addictions every day. In 10 rigorous yet down-to-earth chapters, the book explores the psychological and cultural context of each technology and related behavior, from social media to cybersex, and examines thoroughly the difference between healthy engagement with technology and addiction. This discussion premised on the understanding that technology should not be rolled back or restricted but is an increasingly beneficial and even necessary part of modern life. Two chapters specifically focus on the way technology addictions impact particular populations, such as children and adolescents and older adults. Addiction to technology does not discriminate; no preexisting psychological or physical conditions are required, and everyone is susceptible. Technological Addictions provides guidance found nowhere else, guidance that both clinicians and laypeople will find useful and compelling"--
Mental Health in the Digital Age, written by distinguished international experts, comprehensively examines the intersection between digital technology and mental health. It provides a state-of-the-art, evidence-based, and well-balanced review and is a valuable guide to an area often shrouded in controversy.
While the Internet is a relatively new technology, that has impacted the world, and provided many benefits, it has also had negative ramifications. Individuals unable to control their use are jeopardizing school, employment and relationships. The concept of “Internet Addiction” is used to explain uncontrollable, damaging use of technology. It is characterized as an impulse control disorder, comparable to pathological gambling, because of overlapping diagnostic criteria and symptomatology. Based on these studies, the IAT was constructed to capture the problematic behavior associated with compulsive use of technology, including online porn, internet gambling and compulsive use of online games and social media. The Internet Addiction Test emerged as the first validated measure of Internet and technology addiction. The assessments can be administered in a variety of mental health settings, including private practice clinics, schools, hospitals and residential programs. They can be used when there is suspicion of Internet addiction, as part of a broad intake assessment, or for use in a wellness curriculum to help participants evaluate their own Internet behavior. The IAT can also be a valuable pre-employment screening device, to detect internet addiction among job candidates, to improve productivity and reduce corporate liability. Based on 20 self-report items, the IAT assesses for the presence of addiction to the Internet, electronic entertainment, social media, and general use of electronic devices, and also measures the severity of addiction, in terms of mild, moderate or severe. Furthermore, because Internet addiction may be driven by different reasons and manifest in different ways, requiring different types of treatment, the IAT produces scores related to the following areas: EscapeCompulsionNeglecting dutiesAnticipationLack of ControlSocial Avoidance
Addiction is a powerful and destructive condition impacting large portions of the population around the world. While typically associated with substances, such as drugs and alcohol, technology and internet addiction have become a concern in recent years as technology use has become ubiquitous. Psychological, Social, and Cultural Aspects of Internet Addiction is a critical scholarly resource that sheds light on the relationship between psycho-social variables and internet addiction. Featuring coverage on a broad range of topics such as human-computer interaction, academic performance, and online behavior, this book is geared towards psychologists, counselors, graduate-level students, and researchers studying psychology and technology use.
