Problematic Internet use: an overview |
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Authors: | ELIAS ABOUJAOUDE |
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Institution: | Impulse Control Disorders Clinic, Stanford University School of Medicine, 401 Quarry Rd., Stanford, CA 94305, USA |
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Abstract: | There is wide agreement that the Internet can serve as a tool that enhances
well-being. It is more difficult, however, to find consensus around the issue
of problematic Internet use. That may be in part because scientific investigation
has lagged far behind technological advances and media attention. The diagnostic
schemas that have been proposed since 1996, and the screening tools that have
been developed, stress similarities with substance use, impulse control disorders,
and obsessive-compulsive disorder. Prevalence figures vary as a function of
the diagnostic definition used, the age group studied, and whether the surveys
were conducted online. Studies suggest high comorbidity rates with mood disorders
and, among younger individuals, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder.
Treatment should address any comorbid conditions present, as those may be
causing, or exacerbating, problematic Internet use. Interventions that may
specifically target problematic Internet use include cognitive behavioral
therapy and selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, but detailed guidelines
must await further studies. For a medium that has so radically changed how
we conduct our lives, the Internet’s effects on our psychology remain
understudied. More research is needed into the pathophysiology, epidemiology,
natural course, and treatment of problematic Internet use. In addition, the
more subtle psychological changes, such as disinhibition, that seem to characterize
people’s online behavior also deserve attention, even if they cannot
be seen as necessarily pathological. |
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Keywords: | Internet problematic use impulse control disorders comorbidity cognitive behavior therapy |
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