The term Internet Addiction Disorder (IAD), coined by American researchers, may be a wacky term, says Wits Psychology lecturer and researcher Andrew Thatcher, but its symptoms fit the same classification as other excessive disorders such as gambling.
Typically these symptoms include excessive use to "get gratification", as well as patterns of avoidance and denial.
Thatcher, who specialises in Web and ATM usability and the psychological effects of technology in the workplace, says for many users the Internet is a valuable source of information and an essential business tool. However, some users exceed "acceptable levels" of usage, and in these cases, they tend to use the Internet to replace real-world relationships.
He says a definition of Internet addiction would be "Internet use that leads to unsociable or physical harm to the user". This could range from neglecting real-world relationships, to physical deterioration from lack of exercise and food in extreme cases.
Users most likely to fall into the addiction trap are those between the ages of 16 and 25. Thatcher says that while the research is by no means conclusive, the trend in IAD closely reflects the usage of the Internet. "The most likely people to be addicted to the Internet are those that use the Internet extensively in their jobs."
The tendency of younger users to become addicted may be a reflection of both the widespread usage of the Internet among this age group, as well as it "being a difficult transition period in these users` lives", making them vulnerable to online relationships.
But deciding what is excessive is difficult, says Thatcher. For example, many surfers use the Internet to maintain long-distance relationships, which is not the same as rejecting human contact in favour of Internet interaction. "Everyone has an anecdote of someone who has met a partner online," he notes. And while this is not necessarily anti-social behaviour, if it is done at the expense of personal contact it could be deemed to be a problem.
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