June 23, 2008

Internet addiction a metal disorder

Filed under: internet, madness - alexei @ 3:52 am

According to a new study published in the American Journal of Psychiatry, internet addiction is a common disorder that should be included in Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders V (DSM-V). The disorder consists of excessive gaming, sexual preoccupations, excessive email/text messaging, and variants typically include 1) a loss of sense of time and neglect of basic drives, 2) internet withdrawal when a computer is not available, 3) a tolerance, which leads to a search for better equipment, faster connection, and more hours of use, and 4) negative repercussions, including lying, fatigue and social isolation. This comes after a series of studies published in South Korea, which had 10 cardiopulmonary deaths in internet cafes, as well as a game-related murder. According to government estimates from 2006, 210,000 South Korean children 6-19, 2,1% of the population are addicted and require treatment, with 80% deemed to need medication, and 20-24% requiring hospitalization. So if you spend more than 23 hours/week on the internets, you may have a problem. Seek help immediately! And I don’t mean on Google!!

Issues for DSM-V: Internet Addiction, PsychiatryOnline.org

1 Comment »

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  1. Thanks for the news. It’s interesting because at www.CarlJungTypes.com they have written a discussion of the psychological profile of the world wide web and their conclusion is that the web is addictive not the internet per se.

    Comment by Carl — October 9, 2008 @ 8:26 pm

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