Understanding internet addiction: a comprehensive review

Abstract

Purpose -The purpose of this paper is to delineate the overall theoretical framework on the topic of internet addiction through the comprehensive narrative review to make readers aware of the conceptual growth and development in the respective field. The paper evolves theoretically from the historical foundation, phenomenology, clinical feature, etiological model to the treatment outcome of internet addiction. Multiple studies have been done in the field of mental health but dearth of work given head to toe theoretical overview for understanding of this trendsetter research area in mental health. Design/methodology/approach -Extensive review of literature has been carried out to make a systematic layout for conceptual paper. Findings -The internet has been a source of gratification for several behavioral addictions as well as psychiatric disorders. Mainly because of the lack of established diagnostic criteria and a dearth of large sample surveys, the prevalence of problematic internet use (PIU) in general population has not been established. Still, from all the consolidated data, PIU seems to have a male preponderance and manifests itself in late adulthood. Symptoms of PIU can easily be masked with signs of dependence, tolerance and withdrawal which is quite similar to the phenomenology of substance addiction. Psychiatric co-morbidities are more of a norm than the exception in case of PIU. Even though the clinical status of PIU is doubtful, still there is a significant demand for its treatment all over the world. Overall, the excessive use of internet has been strongly debated in literature from PIU to a positive addiction. Only time will tell how it affects our civilization as a phenomenon of evolutionary significance. Originality/value -The paper is providing a general conceptual framework for internet addiction/PIU to enable readers to know about the topic in depth from the evolution of the concept to the recent developments in the area. . (2012), "Combined cognitive behavioral therapy and bupropion for the treatment of problematic on-line game play in adolescents with major depressive disorder",

Nonsuicidal Self-Injury: Its Associations With Pathological Internet Use and Psychopathology Among Adolescents

“…One type of 'internet addiction' is also a proposed diagnostic category in DSM-5: 'Internet Gaming Disorder' (2). Both this narrow category and the wider PIU are usually conceptualised as behavioural addiction disorders, with similar features to 'Gambling Disorder' (18). Definitions underline a preoccupation with internet use, withdrawal symptoms, tolerance, loss of control, loss of interest in old hobbies, excessive use of internet despite the knowledge of psychosocial problems, telling lies about the time spent on the internet, use of internet to reach a better emotional state, and the loss of anything important (job, friendship, etc.)…”

“…Definitions underline a preoccupation with internet use, withdrawal symptoms, tolerance, loss of control, loss of interest in old hobbies, excessive use of internet despite the knowledge of psychosocial problems, telling lies about the time spent on the internet, use of internet to reach a better emotional state, and the loss of anything important (job, friendship, etc.) in real life because of internet (2,17,18).…”

“…Although PIU and NSSI have similar risk factors, such as depression, anxiety, ADHD, higher rates of suicidal behaviour, impulse control problems, etc. (4,18,19), to the best of our knowledge there are only a few cross-sectional studies which have examined the association between PIU and self-injurious behaviours. In their recent systematic review, Marchant et al (20) found only seven papers on this topic, with only two of them (21,22) having investigated the connection between internet addiction and nonsuicidal self-injurious behaviours; they found a positive correlation between the two phenomena, while, interestingly, Aktepe et al (22) found that adolescents with an internet addiction were less lonely and more satisfied with their lives.…”

“…Although PIU and NSSI have similar risk factors, such as depression, anxiety, ADHD, higher rates of suicidal behaviour, impulse control problems, etc. ( 4 , 18 , 19 ), to the best of our knowledge there are only a few cross-sectional studies which have examined the association between PIU and self-injurious behaviours. In their recent systematic review, Marchant et al.…”

Youth and addiction to information and communications technology: Internet, social networks and mobile phones

“…Termin "internet ovisnost" uveo je psihijatar Ivan Goldber 1996. godine, a prvi izvještaj o slučaju internet ovisnosti objavila je psihologinja Kimberli Jang (Kimberly Young) 1996. godine (prema Bisen & Deshpande, 2018), gdje je tehnologijama: internet, društvene mreže i mobilni telefoni Lamija Silajdžić Anida Dudić CM : Communication and Media XV(47) 57-84 © 2020 CDI pisala o 43-godišnjem pacijentu koji je provodio i do 60 sati sedmično na internetu. Ovi rezultati su bili itekako revolucionarni i pokazali da se, pod utjecajem transformacijskih procesa i tehnološkog razvoja, "nevidljive ovisnosti" trebaju tretirati jednako kao i ostale.…”