Abstract
As technology is becoming central in our lives, we are seeing cases of extreme use and dependence on these newer tools. Although we find such excessive Internet use among all age groups, it is especially prevalent among adolescents and emerging adults and this chapter focuses on such “addictive behavior” on the Internet. An important issue that we consider is whether it is even appropriate to use the term “addiction” in the context of Internet users. Next, we describe what addictive behavior on the Internet entails along with information about the prevalence of addictive behavior among adolescents. Then we discuss the symptoms considered to be red flags for Internet-related addictive behavior and describe the personal and social context of addictive behavior on the Internet. We discuss separately four areas of online addictions: online gaming, online relationships (communication), virtual sexual behavior, and online gambling. Finally, we describe the therapeutic approaches used to treat addictive behavior on the Internet.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
References
Allison, S. E., von Wahlde, L., Shockley, T., & Gabbard, G. O. (2006). The development of the self in the era of the Internet and role-playing fantasy games. The American Journal of Psychiatry, 163, 381–385.
Beard, K. W. (2005). Internet addiction: A review of current assessment techniques and potential assessment questions. CyberPsychology and Behavior, 8, 7–14.
Beard, K. W., & Wolf, E. M. (2001). Modification in the proposed diagnostic criteria for Internet addiction. CyberPsychology and Behavior, 4, 377–383.
Bee, H. L. (1994). Lifespan development. New York, NY: HarperCollins Publishers.
Cabot, N. A. (1999). The Internet gambling report II: An evolving conflict between technology, policy & law. Las Vegas, NV: Trace.
Cao, F., & Su, L. (2007). Internet addiction among chinese adolescents: Prevalence and psychological features. Child: Care, Health and Development, 33, 275–281.
Charlton, J. P., & Danforth, I. D. W. (2004). Differentiating computer-related addictions and high engagement. In J. Morgan, C. A. Brebbia, J. Sanchez, & A. Voiskounsky (Eds.), Human perspectives in the Internet society: Culture, psychology, gender (pp. 59–68). Southampton: WIT Press.
Chou, C., Condron, L., & Belland, J. C. (2005). A review of the research on Internet addiction. Educational Psychology Review, 17, 363–368.
Cooper, A., Morahan-Martin, J., Mathy, R. M., & Maheu, M. (2002). Toward an increased understanding of user demographics in online sexual activities. Journal of Sex and Marital Therapy, 28, 105–129.
Cooper, A., Putnam, D. E., Planchon, L. A., & Boies, S. C. (1999a). Online sexual compulsivity: Getting tangled in the net. Sexual Addiction and Compulsivity, 6, 79–104.
Cooper, A., Scherer, C. R., Boies, S. C., & Gordon, B. L. (1999b). Sexuality on the Internet: From sexual exploration to pathological expression. Professional Psychology: Research and Practice, 30, 154–164.
Dunphy, D. C. (1963). The social structure of urban adolescent peer groups. Sociometry, 26, 230–246.
Glasser, W. (2000). Reality therapy in action. New York, NY: HarperCollins.
Goldsmith, T. D., & Shapira, N. A. (2006). Problematic Internet use. In E. Hollander & D. J. Stein (Eds.), Clinical manual of impulse-control disorders (pp. 291–308). Arlington, VA: American Psychiatric Publishing, Inc.
Griffiths, M. (2000a). Does Internet and computer “addiction” exist? Some case study evidence. Cyberpsychology and Behavior, 3, 211–218.
Griffiths, M. (2000b). Excessive Internet use: Implications for sexual behavior. Cyberpsychology and Behavior, 3, 537–552.
Griffiths, M. (2000c). Internet addiction – time to be taken seriously? Addiction Research, 8, 413–418.
Griffiths, M. (2001a). Online therapy: A cause for concern? Psychologist, 14, 244–248.
Griffiths, M. (2001b). Sex on the Internet: Observations and implications for Internet sex addiction. Journal of Sex Research, 38, 333–342.
Griffiths, M., Davies, M. N. O., & Chappell, D. (2004). Online computer gaming: A comparison of adolescent and adult gamers. Journal of Adolescence, 27, 87–96.
Grohol, J. M. (2005). Internet addiction guide. PsychCentral, 2005. Retrieved October 2, 2008, from http://psychcentral.com/netaddiction/
Grohol, J. M. (2007). Video games no addiction for now. PsychCentral, 2007. Retrieved October 2, 2008, from http://psychcentral.com/news/2007/06/26/video-games-no-addiction-for-now/
Hall, A. S., & Parsons, J. (2001). Internet addiction: College student case study using best practices in cognitive behavior therapy. Journal of Mental Health Counseling, 23, 312–327.
Hardoon, K., Derevensky, J., & Gupta, R. (2002). An examination of the influence of familial, emotional, conduct and cognitive problems, and hyperactivity upon youth risk-taking and adolescent gambling problems. A report to the Ontario Problem Gambling Research Centre. R & J Child Development Consultants, Inc., Montreal, QC.
Hinduja, S., & Patchin, J. W. (2007). Offline consequences of online victimization: School violence and delinquency. Journal of School Violence, 6, 89–112.
Johansson, A., & Gotestam, K. G. (2004). Internet addiction: Characteristics of a questionnaire and prevalence in norwegian youth (12–18 years). Scandinavian Journal of Psychology, 45, 223–229.
Kim, J.-U. (2007). A reality therapy group counseling program as an Internet addiction recovery method for college students in Korea. International Journal of Reality Therapy, 26, 3–9.
Kim, J.-U. (2008). The effect of a r/t group counseling program on the Internet addiction level and self-esteem of Internet addiction university students. International Journal of Reality Therapy, 27, 4–12.
King, S. A. (1996). Is the Internet addictive, or are addicts using the Internet?. Retrieved October 15, 2008, from http://webpages.charter.net/stormking/iad.html
Ko, C.-H., Yen, J.-Y., Chen, C.-C., Chen, S.-H., Wu, K., & Yen, C.-F. (2006). Tridimensional personality of adolescents with Internet addiction and substance use experience. The Canadian Journal of Psychiatry/La Revue canadienne de psychiatrie, 51, 887–894.
Ko, C.-H., Yen, J.-Y., Chen, C.-C., Chen, S.-H., & Yen, C.-F. (2005). Proposed diagnostic criteria of Internet addiction for adolescents. Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease, 193, 728–733.
Kraut, R., Kiesler, S., Boneva, B., Cummings, J., Helgeson, V., & Crawford, A. (2002). Internet paradox revisited. Journal of Social Issues, 58, 49–74.
Kraut, R., Patterson, M., Lundmark, V., Kiesler, S., Mukopadhyay, T., & Scherlis, W. (1998). Internet paradox: A social technology that reduces social involvement and psychological well-being? American Psychologist, 53, 1017–1031.
Kubey, R. W., Lavin, M. J., & Barrows, J. R. (2001). Internet use and collegiate academic performance decrements: Early findings. Journal of Communication, 51, 366–382.
Lemmens, J. S., Valkenburg, P., & Peter, J. (2009). Development and validation of a game addiction scale for adolescents. Media Psychology, 12, 77–95.
Lenhart, A., Kahne, J., Middaugh, E., Macgill, A. R., Evans, C., & Vitak, J. (2008). Teens, video games, and civics [Electronic version]. Pew Internet & American Life Project. Retrieved October 16, 2008, from http://pewinternet.org/pdfs/PIP_Teens_Games_and_Civics_Report_FINAL.pdf
Leung, L. (2002). Loneliness, self-disclosure, and icq (“I seek you”) use. Cyberpsychology and Behavior, 5, 241–251.
Macartney, J. (2008). Internet addiction made an official disorder in china. Times Online. Retrieved October 15, 2009, from http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/asia/article5125324.ece
Macek, P. (2003). Adolescence (2nd ed.). Praha: Portál.
Manzin, M., & Biloslavo, R. (2008). Online gambling: Today’s possibilities and tomorrow’s opportunities. Managing Global Transitions, 6, 95–110.
Morahan-Martin, J. (2005). Internet abuse – Addiction? Disorder? Symptom? Alternative explanations? Social Science Computer Review, 23, 39–48.
Morahan-Martin, J., & Schumacher, P. (2000). Incidence and correlates of pathological Internet use among college students. Computers in Human Behavior, 16, 13–29.
Morahan-Martin, J., & Schumacher, P. (2003). Loneliness and social uses of the Internet. Computers in Human Behavior, 19, 659–671.
Niemz, K., Griffiths, M., & Banyard, P. (2005). Prevalence of pathological Internet use among university students and correlations with self-esteem, the general health questionnaire (GHQ), and disinhibition. CyberPsychology and Behavior, 8(6), 562–570.
Parker, J. D. A., Taylor, R. N., Eastabrook, J. M., Schell, S. L., & Wood, L. M. (2008). Problem gambling in adolescence: Relationships with Internet misuse, gaming abuse and emotional intelligence. Personality and Individual Differences, 45, 174–180.
Rau, P.-L. P., Peng, S.-Y., & Yang, C.-C. (2006). Time distortion for expert and novice online game players. CyberPsychology and Behavior, 9, 396–403.
Shapira, N. A., Goldsmith, T. D., Keck, P. E., Khosla, U. M., & McElroy, S. L. (2000). Psychiatric features of individuals with problematic Internet use. Journal of Affective Disorders, 57, 267–272.
Šmahel, D. (2003). Psychologie a Internet: Děti dospělými, dospělí dětmi. [Psychology and Internet: Children being adults, adults being children.]. Prague: Triton.
Šmahel, D., Blinka, L., & Ledabyl, O. (2008). Playing MMORPGs: Connections between addiction and identifying with a character. Cyberpsychology & Behavior, 2008, 480–490.
Šmahel, D., Blinka, L., & Sevcikova, A. (2009a). Cyberbullying among Czech Internet users: Prevalence across age groups. Paper presented at the EU Kids Online Conference. London, UK.
Šmahel, D., Sevcikova, A., Blinka, L., & Vesela, M. (2009b). Abhängigkeit und Internet-applikationen: Spiele, Kommunikation und Sex-Webseiten. [Addiction and Internet applications: Games, communication and sex web sites]. In B. U. Stetina & I. Kryspin-Exner (Eds.), Gesundheit (spsychologie) und Neue Medien. Berlin: Springer.
Šmahel, D., Vondrackova, P., Blinka, L., & Godoy-Etcheverry, S. (2009c). Comparing addictive behavior on the Internet in the Czech Republic, Chile and Sweden. In G. Cardosso, A. Cheong, & J. Cole (Eds.), World Wide Internet: Changing societies, economies and cultures. Macao: University of Macao.
Tsai, C.-C., & Lin, S. S. J. (2003). Internet addiction of adolescents in Taiwan: An interview study. Cyberpsychology and Behavior, 6, 649–652.
Wan, C.-S., & Chiou, W.-B. (2006a). Psychological motives and online games addiction: A test of flow theory and humanistic needs theory for Taiwanese adolescents. CyberPsychology and Behavior, 9, 317–324.
Wan, C.-S., & Chiou, W.-B. (2006b). Why are adolescents addicted to online gaming? An interview study in Taiwan. CyberPsychology and Behavior, 9, 762–766.
Watson, J. C. (2005). Internet addiction diagnosis and assessment: Implications for counselors. Journal of Professional Counseling: Practice, Theory and Research, 33, 17–30.
Widyanto, L., & Griffiths, M. (2007). Internet addiction: Does it really exist? (Revisited). In J. Gackenbach (Eds.), Psychology and the Internet: Intrapersonal, interpersonal, and transpersonal implications (2nd ed., pp. 141–163). San Diego, CA: Academic Press.
Wood, R. T. A. (2008). Problems with the concept of video game addiction: Some case study examples. International Journal of Mental Health and Addiction, 6, 169–178.
Yee, N. (2006). The demographics, motivations and derived experiences of users of massively-multiuser online graphical environments. PRESENCE: Teleoperators and Virtual Environments, 15, 309–329.
Yen, J.-Y., Yen, C.-F., Chen, C.-C., Chen, S.-H., & Ko, C.-H. (2007). Family factors of Internet addiction and substance use experience in Taiwanese adolescents. CyberPsychology and Behavior, 10, 323–329.
Young, K. S. (1995). Internet addiction: Symptoms, evaluation, and treatment. Center for Online Addictions. Retrieved October 6, 2008, from http://www.netaddiction.com/articles/symptoms.pdf
Young, K. S. (1997). What makes the Internet addictive: Potential explanations for pathological Internet use. Paper presented at the 105th annual conference of the American Psychological Association, Chicago. Retrieved October 15, 2008, from http://www.netaddiction.com/articles/habitforming.pdf
Young, K. S. (1998a). Caught in the Net. New York, NY: Wiley.
Young, K. S. (1998b). The center for online addiction – Frequently asked questions. Center for online Addictions. Retrieved October 6, 2008, from http://www.netaddiction.com/faq.htm
Young, K. S. (1998c). Internet addiction: The emergence of a new clinical disorder. Cyberpsychology and Behavior, 1, 237–244.
Young, K. S. (1999). Internet addiction: Symptoms, evaluation and treatment. In L. VandeCreek & T. Jackson (Eds.), Innovations in clinical practice: A source book (Vol. 17, pp. 19–31). Sarasota, FL: Professional Resource.
Young, K. S. (2007). Cognitive behavior therapy with Internet addicts: Treatment outcomes and implications. Cyberpsychology and Behavior, 10, 671–679.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2011 Springer Science+Business Media, LLC
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Subrahmanyam, K., Šmahel, D. (2011). When Is It Too Much? Excessive Internet Use and Addictive Behavior. In: Digital Youth. Advancing Responsible Adolescent Development. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4419-6278-2_9
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4419-6278-2_9
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, New York, NY
Print ISBN: 978-1-4419-6277-5
Online ISBN: 978-1-4419-6278-2
eBook Packages: Behavioral ScienceBehavioral Science and Psychology (R0)