Internet Abuse & Internet Addiction

According to "The Washington Post," a 2005 survey by Stanford University found that Internet use affects about 6 percent of all relationships and 9 percent of people try to hide the amount of time they spend on the Web. The rise of the Internet has led to a new mental condition called Internet abuse, which sometimes leads to Internet addiction.

Features

• Internet abuse and addiction occur when a person becomes so preoccupied with spending time on the Web that he ignores friends, family members and his spouse. This often is associated with an addiction to online pornography, gambling and chat rooms.

Effects

• Once Internet abuse and addiction begin, they usually get worse over time unless someone intervenes or the addict seeks help. Sometimes Internet addicts want to cut back on their time online but feel anxiety when away from a computer.

Considerations

• People are at risk for developing unhealthy computer habits when they have anxiety problems, depression or other addictions and lack an outside social network. This can lead them to seek social interaction in chat rooms and Internet forums.

Symptoms

• The typical signs of an Internet addiction include believing that online buddies "get" you more than the people who actually know you, failure to finish routine tasks like doing laundry because you had to do something on the Web and irritability when not at a computer.

Solution

• You should seek help for other problems that may contribute to or cause your excessive computer use, such as depression. In addition, make more real-life friends so you have less time for the Web. If this does not help, consider attending a support group or consulting a therapist or psychologist.