Internet Addiction: Ruining Lives?

Aug. 7, 2003 -- It's got people worried: Glassy-eyed millions are downloading, instant messaging, emailing -- and they're doing it 24/7. Hours and hours after logging on, they can't walk away.

When does harmless Internet surfing cross into overuse, or -- as some say -- Internet addiction?

Nathan A. Shapira, MD, PhD, a psychiatrist in the McKnight Brain Institute at the University of Florida in Gainesville, has been studying this social problem since 1997. His latest paper, published in the current issue of Depression and Anxiety, outlines theories about this phenomenon.

When the computer age burgeoned two decades ago, researchers looked into computer and technology dependence. But they didn't find the same damage -- especially to relationships -- that Internet overuse seems to cause. In fact, psychiatrists are still trying to figure out what's going on -- and how best to treat the problem, he says.

"It's disheartening," Shapira tells WebMD. "We have this wonderful, very prevalent technology, but no one really knows the effect it's having on us."

Positive Becomes Negative

It's no secret: Many people use the computer to satisfy, stir up excitement, release tension, or provide relief -- whether it involves sex or not, he writes. Surfing, chatting, playing interactive games -- that's where those long hours go.

Make no mistake: Surfing has its upside, much like exercise or meditation, Shapira writes. "It's just that when Internet use becomes excessive, it can -- like other impulse disorders -- be distressing and disabling," he tells WebMD.

There likely is a psychological dependence -- as happens with TV, exercise, sex, or gambling -- rather than a physiological dependence as with smoking and alcohol abuse, Shapira writes.

In fact, Internet abuse often dovetails with another psychiatric problem. People with obsessive-compulsive disorder -- the same ones who compulsively gamble or shop -- may find the Internet an outlet, he adds. Depression seems to lead others to overuse, creating a viscous cycle fed by isolation.

The problem is not likely to ebb, not any time soon, he says. "People get a rush from being on three computers at once, keeping different things going on each one. And as speed gets better, the problem will likely get worse. Speed is part of the enticement."