Internet Addiction Disorder (IAD) is a new kind of addiction, which manifests itself in an excessive computer use that usually collides with person’s daily life.
The fundamental problem of IAD is not a computer. Person is not addicted to the machine but to the emotional states that arise as a result of his/her own activities accomplished by the computer and through the computer. For instance, an on-line games player may become addicted to the strong excitement, the emotional "high” and the satisfaction of winning. For someone else it would be sexual arousal felt by reviewing porn Websites. However, “since the aspects of the Internet where people are spending the greatest amount of time online have to do with social interactions, it would appear that socialization is what makes the Internet so ‘addicting’,” writes John M. Grohol, Psy.D. (Grohol, M. John. “Internet Addiction Guide.” Psych Central. Psych Central, 28 Nov. 2008 . Web 8 Feb 2011) Internet dependency can be dangerous because it can lead to social isolation, extreme neglect of important life issues, family conflicts, arguments between partners and can lead to a variety of adverse conditions and psychiatric disorders.
Symptoms of addiction to the Internet are many, including: * lies about amount of time spent on the Internet, * problems with personal life (with family, work, school, social life) associated with the use of computer / Internet, * a need for extending a time spent on-line to achieve desired level of satisfaction or excitement, * use of Internet to escape from unwanted feelings, * experiencing anxiety, insomnia, irritability, mood changes, depression, when access to the Net is