Essay About Internet Addiction

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Recommended: Technology has improved communication

Introduction
According to Addictions.com, the advancement in communications’ technology has generated another level of diagnosable addiction, Internet addiction (“What is Internet Addiction?”). As stated in the American Journal of Drug and Alcohol Abuse, Internet addiction is caused by excessive computer use and Internet access, leading to irregularity in behaviour (Weinstein and Lejoyeux 277). Examples of websites that users are mostly addicted to include online gaming, chat rooms and social media sites.

This topic of interest is important and captivating to most, since the Internet has become an integral part in many people’s daily lives. A survey conducted by the Pew Internet and American Life Project shows that as of September 2013, 86% of American adults use the Internet, up from 14% in 1995 (“ Pew Internet and American Life Project”).
The term ‘addiction’ has previously only been used for drugs, smoking and alcohol. Due to this, many do not know what exactly is considered an ‘addiction’ to the Internet, why and who are the people that get ‘addicted’ and what are the effects on their lives. Hence, this is what we will be exploring more on in our literature review.
Literature Review
Causes of Internet Addiction
One can get addicted to the Internet if they are previously addicted to other substances or activities, for example, an addiction with drugs or alcohol. Most people use the Internet as a way to “self-medicate” themselves from feelings of isolation or stress, similar to how people who are addicted to alcohol and drugs would do (Tracy 5).
On the other hand, some use this virtual world to meet with real people through the Internet, as another form of human connection, maybe because they do not have relationships in reali...

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...e surveys have shown that more Internet addicts are men. It is very known that teenagers make up most of the Internet addicts due to the advancement in technology in our generation. Even so, the older demographic are slowly becoming more Internet savvy, leading to the increase in Internet addicts for adults.
There are many effects when it comes to the obsessive use of the Internet such as affecting one’s health, mental well-being and even their relationships with others. This shows that Internet addiction not only affects one adversely, but everyone else around the user as well.

With more research being done, we can keep pace with this evolvement of the Internet rather than being overwhelmed with it (Chou et al. 368). Finally, although most of these studies are not done in local situations, it will help us craft appropriate survey questions for our questionnaire.

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