The Pros And Cons Of Internet Addiction

The article by Carlisle et al., (2016) highlights a survey on Internet addiction, the challenges, and possible solutions. The recent internet expansions and connectivity across the globe has resulted in a number of benefits as well as challenges. Reports indicate that over a third of the world’s population is currently connected to the internet, with the trend expanding significantly. The US is reported to have increased its high internet connections from 2.8 million to 206 million from 1999 to 2011. Most people currently use the internet for a number of activities, with examples being communication, education, research, and entertainment among others. However, while the internet proves to improve individuals’ lives it has been cited to result in misuse and overuse. The internet overuse as well as misuse leads to addiction, social isolation, poor interpersonal interactions, family instability, and low academic performance. Research on internet addiction is thus necessary, in order to assess whether it may be included in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM-5).

Researchers are uncertain on whether to consider internet as an all-encompassing umbrella in which users become addicted, or whether it serves to feed one’ addiction to a new behavior. In this, the article highlights that various forms of addiction such as gambling, gaming, and sex addiction are facilitated by the internet. As such, the internet may be regarded as an umbrella addiction that has common characteristics with other co-morbid process addictions (Carlisle et al., 2016). To explain, the article offers the example of an individual with internet gaming and pornography addiction. Such an individual may be diagnosed separately for the two addictions, and may also be diagnosed under the internet addiction