Iad Substance Abuse

A crippling aspect of our modern society is our habitual use of internet, and the immense connection it has to our lives. Many people find themselves consumed by the internet, having it interfere with their personal lives. Recently, increased internet usage has led to the development of Internet Addiction Disorder (IAD) and those afflicted are suffering from a serious problem. They overuse the internet, causing them to become isolated from their loved ones. Their internet usage destroys their minds, causing problems like depression and anxiety. Worst of all, the effects of IAD on your neural pathways are identical to the effects of substance-abuse disorders. In the effort to battle IAD, solutions have included cutting off our internet usage

completely, ignoring the benefits of technology such as e-mail or Google Maps. Instead, I suggest a continued usage of the internet, although in moderation. Regardless, your experience with IAD depends on you, you need to be the one to combat it and break free from the grasp of the internet.
Using the internet excessively serves to consume the lives of those with IAD, separating them from their loved ones. People suffering from IAD waste valuable time, time that could be spent interacting with others. According to research from the Stanford Institute for the Quantitative Study of Society, “31 percent of the U.S. population, according to the study—spend a whopping 70 minutes less daily interacting with family” (Dixon). Losing more than an hour of interacting with one’s family is heart-breaking, time that could have been spent making memories is instead wasted away online.
Not only does IAD cause social problems, it is also responsible for a variety of neurological problems. People suffering from IAD often develop harmful mental conditions like anxiety, as shown by a study done on Chinese adolescents which found that “Adolescents with IAD revealed… significantly higher scores for obsessive–compulsive, interpersonal sensitivity, depression, anxiety, hostility, and paranoid ideation” (Huang et al). Problems like depression are already treated extremely seriously, highlighting a need to bring attention to IAD which induces it. The neurological effects of IAD can also be found as deep as the brain pathways.
IAD pathologically compels the addicted, causing them to feel drawn to the internet.

In this sense, IAD is similar to gambling, an addiction not substance fueled yet very similar. Dr. Elias Aboujaoude, a psychiatrist at Stanford, claims that, when comparing reward pathways in substance-abusers to those of internet users, “Similar pathways seem activated" (McClurg). Since IAD manifests itself similarly to substance-abuse disorders, it should be treated as one. An example of this would be smoking, a substance-abuse disorder which plagues many people yet is often used in moderation. If we could use the internet equivalent of one smoke a day, it would be easier to handle the effects of IAD.

Regardless of problems, the internet is a must-have in everyday life. It is deeply connected to everything we do, be that our jobs or communication. According to the Pew Research Center 88% of American adults use the internet. The fact that nine-in-ten Americans use the internet regularly shows how reliant we have become on the internet. Though the internet is proven to have merits, I still suggest that we should limit its usage for our health. By setting aside time for socializing rather than online, we can counteract the effects of

IAD.
In the 21st century the rise of internet usage has culminated in IAD becoming an increasing problem, damaging people worldwide. IAD’s ability to socially isolate you, cause neurological problems, and replicate brain pathways of substance-abuse all show why it should be taken seriously. We don’t need to completely cut off our internet usage, we need to limit it. So when faced with the choice to turn off your devices, take it and fight the addiction.