Internet Disorders
Australian Internet addicts could be as clinically ill as alcoholics, psychologists said today. Psychologists from three Melbourne universities said Australian Internet users could show similar problems to those exposed by a study indicating more than one in eight US residents showed signs of "problematic Internet use".
Researchers at Stanford University School of Medicine found some people hid their Internet surfing or went online to cure foul moods in ways that mirrored alcoholics using booze. The study's lead author, Elias Aboulaude, said Internet addicts used their computers to "self-medicate". Deakin psychologist Dr Petra Staiger said her PhD students would soon study Internet addiction in Australia.
"People who go on the internet ... show similar signs of other sorts of addictive behaviour such as drugs or gambling," she said. The US research said the typical Internet addict was a single, university-educated, white male in his 30s, who spent about 30 hours a week on non-essential computer use.
Researchers at Stanford University School of Medicine found some people hid their Internet surfing or went online to cure foul moods in ways that mirrored alcoholics using booze. The study's lead author, Elias Aboulaude, said Internet addicts used their computers to "self-medicate". Deakin psychologist Dr Petra Staiger said her PhD students would soon study Internet addiction in Australia.
"People who go on the internet ... show similar signs of other sorts of addictive behaviour such as drugs or gambling," she said. The US research said the typical Internet addict was a single, university-educated, white male in his 30s, who spent about 30 hours a week on non-essential computer use.
1 Comments:
At 2:54 AM, scrup said…
What most people online who think they are addicted are probably suffering from is the desire to not want to deal with other problems in their lives. Those problems may be a mental disorder (depression, anxiety, etc.), a serious health problem or disability, or a relationship problem. It is no different than turning on the TV so you won't have to talk to your spouse, or going "out with the boys" for a few drinks so you don't have to spend time at home. Nothing is different except the modality.
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