The Internet is not the enemy just because people become dependent on it. It has
many important and necessary benefits. It is fast, ecologically sound, convenient, and
informative. In many ways it makes our lives much simpler. In many ways it makes our
lives more complex. The Internet provides an escape from reality and everyday problems
just like alcohol or drugs. Some argue that the interaction with other people on the
Internet fills a social void. People can assume new identities; others interact with that
identity and the person may assume these on-line relationships are the same as the real
thing. It becomes a problem when people become so engrossed and enmeshed in on-line
activities, and their “other” lives to the point of neglecting their health, relationships, jobs,
and other responsibilities. As with many of life’s pleasures, moderation is the key.

If a person knows that he or she has difficulty with other forms of addictive behavior, they should be cautious in exploring the types of application that are used on the Internet. In addition, it is important for people to engage in social activities outside the Internet. Finally, mental health workers should investigate ways in which to participate in the implementation of new technology rather than waiting for its aftereffects.

Since Internet addiction disorder is a relatively new phenomenon, there is little research on the effectiveness of treatment procedures. Some professionals advocate abstinence from the Internet. Others argue that it may be unrealistic to have a person completely end all Internet use. As society becomes more and more dependent on computers for business transactions, educational programs, entertainment, and access to information as well as interpersonal communication, it will be difficult for a computer-literate person to avoid using the Internet. Learning how to use the Internet in moderation is often the main objective in therapy, in a way analogous to the way that people with eating disorders need to come to terms with food. Many of the procedures that have been used to treat Internet addiction have been modeled after other addiction treatment programs and support groups.

If a person’s Internet addiction disorder has a biological dimension, then such medication as an antidepressant or anti-anxiety drug may help them with these aspects of the addiction. Psychological interventions may include such approaches as changing the environment to alter associations that have been made with Internet use, or decrease the reinforcement received from excessive Internet use. Psychological interventions may also help the person identify thoughts and feelings that trigger their use of the Internet. Interpersonal interventions may include such approaches as social skills training or coaching in communication skills. Family and couple therapy may be indicated if the user is turning to the Internet to escape from problems in these areas of life.

Relapsing into an addictive behavior is common for anyone dealing with addiction disorders. Recognizing and preparing for relapse is often a part of the treatment process. Identifying situations that would trigger excessive Internet use and generating ways to deal with these situations can greatly reduce the possibility of total relapse.

One symptom of Internet addiction is excessive time devoted to Internet use. A person might have difficulty cutting down on his or her online time even when they are threatened with poor grades or loss of a job. There have been cases reported of college students failing courses because they would not take time off from Internet use to attend classes. Other symptoms of addiction may include lack of sleep, fatigue, declining grades or poor job performance, apathy, and racing thoughts. There may also be a decreased investment in social relationships and activities. A person may lie about how much time was spent online or deny that they have a problem. They may be irritable when offline, or angry toward anyone who questions their time on the Internet.

No one knows what causes a person to be addicted to the Internet, but there are several factors that have been proposed as contributing to Internet addiction. One theory concerns the mood-altering potential of behaviors related to process addictions. Just as a person addicted to shopping may feel a “rush” or pleasurable change in mood from the series of actions related to a spending spree— checking one’s credit cards, driving to the mall, going into one’s favorite store, etc.— the person with an Internet addiction may feel a similar “rush” from booting up their computer and going to their favorite web sites. In other words, some researchers think that there are chemical changes that occur in the body when someone is engaging in an addictive behavior. Furthermore, from a biological standpoint, there may be a combination of genes that make a person more susceptible to addictive behaviors, just as researchers have located genes that affect a person’s susceptibility to alcohol.

In addition to having features of a process addiction, Internet use might be reinforced by pleasurable thoughts and feelings that occur while the person is using the Internet. Although researchers in the field of addiction studies question the concept of an “addictive personality” as such, it is possible that someone who has one addiction may be prone to become addicted to other substances or activities, including Internet use. People with such other mental disorders or symptoms as depression, feelings of isolation, stress, or anxiety, may “self-medicate” by using the Internet in the same way that some people use alcohol or drugs of abuse to self-medicate the symptoms of their mental disorder.

From a social or interpersonal standpoint, there may be familial factors prompting use of the Internet.

For example, a person might “surf the Web” to escape family conflict. Another possibility is that social or peer dynamics might prompt excessive Internet use. Some affected persons may lack the social skills that would enable them to meet people in person rather than online. Peer behavior might also encourage Internet use if one’s friends are using it. Modeling may play a role—users can witness and experience how others engage in Internet use and then replicate that behavior. The interactive aspects of the Internet, such as chat rooms, e-mail, and interactive games like Multi-User Dungeons and Dragons (MUDS), seem to be more likely to lead to Internet addiction than purely solitary web surfing.

One question that has not yet been answered concerning Internet addiction is whether it is a distinctive type of addiction or simply an instance of a new technology being used to support other addictions. For example, there are gambling casinos on the Internet that could reinforce a person’s pre-existing gambling addiction. Similarly, someone addicted to shopping could transfer their addiction from the local mall to online stores. Persons addicted to certain forms of sexual behavior can visit pornography sites on the Internet or use chat rooms as a way to meet others who might be willing to participate in those forms of behavior. Researchers may need to determine whether there is such a disorder as “pure” Internet addiction.

Compulsive Internet Use, Computer Addiction, Internet Dependence, Problematic Internet Use, Internet Addiction and Internet Addiction Disorder - all of these are essentially terms that have been applied to those that spend excessive amounts of time online at the expense of and to the detriment of other aspects of their lives. The obsessive behaviour takes the form of particular activities, and might include any or all of the following:
• Relationships: spending excessive amounts of time starting and maintaining online friendships in chat rooms, which replace real-life friends and family.
• Money: compulsively gambling online, trading online, and partaking in online auctions.
• Information searching: compulsive web surfing or database searches.
• Gaming: obsessive computer game playing, including multi-user games.
• Sex: addiction to adult chatrooms, cyber sex or pornography on the Internet.
There has been an increasing amount of attention given to this phenomenon, and attempts to quantify the problem have produced some staggering statistics: for example, figures suggesting that as many as 6-10% of the 189 million US Internet users have a dependency on the Internet, and there are as many as 1 million German Internet addicts. There have also been cases recorded of addiction to texting on mobile phones.

The Internet and mobile technology are increasingly important to the educational and social lives of children, and are becoming a part of children’s identity. As one young person said to Childnet at one of its recent focus group meetings, “Take away my mobile phone and you take away a part of me!”

With the advent of broadband and mobile access to the Internet giving young people access to the Internet any place and at any time, and thus 24/7 entertainment, interaction and communication, there is a real risk that children can become so immersed in their online world that it can seem to take over their lives. It is easy to see why some children and young people love spending many hours pursuing their interests, playing games, finding information and communicating with friends (and strangers) online. However, when this use becomes obsessive and at the expense of other aspects of a young person’s life, this use of the Internet could be problematic and could even be classified as Internet addiction.
This guide produced by Childnet has drawn on other resources and serves as an introduction to the subject and will help you as parents or carers think about the issue of Internet addition, what the indicators of addiction are and tips for helping children. It will also highlight further resources and services that are available.

Me to Sophie – “Sophie I think this webpsychosis website could be really big ” Sophie to Me with raised eyebrow – “ Isn’t that like an alcoholic running a pub ? “

Having worked developing internet content, applications and businesses since 1998 I have become very familar with the stress associated with working in the internet media industry. Firstly as a developer you are at the mercy of rapidly changing technology, as a business owner you are at the mercy of the challenges of keeping up with your competitors, as an online marketeer you need to be up to date with the latest cool way of selling product, viral, social, email or banner. But one thing that unites all of us in our quest for internet glory is the understanding and appreication of what it takes to succeed in internet marketing. The term “google dance” was coined to describe the effect websites feel when google goes through an update due to algorithmic, architectural or other changes. The google dance  has a very negative effect on those people actively involved in the business. For example if you run a business that employs 8 people, turns over $3 million USD per annum and relies on Google for 80% of its customers you can guarantee one thing, the google update is going to take you for a ride.

For SEO professionals the latest update (April 2008) seems to have put a bigger cat among the pigeons and while this post is about webpsychosis rather than SEO, the latest google update is where the two meet. There is a psychological condition called “learned helplessness” and I am sure this is what most SEO professionals are feeling right now.

 Defined by Wiki:

“Learned helplessness is a psychological condition in which a human being or an animal has learned to believe that it is helpless in a particular situation. It has come to believe that it has no control over its situation and that whatever it does is futile. As a result, the human being or the animal will stay passive in the face of an unpleasant, harmful or damaging situation, even when it does actually have the power to change its circumstances. Learned helplessness theory is the view that depression results from a perceived absence of control over the outcome of a situation, or situations(Seligman, 1975). Examples can be found in schools, mental institutions, orphanages, or long-term care facilities where the patients have failed or been stripped of agency for long enough to cause their feelings of inadequacy to persist.^[”

Google controls so much more that our search engine rankings, they control or business, our sales, our riches and our subsequent happiness.  Maybe we need to wake up to what might be happening.