Information Society Watch

Jennifer R. Ferris, Virginia Tech University

This paper highlights the growing body of research in the area of addiction, which suggests that Internet Addiction Disorder (IAD), a psycho-physiological disorder involving tolerance, withdrawal symptoms, affective disturbances, and interruption of social relationships, is becoming common in society as online usage increases by the day. The author considers reasons for this form of addiction, and recognises that the solution is not to outlaw the Internet, but instead adopt simpler methods of prevention that do exist. IAD is especially relevant because of the growing importance of the Internet in everyday life, with more and more people accessing various online resources on a regular basis. For the addicted, however, the benefits of the Internet are becoming detriments, to the point that it disturbs their life and the lives of those around them. However, a divergent school of thought claims that Internet Addiction Disorder does not exist because getting pleasure out of a computer is not the same as getting pleasure from cocaine or any other drug (Adapted from author).

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