The internet brings us a wealth of information and entertainment. It also brings us several problems, and those may include withdrawal. The American Psychiatric Association has determined there’s a psychological issue called “Internet Use Disorder” that may cause you trouble when you’re offline.
Here’s how the APA defines Internet Use Disorder (IUD):
A preoccupation with gaming, withdrawal symptoms (such as anxiety and irritability) while offline, the need to spend increasing amounts of time gaming (called “tolerance”), loss of other interests and hobbies, inability to limit gaming time, use of gaming to improve mood, deception of family and friends about extent of use, and jeopardising opportunities because of gaming.
The Consumerist notes that IUD isn’t just for gamers, but that other studies have linked the condition to general web use. While there’s no question we, as a society, are moving towards internet dependency and that technology is seriously addictive, does it really deserve to be called a psychological disorder? Should we be taking action to prevent it now, or is this an overreaction and we’ll simply adjust over time? Could the APA think of no other name for the disorder than one that shares an acronym with intrauterine device? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
Image: Olga Palma.
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