Chapter 2

Review of Related Literatures

Internet Addiction: A Handbook and Guide to Evaluation and Treatment

Each day new advances in technology are fostering a reliance on the Internet and computers in
order to stay connected. Just as society has seen the development and impact of chemical
addiction, so too are we just beginning to understand the problems and damage caused by
compulsive and problematic Internet usage (Young, 2010). According to Young (2010), when the
world just saw new inventions coming to life and being addicted on doing inventions, we are
also getting addicted to the Internet, because Internet is one of the main sources of getting
data. The ability for individuals to seek help and access treatment providers has continued to
progress with more attention being drawn to Internet Addiction (Young, 2010). People
nowadays look for psychiatrists that can help them out of their addiction, but still many people
are getting addicted to it. Davis (2001) assumed that the most central factor of the cognitive-
behavioral mode of Internet Addiction was the presence of maladaptive cognitions. He classified
maladaptive cognitions into two subtypes-thoughts about the self and thoughts about the
world which he viewed as sufficient proximal causes for Internet Addiction. He further assumed
that cognitive distortions such as rumination, self-doubt, low self-efficacy, and negative self-
appraisal tended to contribute to, intensify, or maintain Internet Addiction.

Social networking sites are another place that individuals could potentially locate others to have
an affair with. These potential others could really be known to that person. For instance, a social
networking site might be used to initiate flirtation with or learn more about a person than what
they would typically self-disclose face-to-face (Young, 2010). Social networks like Facebook is
one of the most popular sites on the Internet, many people use it to gain friends, while others
use it to flirt also. It has games that can make it so addicting and it is the “in” in todays
generation.

SURFING NOT STUDYING: DEALING WITH INTERNET ADDICTION ON CAMPUS

Recent reports indicated that some on-line users were becoming addicted to the Internet in
much the same way that others became addicted to drugs, alcohol, or gambling, which resulted
in academic failure (Brady, 1996; Murphey, 1996); reduced work performance (Robert Half
International, 1996), and even marital discord and separation (Quittner, 1997). Clinical research
on behavioral addictions has focused on compulsive gambling (Mobilia, 1993), overeating
(Lesieur & Blume, 1993), and compulsive sexual behavior (Goodman, 1993). Similar addiction
models have been applied to technological overuse (Griffiths, 1996), computer dependency
(Shotton, 1991), excessive television viewing (Kubey & Csikszentmihalyi, 1990; McIlwraith et
al., 1991), and obsessive video game playing (Keepers, 1991). However, the concept of addictive
Internet use has not been empirically researched. Therefore, the purpose of this exploratory
study was to investigate if Internet usage could be considered addictive and to identify the
extent of problems created by such misuse.

Internet Gaming and Youth: Addiction or Affection?

Internet Addiction Disorder (IAD) is excessive computer use that interferes with physical and
emotional health, relationships, work, school and other parts of daily life. It can cause the user
to go days without showering or eating, which can lead to the breakdown of relationships and
the degeneration of school and work obligation fulfillment (Zur, 2010).

The Relationship Between Depression and Internet Addiction

As noted with other addictive disorders, our findings suggest that increased levels of depression
are associated with those who become addicted to the Internet. This suggests that clinical
depression is significantly associated with increased levels of personal Internet use. These
results should be interpreted with caution, however, as self-selected sample biases exist in this
study coupled with the questionable accuracy of on-line responses.