Internet Addiction 1

Internet Addiction Literature Review

Jorge Lopez

RWS 1302

University of Texas at El Paso

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Abstract

The internet has become a significant access for everyone during the last decade. These

days internet is used for many things like work, school, for communication, and to use many

social and non-social networks. These big resource that the world has today, which is the

internet, is a resource that people use every day and that is also significant to get things done and

to achieve the goals of many people around the world. There are many jobs, careers and

businesses that require the internet in order to be successful. Like everything, doing things with

excess is not healthy and have many problems. The problem of using the internet with

excessiveness, is internet addiction. Internet Addiction is one of the worst addictions that there is

today. It is very big because there are many ways in which people can get addicted to the internet

and because it affects people in many different ways. The purpose of this literature review is to

know internet addiction in a broader perspective and to connect how it affects people around the

entire world.

Keywords: Internet Addiction, social networks, Cellphone addiction, School, Students

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A Literature Review of Internet Addiction

Internet Addiction is currently one of the worst addictions there is. The reason why it is

so big is because internet has an immense part of our life and in this technology era. Every

electronical device that exists to this day has access to the internet and functions to the 100%

only if it is used with internet access. That being said, it is very hard for people not to use the

internet with the big access that there is to it today. Even if people cannot buy this devices, there

is access to it in public libraries, cyber cafes, school, etc. Internet addiction is a very broad

addiction because of the many ways that one can get addicted to it as well. There are many

sources in which people can get addicted to this and the main problem about it is that they are

easy to access. The people that realize that this addiction is bigger than people think have been

working for a long time now in order to prevent people to become addicted to the internet or also

to help people that are already addicted to this powerful addiction.

However, after many years of having this addiction, there is people who do not think this

addiction is real and they dont give it importance. But those who think that this problem is in

fact significant work hard to help those in need and to prevent it. A problem of this is that since

the internet is used very frequently used today and as it is used for unproductive things it is also

used for productive things, is that the internet has to be used and it is just a matter of preventing

people to feel the need to use the internet all day, which is a problem that people have all around

the world. In order to realize the problems that internet addiction has and to understand how this

addiction works, one has to question how its characteristics work. To do so this 3 important

questions have to be examined:

1. What are different types of internet addictions around the world and how do they work?

2. How is internet addiction affecting peoples socially and physically?

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3. What are peoples reactions to this addiction and how do they prevent, help, or oppose

this issue?

This three questions will help provide information into how internet addiction works,

how people are affected by this issue in any way, and how the world reacts to this addictions

issues.

What are different types of internet addictions around the world and how do the work?

One of the reasons why internet addiction is very broad is because there are many types

of internet addictions. The main types are: cellphone addiction, videogames and gaming

addictions, video addiction, social network addiction and cybersex addiction. These addictions

are very powerful and a big reason of why internet addiction is so effective. These addictions can

cause people to use the internet all day and to get obsessed on using the internet all times at any

place. It is most likely that a person is addicted to the internet if they feel the need to use the

internet for these manners anywhere they are.

Cellphone addictions is one of the worse causes of internet addictions. These days, every

cellphone has access to the internet and that is why people get addicted to the cellphone. The

percentage of people that own a cellphone or a smartphone in the U.S. is very big. Since smart

phones can be used to search the internet, to watch videos, to get into social media, cellphones
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are another source that people use to be on the internet the whole day. It is very easy for people

to access the internet on their phones because since it is a small device, so they can take it

anywhere and use it. There are symptoms to know if someone is a victim of cellphone addiction

which are: a need to use the cell phone often in order to feel good, failed attempts to use the

phone more often, preoccupation with the smartphone use, using cellphone when experiencing

anxiety or depression, excessive use, losing track of time, putting personal life or job to risk,

need for the newest devices, and feeling anger, tension, depression, or irritability when unable to

reach network on the phone as said in Dianovas article of internet addiction. These

characteristic are very important because if an individual feels some of them it is very probable

that he or she is suffering from cellphone addiction.

Video gaming addiction is also another addiction thats a part of internet addiction. This

is an addiction most popular in teenagers or young adults, although it can happen to anyone.

Playing online video games can be very addicting and cause many problems to people. Some

symptoms that a person suffers from this addictions are: feelings of restlessness or irritability

whenever unable to play, preoccupations on thoughts about online activity, lying whenever asked

how many hours a day played, and isolation of others and lack of desire to spent time outside

home in order to play video games. This addiction is severe because people suffering from it

feel the desire of playing online all day instead of doing other activities.

Video addiction is another branch of internet addiction. These days the television is not

the only source to watch movies, tv shows, documentaries, etc. Everyone can access all of those

online and in applications like Netflix, Hulu, Crackle, YouTube, Amazon and many others.

Many people get addicted to watch movies all day, tv shows all day. This is a big addiction

because people feel the desire of keep watching more and more episodes of different tv shows.
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This addiction can cause people to forget or to not want to do things that they are supposed to do

in order to watch this video applications.

Social network addictions is an addiction which many people suffer around the world.

These addictions are most popular in social networks like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram,

Snapchat, Messenger, amongst others. Although social networks are good because they can keep

anyone in communication to people close to them and sometimes live far from them, it can make

them feel the need to be using them all the time. For some people, the social network is an easy

way to socialize with others and they may feel that they are hanging out as if they were meeting

in person but instead they socialize with each other using these networks. This addiction could

make people stop feeling the desire to talk and socialize with others in person and rather do it

online.

Cybersex addiction is one of the worst addictions there is in internet addiction. These

addiction is being addicted to watch pornography online. The reason that this addiction is a big

one is because people often get involved in this cyber fantasies. Examples of cybersex addictions

could be pornography or xxx webcams. People often get to the point in which they think that the

relationships built in this webcams are real. People can stop noticing real life and get carried

away by this fantasies. This is an addiction in which very often people have to get help because

this can affect their personal life.

All of this addictions that internet addiction carries show the massive addiction that in

fact is this issue. There are many ways to know if an individual has symptoms of this disease and

to detect it. All of these addictions have their own problem and anyone can get affected by this

addiction. As Kenneth Search quotes in Other Bumps in the Road: Between 4 percent and 6

percent of computer users admitted that internet use was problematic, and an additional 6 percent
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engaged in computer on computer behaviors that met the strict criteria for Compulsive Internet

use. And this is just out of a research made in Spring of 2000, 17 years later this is a way

bigger addiction around the world.

How is internet addiction affecting peoples socially and physically?

Internet addiction is one of the worst addictions that humans suffer. The main problem

about this addiction is that it affects you in your social life and as well it can affect your health

drastically. The main way that this addiction affects peoples social life is by getting them away

of close ones in order to keep using this addictive source. The conflict is on whether someone

can spend more time using a computer, are any devices that carries internet, instead of spending

time with family, friends, and for some people they also spend too many time using the internet

at work, which can get one fired and that affects their personal way immensely. Another issue of

this addiction is the usage on school campuses. It is a fact that internet addiction affects students

get distracted by using their cell phones during class. This is a bad habit because instead of being

educated in classes students often use their smart phone for non-educational purposes. Some

students are not learning much from classes.

Internet addiction can also cause diseases in which sometimes affect their whole life. Dr.

Kimberly Young, a professional in internet addiction said On average, kids are getting at least

an hour less sleep each night than they need. Studies indicate that TVs, computers, and cell

phones in bedrooms, interfere with students getting the rest that their minds and bodies need, in

her article Why Screen Time Matters. This reflects the big impact that this issue has because

students get affected by this since they are young. People get used to use their devices with

excessiveness and they dont sleep much because they spend hours on the internet and cant let

go of their devices. Too much screen time can deny kids opportunities to interact with people.
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It is especially important that young children have plenty of practice listening, speaking, and

reading. Oral language is critical to reading, and both skills are essential for success at school.

Studies show the more children watch TV the lower their reading scores; the less well they do;

and the less well socialized they are in 1st grade, this quote explains the importance of kids

learning to control their internet usage since young age. Dr. Young believes that if a kid is

thought and is used to not be on the internet all day, it will be harder to fall into this addiction.

What are peoples reactions to this addiction and how do they prevent, help, or oppose

this issue?

There is many people that try to end internet addiction. Two main campaigns that are

opposed to this addiction and try to end it are the It Can Wait Campaign and the

#DontLetThemPossessYou campaign. These two campaign have their own specific view on the

issue. The It Can Wait campaign was made by AT&T. AT&T wants to end cell phone usage

while driving. Their point of view is that driving while texting increments the possibility of

getting into a car accident or running someone over by being distracted. This campaigns enforces

into letting people know the risks of driving and texting and to pledge to never do it, also passing

the word to others. The #DontLetThemPossessYou campaign was made by Dianova with help of

Dr. Young. This campaign thinks that the internet possesses people and makes them act different

ways. Montserrat Rafel, the executive director of Dianova International said this on her speech

with the new campaign, Dianova is pleased to launch an innovative campaign that aims not only

to raise awareness about a major concern for adolescents and parents, but also to contribute to a

constructive debate on the issue of Internet overuse and the widespread obsession with

technology, a public health problem that we will need to tackle in a very near future. This

shows Dianovas opinion on Internet addiction and how they focus on young kids and
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adolescents, because if they start getting used to control their internet usage, it is less probable

that they will suffer from this addiction.

There is many people that do not think that internet addiction is real. For some people

internet addiction is just a phase in which the world is going through. Jillian Jones, a psychology

major at the University of Texas at El Paso, commented on the matter: I think Internet

Addiction is a serious matter because people often use their cellphones all day instead of

interacting with other, or use the internet instead of putting attention at school, or work. This is

her experience with internet addiction although she claims to mostly answer messages on my

phone and get into the social networks when I have free time. Although Jill claims to not use

her phone that often, and she realizes that internet addiction is a serious disease, there is many

people who dont think it is as significant as others.

Conclusion

It is certain that Internet Addiction is a very broad and complicated addiction. There is a

lot of people that think internet addiction is not as big as it claims, although there is also people

who work hard to end this disease and to help the victims. With todays new technology, it is a

fact that internet forms a big part of peoples life all around the world. The usage of internet is

inevitable, although using internet for the right reasons is definitely what some people think

would be better for the future. Because of how big internet is these days, there will always be

problems with internet addiction. Some people will suffer more from it and some people will

never know they are addicted. People will have to keep doing what they are, and if this

campaigns made against internet addictions succeed, then a big change is going to be noticeable

around the world.

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Primary Resource

Jillian Jones, Psychology major student at The University of Texas at El Paso

Secondary Resources

Search, K. (2004). Internet Addiction. GPSolo, 21(7), 48-49. Retrieved from

http://0-www.jstor.org.lib.utep.edu/stable/23672844

Pertierra, R. (2007). DURKHEIM, MOBILES AND THE SPHERE OF THE SOCIAL.

Philippine Sociological Review, 55, 15-36. Retrieved from

http://0-www.jstor.org.lib.utep.edu/stable/2389824

AT&T. (n.d.). It Can Wait. Retrieved September 22, 2017, from

https://www.itcanwait.com/

Dianova. (2016, June 24). Internet Addiction: #DontLetThemPossessYou. Retrieved September

22, 2017, from

https://www.dianova.ngo/news/internet-addiction-dont-let-them-possess-you/

Young, K. S. (2016, June 24). Why Screen Time Matters. Retrieved September 22, 2017, from

https://www.dianova.ngo/opinion/why-screen-time-matters/

Huang, C. (2010). Internet addiction: Stability and change. European Journal of Psychology of

Education, 25(3), 345-361. Retrieved from

http://0-www.jstor.org.lib.utep.edu/stable/23421688

Chou, C., Condron, L., & Belland, J. (2005). A Review of the Research on Internet Addiction.

Educational Psychology Review, 17(4), 363-388. Retrieved from

http://0-www.jstor.org.lib.utep.edu/stable/23363971

Signs and Symptoms of Cell Phone Addiction. (n.d.). Retrieved October 26, 2017, from

https://www.psychguides.com/guides/signs-and-symptoms-of-cell-phone-addiction/
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