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'Internet addiction' could appear on the official list of mental illnesses
Alcohol, drugs, gambling -- three of the greatest and most dangerous vices. Drop your guard for just a moment and you might soon find yourself naked and greasy in a dank gutter, inebriated, in debt, choking on your own vomit -- or all three. The danger of these vices lies in their addictive nature. Sword swallowing might be dangerous, but it isn't classed as 'addictive' by psychiatrists. Internet Addiction, however, might soon become a recognized mental disorder.The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) is the go-to authority for psychiatrists and psychotherapists trying to diagnose patients. I almost called it the 'bible', but that would probably be a bit offensive -- but basically, if you're displaying some symptoms, they use this book to work out what you've got. The American Psychiatric Association (APA) are working on the fifth revision of the book at the moment, and Internet Addiction might be included to the ever-growing list of disorders.
There seems to be an almost diametric split down the middle though -- some members of the APA want more disorders, while others want a severe reduction in the complexity and attribution of 'disorder' labels to everything under the sun. Here's hoping Internet Addiction doesn't make it into the book -- because if we can be addicted to the Internet... well, that opens the floodgate for just about anything.
[via Techdirt]
Comments
11
Subscribe to commentsJimFeb 25th 2010 7:09PM
That's the whole point, ANYTHING can be addicting. An addiction is bad when it disrupts your life and you feel you have no control over it. Get off your high horse!
Sebastian AnthonyFeb 25th 2010 9:00PM
Naw...
There's a lot of 'science' behind addiction. Don't quote me, but this is my understanding of it: some people have addictive personalities, and they're more easily addicted to things.
Some _things_ are addictive. Like drugs, or gambling. There's an actual psychology involved ('just one more bet and I can win it back!!') -- declaring the entire, generic Internet as 'addictive' is... well...
Sebastian AnthonyFeb 25th 2010 8:59PM
Probably...
As long as you take the prescribed drugs too :P
kojo87Feb 25th 2010 9:07PM
since i got a web capable phone i have noticed that i feel the need to check sites like Engadget, Download Squad and Joystiq far more frequently than is necessary.
more and more people have web capable devices now. having access to something 24/7 just makes it harder when you don't have access to it for whatever reason. at first i thought there is no way this should be an actual mental disorder but the more i think about it the more it makes sense that it would be.
michas_piFeb 26th 2010 4:01AM
The DSM is written to diagnose people in the United States. It can't be used internationally due to cultural differences.
That being said, "Internet addiction" can mean something else in China, for example.
Sebastian AnthonyFeb 26th 2010 8:05AM
Ya, true, though I'm sure it's an influence on other countries :)
Sukhjit SinghFeb 26th 2010 4:41AM
I like the image... That was my condition some time back....
francoFeb 26th 2010 4:55AM
Because you must remain without electricity for many hours for understand we are technology addicted !
DarthNinjaFeb 26th 2010 7:42AM
Come again?
DarthNinjaFeb 26th 2010 7:41AM
You can get addicted to anything, therefor making a list of "everything" is silly imo.
InezMay 7th 2010 9:12AM
Ha ha, an addiction to the internet is like being addicted to eating... Uh... right?