internet addiction disorder internet addiction disorder internet addiction disorder (iad) can otherwise be referred to as problematic internet use or pathological internet use. it generally defined as problematic, compulsive use of the internet, that results in significant impairment in an individual's function in various aspects of life over a prolonged period of time young people are at particular risk of developing internet addiction disorder, with case studies highlighting students whose academic performance plummets as they spend more and more time online. some also experience health consequences from loss of sleep, as they stay up later and later to chat online, check for social network status updates or to further progress in a game. problematic internet use (colloquially "internet addiction disorder")a 2009 flyer for an internet addiction support group in new york city.specialtypsychiatrypsychology excessive internet use has not been recognized as a disorder by the world health organization, the diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (dsm-5) or the international classification of diseases (icd-11). however, the diagnosis of gaming disorder has been included in the icd-11. controversy around the diagnosis includes whether the disorder is a separate clinical entity, or a manifestation of underlying psychiatric disorders. research has approached the question from a variety of viewpoints, with no universally standardized or agreed definitions, leading to difficulties in developing evidence based recommendations. as adolescents (12–19 years) and emerging adults (20–29 years) access the internet more than any other age groups and undertake a higher risk of overuse of the internet, the problem of internet behavior disorder is most relevant to young people. consequences mental health consequences a longitudinal study of chinese high school students (2010) suggests that individuals with moderate to severe risk of internet addiction are 2.5 times more likely to develop depressive symptoms than their iad-free counterparts. researchers studied pathological or uncontrolled internet use, and later mental health problems in one thousand and forty-one teenage students in china. the students were free of depression and anxiety at the start of the study. nine months later, the youngsters were evaluated again for anxiety and depression, and eighty-seven were judged as having developed depression. eight reported significant anxiety symptoms. another longitudinal study of high school students from helsinki found that problematic internet usage and depressive symptoms may produce a positive feedback loop. problematic internet usage is also associated with increased risk of substance abuse. social consequences internet addiction increases the risk of many negative social and health outcomes, including poor academic performance, harmful personality effects, anxiety and depression. the best-documented evidence of internet addiction so far is time-disruption, which subsequently results in interference with regular social life, including academic, professional performance and daily routines. some studies also reveal that iad can lead to disruption of social relationships in europe and taiwan. it is, however, also noted by others that iad is beneficial for peer relations in taiwan. dr. keith w. beard (2005) states that "an individual is addicted when an individual's psychological state, which includes both mental and emotional states, as well as their scholastic, occupational and social interactions, is impaired by the overuse of ". as a result of its complex nature, some scholars do not provide a definition of internet addiction disorder and throughout time, different terms are used to describe the same phenomenon of excessive internet use. internet addiction disorder is used interchangeably with problematic internet use, pathological internet use, and internet addictive disorder. in some cases, this behavior is also referred to as internet overuse, problematic computer use, compulsive internet use, internet abuse, harmful use of the internet, and internet dependency. mustafa savci and ferda aysan, reviewed existing research on internet addiction and identified a number of social and emotional factors that have been linked to this phenomenon. these include loneliness, social anxiety, depression, and low self-esteem. they argued that these factors can lead individuals to use the internet as a way of coping with negative emotions or social isolation, which can in turn lead to addictive behavior. as a result of its complex nature, some scholars do not provide a definition of internet addiction disorder and throughout time, different terms are used to describe the same phenomenon of excessive internet use. internet addiction disorder is used interchangeably with problematic internet use, pathological internet use, and internet addictive disorder. in some cases, this behavior is also referred to as internet overuse, problematic computer use, compulsive internet use, internet abuse, harmful use of the internet, and internet dependency. signs and symptoms physical symptoms physical symptoms include a weakened immune system due to lack of sleep, loss of exercise, and increased risk for carpal tunnel syndrome and eye and back strain. symptoms of withdrawal might include agitation, depression, anger and anxiety when the person is away from technology. these psychological symptoms might even turn into physical symptoms such as rapid heartbeat, tense shoulders and shortness of breath. theoretical model current researchers have proposed different theoretical models of iad from different perspectives. the ace model this theory suggests that addiction is caused by the characteristics of the internet itself, including anonymity, convenience and escape, referred to as the ace model. anonymity means that individuals are able to hide their true identity and personal information on the internet and are thus freer to do what they want. because of this anonymity, it is difficult to regulate what individuals do on the internet, thus creating an internet addiction. convenience may be a benefit of the development of the internet, as people can do certain things such as shopping online and watching movies without leaving their homes. however, this convenience can also lead to addiction and dependence on the internet. escape refers to the ability of users to find solace when faced with difficulty or irritation online because the internet offers a free virtual environment that entices people away from the actual world. originally the ace model was used to describe internet pornography addiction, but now it is applied to the whole field of iad. reduced social cues the invention of email and sms made online chatting a reality. however, in online communication, the individual's ability to judge the mood, tone and content of the other person is reduced because the necessary social cues, such as situational and personal cues, are missing. as online norms are still imperfect, it is difficult to regulate individuals' behaviours on the internet, and the anonymity of the internet can make individuals' perceptions of themselves and others diminish, resulting in some anti-social behaviour. consequently, this can lead to inappropriate internet use and addiction without proper restraints. cognitive-behavioural model of pathological internet use this model defines iad as pathological internet use (piu). it is split into two parts: proximal and distal contributory causes. at the distal end of the model, the developing internet is the original stressor leading to maladaptive cognitions, and situational cues are the moderator of this relationship. in addition, some psychopathological factors such as depression, social anxiety and substance dependency might promote maladaptive cognitions and result in more piu behaviours. in terms of the proximal end, there is the interactive effect of maladaptive cognitions and behavioural symptoms of piu. maladaptive cognitions are the central factor of the model and could be split into specific pathological internet use (spiu) and generalised pathological internet use (gpiu). in general, the internet would lead to maladaptive cognitions, and predisposed vulnerability could reinforce this relationship. moreover, the higher the individual's level of adaptation to undesirable behaviour, the more likely pathological internet use is to occur, which also means a higher level of addiction to the internet. game addiction and flow experience the flow experience is an emotional experience in which an individual shows a strong interest in an event or object that drives the individual to become fully engaged in it. it was first introduced by csikszentimihalyi in the 1960s, and he also proposed a systematic model of the flow experience. according to his theory, the flow experience comes from performing challenges at a level similar to the individual's own, which means that people could fully commit to the challenge and do their best to complete it. when individuals are faced with a challenge that is too different from their own level, they may lose interest because it is too easy or too difficult. online games are a real-life application of this model. based on csikszentimihalyi’s theory, the theory called gameflow suggests 8 characteristics that can create a sense of immersion in players: concentration, challenge, skills, control, clear goals, feedback, immersion, and social interaction. with these elements, games would be really additive and result in internet addiction. 3. theory based on development orientation the word “development” has two meanings in this context. 1. the process and stages of development of internet addictive behaviour 2. development of the individual throughout the life cycle some psychiatrists do not consider the pathology of internet addiction. the 3-stage model proposed by john grohol suggests that internet users would go through three stages 1. the internet fascinates those new to it. in the first stage, users might be excited and curious about the internet, leading to an increase in the amount of time spent on the internet. 2. users start avoiding something addictive. after devoting a long time to using the internet, individuals might realise that they should not spend too much time on the internet, so they may reject games or websites that might be addictive. 3. users achieve a balance between surfing and other activities. in the last stage, people might be able to manage their time online well and develop healthy online habits. john suggested that the reason why many people were addicted to the internet was that they were struggling with the first stage and needed help. also, he believed that everyone would get to the final stage in the end, and it just took a different amount of time. 4. effect of covid-19 a study conducted by nassim masaeli and hadi farhadi found that the prevalence of internet-based addictive behaviors during the covid-19 pandemic has increased compared to pre-pandemic levels. specifically, the prevalence of iad ranged from 4.7% to 51.6%, sma ranged from 9.7% to 47.4%, and gaming addiction ranged from 4.4% to 32.4%. the authors also identified several risk factors that contribute to the development of internet-based addictive behaviors during the pandemic, including boredom, stress, anxiety, and social isolation. they also highlighted the importance of interventions to prevent and treat internet-based addictive behaviors during the pandemic. these interventions can include psychological therapies, educational interventions, and pharmacological treatments. the authors recommended that these interventions should be tailored to specific age groups and populations to maximize their effectiveness. another study that looked further into the effect of covid-19 on the prevalence of iad was "internet addiction increases in the general population during covid‐19". the study looked at how the likely increase in stress related to covid-19 induced quarantine contributed to an increase in iad among the chinese population. the study was conducted among 20,472 participants who were asked to fill out the internet addiction test (iat) online. the study ultimately shows that the overall prevalence of internet addiction amounted to 36.7% among the general, and according to iat scores the level of severe internet addiction was 2.8%. the conclusion drawn was that the pandemic increased the prevalence and severity of internet addiction among the general population in china related disorders people using their smartphones problem gambling (online gambling disorder) according to david hodgins, a professor of psychology at the university of calgary, online gambling is considered to be as serious as pathological gambling. it is known as an "isolated disorder" which means that those who have a gambling problem prefer to separate themselves from interruptions and distractions. because gambling is available online, it increases the opportunity for problem gamblers to indulge in gambling without social influences swaying their decisions. this is why this disorder has become more a problem at this date in time and is why it is so difficult to overcome. the opportunity to gamble online is almost always available in this century opposed to only having the opportunity in a public forum at casinos for example. online gambling has become quite popular especially with today's adolescents. today's youth has a greater knowledge of modern software and search engines along with a greater need for extra money. so not