The latest addiction found on campus is …
November 8, 2009 by Claire KnightPosted in: In this week's e-newsletter, Latest News & Views, Tech News
Thinking alcohol, drugs, gambling or sex is the most recent college addiction? Not so fast. While all of these can — and do — present problems on campus, they’ve been around for decades.
The latest addiction college students are struggling with is the Internet — and students are especially vulnerable, according to Douglas Gentile, head of Iowa State University’s Media Research Lab.
Reason? Many students are living on their own for the first time. They’re experiencing a newfound sense of Web freedom without Mom eyeballing Facebook friends and Dad keeping tabs on Twitter time.
Sound silly? The effects of Internet addiction are no laughing matter.
Consider some of the consequences listed by Dr. Kimberly Young of the Center for Internet Addiction Recovery in Bradford, PA:
- jeopardizing relationships at school and/or work
- earning lower grades
- being preoccupied with thoughts of the Internet
- staying online longer than intended
- failing to control Internet use with repeated attempts
- lying to hide amounts of time spent online, and
- experiencing physical changes, such as weight gain, carpal tunnel and vision problems.
The American Psychiatric Association has not yet recognized Web addiction as an illness, but the public’s growing dependence on the Web has fueled a great Internet debate:
Should Internet addiction be included in the upcoming 2012 edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders? If it’s included – treatment for Internet addiction could be covered under most health care plans. Share your thoughts in the comments section.
HigherEdMorning delivers the latest HigherEd news once a week to the inboxes of over 200,000 HigherEd professionals.
Click here to sign up and start your FREE subscription to HigherEdMorning!
Tags: Center for Internet Addiction Recovery, Iowa State University
Loading ...
November 11th, 2009 at 11:38 am
Internet addiction? Should one add video game addiction? How about movies or books or magazines or television programs or….this seems like a slippery slope.
November 11th, 2009 at 5:35 pm
Yeah, Jane! I guess we can be addicted to anything, if we don’t have a life — i.e., something to fulfill our lives (e.g., friends, academic interests, God, or Peace).
November 12th, 2009 at 3:04 am
Interesting point JaneB, but this reinforces the theory since most rely on the internet even for those forms of entertainment.
November 12th, 2009 at 11:19 am
kennji – “most rely on the internet even for those forms of entertainment.” Are there data that support this statement for college students or others? I find it hard to believe that most read books and magazines online, much less rely on the internet to watch tv shows or movies. Perhaps “web addiction” needs to be parsed – are we talking online gaming, gambling, social networking, shopping, other? My gut tells me that there are underlying addictions or mental illnesses at play and the internet makes the addictions or asocial behaviors easier to feed and thus more evident to observers.
November 13th, 2009 at 9:00 pm
I read a magezine on line and frequent the newspaper sites like the WSJ. I shop, I research, I check the weather, and my email. I spend too much time reading my email. I know people who watch episodes of TV they missed on Hulu, or watch Japenese cartoons. However, I don’t know if the internet should be considered an addiction. As with everything else, moderation is best. I believe everyone needs to learn self-control and time management.