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| Internet Addiction Causes | Nobody knows what causes an individual to be addicted to the Internet, however there are quite a few factors that have been recognized as leading to Internet addiction. One theory involves the mood-modifying potential of behaviors associated to process addictions. Just as a person suffer from shopping addiction he or she may feel a rush or enjoyable change in mood from the series of actions connected to a spending binge – checking one’s credit cards, driving to the mall, going into one’s favorite store, etc. – the person with an Internet addiction may feel an analogous rush from booting up their computer and surfing their favorite web sites. To put in differently, some explorers think that there are chemical modifications that happen in the body when someone is involving in an addictive behavior. Moreover, from a biological point of view, there may be a combination of genes that make a person more vulnerable to addictive behaviors, just as scientists have found genes that affect a person’s vulnerability to alcohol.
Additionally to having features of a process addiction, Internet use might be strengthened by enjoyable thoughts and feelings that happen while the person is using the Internet. Though scientists in the field of addiction studies question the idea of an “addictive personality” like, it is possible that someone who has one addiction may be subject to become addicted to other substances or activities, including Internet use. People with such mental disorders or symptoms as depression, feelings of isolation, stress, or anxiety, may “self-medicate” by using the Internet in the same way that some people use alcohol or drugs of abuse to self-medicate the symptoms of their mental disorder.
From a social or interpersonal point of view, there may be family factors inducing use of the Internet. For people who develop problems with their Internet use may start out using the Internet on an accidental basis and then advance to using the technology in dysfunctional ways. Use of the Internet may get in the way with the person’s social life, school work, or job-related tasks at work. Many of the treatments that have been used for Internet addiction have been developed after other addiction treatment programs and support groups.
For instance, a person might “surf the Web” to run away from family conflict. One more option is that social or peer dynamics might impel too much Internet use. Some affected persons may be lack of the social skills that would permit them to meet people in person rather than online. Peer behavior might also promote Internet use if one’s friends are using it. Modeling may play a role – users can observer and practice how others engage in Internet use and then duplicate that behavior. The interactive sides of the Internet, like chat rooms, e-mail, and interactive games like Multi-User Dungeons and Dragons (MUDS), seem to be more likely to lead to Internet addiction than only solitary web surfing.
There is one question that has not yet been answered regarding Internet addiction – whether it is a distinctive type of addiction or just an example of a new technology being used to hold up other addictions. For instance, there are gambling casinos on the Internet that could strengthen a person’s pre-existing gambling addiction. In the same way, someone addicted to shopping could move their addiction from the local mall to online stores. Persons addicted to determined forms of sexual behavior can visit pornography sites on the Internet or use chat rooms as a way to meet others who might be willing to participate in those forms of behavior. Scientists may need to settle on whether there is such a disorder as “pure” Internet addiction.
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