INTERNET ADDICTION

INTRODUCTION
The Internet and mobile technology are increasingly important to the educational and social lives of children,
and are becoming a part of children’s identity. As one young person said to Childnet at one of its recent
focus group meetings, “Take away my mobile phone and you take away a part of me!”

With the advent of broadband and mobile access to the Internet giving young people access to the Internet
any place and at any time, and thus 24/7 entertainment, interaction and communication, there is a real risk
that children can become so immersed in their online world that it can seem to take over their lives. It is
easy to see why some children and young people love spending many hours pursuing their interests, playing
games, finding information and communicating with friends (and strangers) online. However, when this use
becomes obsessive and at the expense of other aspects of a young person’s life, this use of the Internet
could be problematic and could even be classified as Internet addiction.

This guide produced by Childnet has drawn on other resources and serves as an introduction to the subject
and will help you as parents or carers think about the issue of Internet addition, what the indicators of
addiction are and tips for helping children. It will also highlight further resources and services that are
available.

WHAT IS INTERNET ADDICTION?

Internet Addiction, Internet Addiction Disorder, Compulsive Internet Use, Computer Addiction, Internet
Dependence and Problematic Internet Use - all of these are essentially terms that have been applied to
those that spend excessive amounts of time online at the expense of and to the detriment of other
aspects of their lives. The obsessive behaviour takes the form of particular activities, and might include any
or all of the following:

• Relationships: spending excessive amounts of time starting and maintaining online friendships in
chat rooms, which replace real-life friends and family.
• Money: compulsively gambling online, trading online, and partaking in online auctions.
• Information searching: compulsive web surfing or database searches.
• Gaming: obsessive computer game playing, including multi-user games.
• Sex: addiction to adult chatrooms, cyber sex or pornography on the Internet.

There has been an increasing amount of attention given to this phenomenon, and attempts to quantify the
problem have produced some staggering statistics: for example, figures suggesting that as many as 6-10% of
the 189 million US Internet users1 have a dependency on the Internet, and there are as many as 1 million
German Internet addicts2. There have also been cases recorded of addiction to texting on mobile phones3.

WHO CAN BECOME ADDICTED TO THE INTERNET?

Essentially, anyone with access to the Internet can become dependent upon it regardless of gender or age.
The Internet and mobile technologies offer a world of attractions to all: it is 24/7 and it is easily accessible,
and it offers continuous entertainment and stimulation. It also offers the opportunity for anonymity and can
offer an escape from reality, and it can be a place where you can lower your inhibitions and experience an
increased sense of intimacy.

1
See www.nytimes.com/2005/12/01/fashion/thursdaystyles/01addict.html?ex=1291093200&en=1a8916920717f083
&ei=5090&partner=rssuserland&emc=rss
2
‘When the Internet Gives you a High’, Deutsche Welle, www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,,803719,00.html.
3
See http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/4342326.stm and www.iht.com/articles/2004/01/24/itaddict_ed3_.php.

FACTSHEET: Internet Addiction Page 1

© Childnet International 2006. All rights reserved.
However, addiction may not be about the attractiveness of the Internet alone. It is recognised that Internet
addiction may also “be symptomatic of other problems such as depression, anger and low self-esteem"4.

THE PROBLEMS ASSOCIATED WITH INTERNET ADDICTION

These include:

• Skipping meals, losing sleep and time for other things, even
• Rearranging daily routines and neglecting studies or other activities and responsibilities to spend
more time online5.
• This has the potential to affect school performance and relationships with friends or family.
• There may be financial problems depending on the nature of the communication – e.g. dial-up
connection or text messages – and the activity online – e.g. paying for content, gambling and
subscriptions.
• There are also physical problems associated with bad diet, lack of exercise and also with extended
computer use (for example dry eyes, Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, and backache6),

INDICATORS OF TOO MUCH INTERNET USE

Researchers in Taiwan have argued that more than 20 hours per week constitutes Internet addiction. This
figure has been echoed in the research conducted in the U.S. and Europe7. This is a similar level to television
addiction with the average person watching in the region of 11-13 hours per week and those addicted
watching in excess of 21 hours per week. However, time is not the only indicator of problematic Internet
use. The following is a list of other indicators that may help you decide if you or someone you know is
spending too much time online:

• Preoccupation with the Internet, perhaps being the strongest source of satisfaction in a person’s life
• Less investment in relationships with friends and interruption of social relationships
• Feeling empty, depressed and irritable when not at the computer8
• Suffering withdrawal symptoms when without access or when reducing Internet use – these
symptoms include anxiety, restlessness, depression, even trembling hands
• Craving more and more time at the computer9
• Deception regarding time spent online
• Denial of the seriousness of the problem
• Lack of sleep and excess fatigue
• Declining school results
• Withdrawal from school social activities and events
• Rationalising that what you learn on the Net is superior to school

4
www.bewebaware.ca/english/Internetaddiction.aspx
5
Lin, S. and Tsai, C-C. (2002) Sensation seeking and Internet dependence of Taiwanese high school adolescents. Computers in Human
Behavior, 18, 411-426.
6
See www.utdallas.edu/counseling/selfhelp/computer-addiction.html.
7
Lin, S. and Tsai, C-C. (2002) Sensation seeking and Internet dependence of Taiwanese high school adolescents. Computers in Human
Behavior, 18, 411-426.
8
www.bewebaware.ca/english/Internetaddiction.aspx
9
Yang, S.C. and Tung, C.J. (2004) Comparison of Internet addicts and non-addicts in Taiwanese high school. Computers in Human
Behaviour.

FACTSHEET: Internet Addiction Page 2

© Childnet International 2006. All rights reserved.
TIPS FOR PARENTS AND CARERS
There are advantages in introducing good habits about Internet usage with children from the outset, to help
them become accustomed to the Internet being time-limited and in balance with other activities. With very
young children, for example, it may be appropriate to limit the time spent on the Internet with a timer
which you set after agreeing a time limit with your child.

If you are concerned your child is spending too much time on the Internet, you might want to try to establish
a healthier balance between Internet use and other activities. Here are some suggestions:

• Keep your computer in a shared family room, not in a child's bedroom.

• Find out how much time your child is spending online. Ask yourself if your child's Internet use is
affecting his or her school performance, health, and relationships with family and friends.

• Don't ban the Internet - it is an important part of most children’s social lives. Instead, establish
reasonable rules about where your children can go online and what they can do there - and stick to
them. Such rules might include: an Internet time log, ie to limit the amount of time online each day
(though remember that mobile phones, Internet cafes and friends’ houses may provide alternative
Internet access points); no surfing or instant messaging until they complete their homework; you
might have a policy to limit the access to chat rooms. There is computer software that can help to
limit the amount of time spent online, see http://kids.getnetwise.org/tools/timelimits for more
information on Time Limiting tools, but be sure to discuss this with your children first.

• Talk to your child about why they are spending so much time online, and what they are spending
their time doing, and discuss this with the view to encourage and support your child's participation in
other activities - particularly physical activities – and help your child to socialise offline with other
children. Finding and encouraging your child into an offline activity that links in with their online
interests could be a possibility here.

• Consider speaking to your school’s counsellor. They may be able to provide the necessary support for
your child. They may also be able to provide you with local contacts.

• If your child is demonstrating strong signs of Internet addiction, consider seeking professional
counselling. It might be worth speaking to your local GP/doctor. He/She will be able to provide you
with further information on where you can receive help for you or a loved one’s addiction.

OUTSIDE RESOURCES
The Centre for Online and Internet Addiction, www.netaddiction.com, has a very useful website dedicated
to helping those concerned about Internet addiction. Its resources range from addiction self-tests and
parent-child tests to the provision of varying counselling methods, which can be accessed through books,
online or even over the phone.

FURTHER INFORMATION
• More information on the psychological and physical symptoms of Internet addiction, as well as tips
for parents, look at www.bewebaware.ca/english/Internetaddiction.aspx.
• This BBC article give some examples from the sufferers’ perspective
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/1887467.stm
• An article from Korea for teachers entitled ‘A Learning System for Internet Addiction Prevention’ can
be found at: http://csdl2.computer.org/comp/proceedings/icalt/2004/2181/00/21810836.pdf
• Camp for Internet Addiction for German children, see
www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,,943281,00.html
• ‘Problematic Internet or mobile phone use – restoring a healthy balance’ by Liz Butterfield, NetSafe,
NZ, www.netsafe.theoutfitgroup.co.nz/articles/articles_general.aspx
• A webpage with links to helplines dealing with other addiction problems;
www.channel4.com/life/microsites/H/helplines/phone_g_dependency.html

FACTSHEET: Internet Addiction Page 3

© Childnet International 2006. All rights reserved.