Internet Addiction: Does It Exist?
Since we live in a world of modern technology, computers and vital space have long been an integral part of our lives. Some people are known to be too attached to the internet. Nevertheless, at the moment it is quite difficult to accurately and accurately select a definition for the disorder caused by an addiction to the Internet.
Most of the original research was based on the weakest research methodology, known as preliminary studies that do not contain a clearly defined hypothesis or rational reasons for their implementation. This non-theoretical approach, however, has certain advantages, however, quite often it is not recognized as an acceptable approach for studying a new disorder. A recently completed study covered a large area of original case-control surveys and research reports.
An original study on Internet addiction began with preliminary surveys that could not establish a causal relationship between specific types of behavior and their causes. Despite the fact that such surveys can help establish a description of how people feel about themselves and their behavior, they still cannot lead to certain conclusions as to whether such a specific technology as the Internet serves as the real reason for the observed behavior. The findings are not objective, made by researchers who can ignore the common cause.
Do some people have real problems because they spend too much time on the Internet? Sure, yes. some people experience the same problems because they spend too much time reading, watching TV programs, and working, which leads to ignoring family members, friends, and social activity. However, is it worth proposing teledependence, book dependence, and work dependence as legitimate mental disorders that belong to the same category as schizophrenia and depression? Unlikely. Nevertheless, unfortunately, there is a tendency among professional health workers and researchers to brand anything that could be potentially dangerous to health with a new diagnostic category. And this may turn out to be more harmful than the investigated disorder itself.
What can people who consider themselves addicted to the Internet suffer more from? As it turned out, this reluctance to meet with real problems in their lives. Such problems may include mental disorders (depression, anxiety), serious health problems or even disability, as well as difficulties in family or romantic relationships with a partner. Long communication on the Internet is no different from going for a walk with friends or watching a TV program instead of spending time with your family. such behavior differs only in modality.
Some people hanging in the virtual space but not having any serious real problems may suffer from compulsive overuse of the Internet. In this case, it is not technology or addiction that is important, the behavior itself is important, which is easy to correct using traditional cognitive-behavioral techniques currently used in modern psychotherapy.
Case studies are generally considered an alternative to preliminary surveys; they are used to test conclusions about the excessive use of virtual space. However, they also have their difficulties and negative aspects. First of all, it is the inability to draw any conclusions regarding the millions of people who like to stay online, relying on data only from studies of one or two specific users. Nevertheless, it is worth noting that many media resources use such research to illustrate the problem. However, this does not contribute to a further understanding of the real problem and its possible explanations.