It's easy to see why internet use has exploded in recent years. The internet gives information on almost any subject you can imagine, entertainment around the clock, social networking sites to connect with people you know or don't know, and email and chat to keep in touch with family and friends far away.
Most people manage to fit their time online into their lives in a healthy, balanced way. But others become dependent on it, replacing work, school, friends and even family with countless hours of browsing, instant messaging, blogging or gaming. Up to 10% of internet users are estimated to be addicted. Experts say people who misuse the internet usually have other problems, such as anxiety and depression, and new research supports this idea.
To find the risk factors for internet addiction, Dr Cheng-Fang Yen of Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital in Taiwan and colleagues surveyed 2,293 seventh-grade pupils, average age 12, from 10 junior high schools in southern Taiwan in September 2005. The pupils filled in questionnaires assessing attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), depression, social phobia and unusual hostility. After 6, 12 and 24 months, they were asked about their internet use, including how many hours they spent online and what kinds of sites they visited.
After two years, about 11% of the pupils were addicted to the internet. Boys, those who spent more than 20 hours a week online, and those who played online games were more likely to be addicted. But the strongest risk factors were hostility and ADHD: boys and girls with ADHD were 72% more likely to become internet-dependent, and those who showed strong hostility 67% more likely. Girls with social phobia or depression were also at higher risk, but these factors didn't affect boys.
Michael Gilbert, a senior fellow at the Center for the Digital Future at the University of Southern California's Annenberg School for Communication, says it makes sense for the internet to be a refuge for children with these problems. "If you have a hyperactive child, the internet can match that pace. If you have a child with depression or social phobia, they can connect with other children dealing with the same kind of issues," he said. "They can go into virtual worlds like Second Life, where they can live out their fantasies or play other characters. And for children with anger or hostility, the internet gives them a chance to play and vent their anger and aggression there."
The internet is now central to daily life, and banning it is unrealistic, which makes preventing its risks important. Experts say parents of teenagers should keep an eye on how long their children spend online and what kinds of sites they visit, and paediatricians and mental health workers should ask teenage patients about their internet use, especially those with mental health problems.
Internet addiction is not currently recognised as a separate disorder by the American Psychiatric Association. There is debate over whether to include it as a separate illness in the next edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM).
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