How does the idea of having a history of internet addiction as a serious disorder sound to you? Something that’d make you bump off your seat and laugh it off right? That’s exactly what it sounded like to me too. But not anymore. With reStART, a rehab centre for internet addiction disorder doing its thing, and now with newfound statistics and research information from Kaohslung Medical University Hospital in Taiwan, the disorder might be something to consider pretty seriously.
The research which was conducted on 2,293 Taiwanese student for two years, showed that 10.8 per cent of them had an internet addiction problem, and showed signs of depression, anxiety, boredom, and irritation when kept away from using the internet for a long time. They also said that this addiction is more likely to develop in boys.
A CNN article also states, ” But if at-risk children–such as those identified in the Taiwanese study–are given sufficient time and exposure without careful monitoring, Internet addiction could easily become one of the most chronic childhood diseases in America, says Dr. Dimitri A. Christakis of the Center for Child Health, Behavior, and Development, in Seattle.
Our culture practically mandates time online, he says, with Wi-Fi connections in coffee shops and BlackBerries and iPhones that allow Internet access almost anywhere. “It would be as if we mandated that everyone drink two beers every day or everyone gamble for an hour every day,” says Christakis.”
