Several news services have carried a report on an Israeli psychiatrist that says “internet addiction disorder” (IAD) needs to be classified with disorders like compulsive gambling and kleptomania. I have written about this before and will continue the debate on terminology for these types of problems: none of these things should be called an “addiction”, they are impulse control disorders and behavioral problems.
In the current culture an “addiction” is thought of as a “disease” that is genetically based and uncontrollable, which is not the case for IAD (more appropriately called “compulsive internet use” or something to that effect). In the larger public forum, using this other language communicates a controllable and treatable problem, which is a more accurate representation of the issue.
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Last reviewed: By John M. Grohol, Psy.D. on 25 Aug 2007
Published on PsychCentral.com. All rights reserved.
Meek, W. (2007). Internet Addiction (Here We Go Again). Psych Central. Retrieved on May 26, 2012, from http://psychcentral.com/blog/archives/2007/08/25/internet-addiction-here-we-go-again/
