Addiction
Internet Addiction Disorder (IAD), a term coined by Dr. Ivan Goldberg, refers to compulsive Internet usage. Though many are passionate about their use of the Internet, this becomes a problem when such use causes them discomfort or has a detrimental effect on any aspect of their day to day functioning.
In his study of Time-Warner’s Palace, a forum with a graphical interface which allows users to create cartoon like characters that interact visually and through text, Dr. John Suler found a correlation between the Internet and Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. At the bottom of the hierarchy is the need for procreation, which is filled through flirting as well as the anonymity not present in real life. The next level is the need for social contact and a sense of belonging. Though many users will pass in and out of an on-line community, Dr. Suler observed that there were some regulars who knew each other by name, fulfilling the second level of the hierarchy. This pull to interact with those on-line can become stronger than that of actual human interaction, and can cause users to neglect real-life relationships. The next level of Maslow’s hierarchy is the need for learning and the self-esteem that stems from it. As a real time, environment, computer interaction offers instant feedback, and users can immediately observe the success of the personality they create. By introducing a personality and making it become known, the user fills this need as other users acknowledge and begin to know him. Maslow’s highest level is that of self-actualization, when an individual come to terms with his own mortality as well as working towards become a unique individual. Suler's studies indicated that users of the Palace did address questions of identity, and were given opportunities to explore inner drives and interests which they had never considered before. According to Dr. Suler’s study, the Internet can satisfy the higher and lower human drives. When considering this with respect to addiction, it suggests that individuals who are unable to satisfy every level of need in real life may turn to the Internet in order to accomplish this.
It is unclear whether or not real life stresses increase susceptibility to IAD. However, it is worth pointing out that gaining status occurs very differently in virtual communities. The anonymity and the hyperpersonal aspect of Internet communication allow an environment where one is judged solely on the thoughts and ideas he chooses to express. Regardless of their actual social standing, users enter an on-line community on equal ground; this equality is absent from real world interactions. Being accepted into an on-line community translates into having a contribution acknowledged by another user in some way; this gives the user social status in that community.
IAD is a serious problem for many Internet users. Dr. Nancy Wesson, a clinical psychologist who sees many patients with IAD reports that approximately thirty percent of her patients have experienced “serious disruption and loss due to excessive on-line activity.” (King, 1996) In Viktor Brenner’s Internet Usage Survey, two-thirds of the 185 valid responses were from males. Thirty percent reported that they were unsuccessful in attempts to use the Internet less with seven percent stating that this had caused problems at work. Knowing that friends and family members often become aware of an addiction before the individual himself does, it is significant to note that fifty-eight percent reported that they had been told they spend too much time on-line. Other related studies have also had a majority of male respondents.