Internet Addiction: The Gravity of it and Perspective

5 Minute Read, or skip to the 200 word summary.

Before revealing some scary details of recent research on the topic of internet addiction, lets establish the gravity of the issue and crucial perspective so we don’t go throwing all our smartphones in a river:

• Perspective: Addiction is a very specific thing.  A LOT of people gamble and experiment with dangerous addictive substances, but they are not addicted.   Same goes for internet usage; there are A LOT of people clocking hours a day on TikTok, but they are not addicted. 
• Gravity: “Internet Addiction” is not currently in the DSM V, the “dictionary” of mental and behavioral disorders, but based on the newest research findings, it would be classified as a “Substance Related and Addictive Disorder.”  (Miller) Right next to gambling and cocaine. 

Sobering Research Findings: Remember to Keep Perspective In Mind

What do gambling, heroin, and the internet have in common?  

As far as the brain is concerned, everything.  Research is finding that for the brain, these three things hit the same.  Consequently, one day they might live next to each other in the DSM V.  The DSM V is like the dictionary of diagnosable mental disorders, a field of science and medicine that is rapidly changing and growing as we learn more and more about the brain. (Aziz et al) (Aagard) (Thangavel)

At the moment, Internet Addiction, or IA, is not in the DSM V.  Gambling made its first appearance in the DSM in 1980, but it wasn’t until 2013 that it earned its status as a Substance Related and Addictive Disorder.  Mental disorders don’t just make it in the DSM overnight. 

The recognition of gambling addiction as a substance and addictive disorder set a precedent that researchers are referencing quite a lot in their studies of internet addiction.  

Here are the parallels research is finding between gambling addiction and internet/smartphone addiction*:

• Excitement before gambling or getting online
• Relief while gambling or being online
• Gambling or being online makes the person feel good or happy
• Stopping can make the person unhappy
• Involves Dopamine
• Withdraw symptoms include anxiety and depression
• Behavior is hard to manage, irresistible
• Likely to lie about engaging in the behavior

“Smartphone is it “Behavior Addiction or Substance Abuse Disorder”: A review to find chemistry behind”

“the influence of adolescents essential and non-essential use of technology and internet addiction on their physical and mental fatigues”

Researchers are finding that “Similar to substance abuse disorders (like cocaine and gambling addictions), excessive phone (and internet) use can lead to the downregulation of dopamine receptors, decreasing the brain’s sensitivity to natural rewards and reinforcing compulsive use behaviors.”  (Sharma) Your brain becomes accustomed to the dopamine hit that the phone/internet always seems to give, making it harder for your brain to stay with with it when you you have activities that provide less immediate reward.

As I mentioned above, as far as our brains are concerned, addictive drugs, gambling, and the internet hit the same.  Research is confirming this.  However, this is not exactly a reason to ban smartphones from young people. 

Making sure we don’t get carried away:

Lets remind ourselves of the huge differences between gambling, illegal substances, and the internet. Gambling and using the internet are very legal, and access is quite safe.  I doubt many people feel unsafe at an Apple Store, their school library, or even at a shiny flashy casino.  Cocaine and heroin are very illegal, and access to these drugs requires exposure to a degree of seediness.  Research is not saying these things ARE the same; research is observing that all of these things trigger dopamine release, so our brain doesn’t see much of a difference.

There is a lot to be concerned about here with our students and kids, especially those diagnosed with ADHD: 

Any young person diagnosed with ADHD is at heightened risk of internet/smartphone addiction.  Why? Because their dopamine regulation is already off.  (Sharma)  A person diagnosed with ADHD has less dopamine, so their brain is always looking for that rewarding sense that dopamine gives us.  Anyone who has spent 60 seconds on the internet or a smartphone knows that the internet and smartphones are loaded with dopamine triggers: shopping, cat videos, texts from friends…that is it for me.  But, you get the idea.  You can see how a brain with already dysregulated dopamine is more at risk; smartphones and the internet have got what an ADHD brain needs.*  (Sharma)  

The case for our students without ADHD isn’t much better.  

These are the symptoms of Internet (phone) addiction (Aziz et al)*:

Preoccupation with the internet

• Failed attempts to control internet use
• Withdraw
• Being online more than you planned
• Lack of engagement with offline relationships and experiences
• Efforts to cover up the extent of internet use
• Fatigue

Essential Versus Non-Essential Internet Use:

What is the difference between essential and non-essential internet use?  Millions of people spend hours on computers everyday for “essential internet use.” For work, for education, to socialize, smartphones and the internet are inescapable.  However, Aziz et all found no correlation between internet use for essential tasks and symptoms of internet addiction or even the same mental and physical fatigue.  (Aziz et al)   “Essential” use of smartphones/internet is not found to correlate with these negative symptoms.  It is the non-essential use that is taxing us and our students.

When you are constantly thinking about being online, trying and failing to control your time online, sad when you are not online, happy when you are online, losing track of your time online, missing things in your life because you were online, trying to downplay the time you spend online: this is tiring; it is mentally and physically exhausting for the person.  Notice you could replace the word “online” with another addictive substance like gambling or a drug, and that sentence would still make sense…       

Remembering Perspective:

Being on a phone/internet too much could be anything from a simple undesirable or annoying bad habit to a crippling addiction to a red flag symptom of a different underlying condition.

Too much phone/internet time could be:

• Simply annoying and you don’t like it
• An undesirable bad habit that would be nice to change
• An actual instance of a substance related addictive disorder
• A reg flag symptom of another underlying condition such as ADHD, depression, anxiety

Mindful Phone/Internet Usage

We absolutely do not need to all throw away our phones or unplug the internet.  Even though a kids or adults glued to their phones can look unhealthy, be annoying, and we would rather see them playing outside or anything away from a screen, there are a lot of healthy typical human behaviors that simply occur online now: socializing, collaborative games, listening to music, watching a show or movie, doing school work. (Miller et al)  

When we drag our kids, or ourselves, away from devices and they (we) get a bit upset, keep in mind that it isn’t abnormal to be annoyed when someone tells you to stop doing a leisure activity that you are enjoying.  If a person is told to stop socializing, stop playing a game, stop listening to music, or to turn off a show they were watching, their annoyance at the directive would not be cause for concern.  (Miller) But, if you are wondering if a person is OK on a deeper level, internet addiction (symptoms above) can be a sign of an underlying condition such as ADHD, depression, anxiety, or an actual substance related addictive disorder.  

 *Contact your student’s pediatrician if you observe behavior that might point to ADHD or if you are concerned about your student’s smartphone/internet use, anxiety, or depression.  If you want more information, you can share your concerns and ask your school if they observe the same behavior.

Works Cited

Links to Research

200 Word Summary by ChatGPT:

Internet addiction, while not yet formally recognized in the DSM-V, is increasingly being studied as a potential Substance Related and Addictive Disorder, similar to gambling or substance abuse. Research shows that the brain responds to internet use much like it does to addictive substances, triggering dopamine release and creating cycles of pleasure, withdrawal, and compulsion. Symptoms of internet or smartphone addiction include preoccupation with being online, failed attempts to cut back, withdrawal, fatigue, and neglect of offline relationships.

Importantly, researchers stress the need for perspective: not everyone who spends hours online is addicted. Essential internet use for school, work, or communication does not show the same negative correlations as non-essential use, such as endless scrolling or gaming. Non-essential overuse, however, can be mentally and physically exhausting, particularly for young people with ADHD, who are already more vulnerable due to dopamine regulation challenges.

The parallels between gambling addiction and internet addiction suggest that recognition of the latter may eventually follow the path of the former. Still, internet use also supports healthy human activities such as socializing, entertainment, and education. Awareness, balance, and mindful use are key, with medical or educational support recommended if problematic patterns emerge.