internet addiction the emergence of a new clinical disorder.pdf

INTERNET ADDICTION: THE EMERGENCE OF A NEW CLINICAL DISORDER Kimberly S. Young University of Pittsburgh at Bradford Published in CyberPsychology and Behavior, Vol. 1 No. 3., pages 237-244 Paper presented at the 104th annual meeting of the American Psychological Association, Toronto, Canada, August 15, 1996. Anecdotal reports indicated that some on-line users were becoming addicted to the Internet in much that same way that others became addicted to drugs or alcohol which resulted in academic, social, and occupational impairment. However, research among sociologists, psychologists, or psychiatrists has not formally identified addictive use of the Internet as a problematic behavior. This study investigated the existence of Internet addiction and the extent of problems caused by such potential misuse. This study utilized an adapted version of the criteria for pathological gambling defined by the DSM-IV (APA, 1994). On the basis of this criteria, case studies of 396 dependent Internet users (Dependents) and a control group of 100 non-dependent Internet users (Non-Dependents) were classified. Qualitative analyses suggests significant behavioral and functional usage differences between the two groups. Clinical and social implications of pathological Internet use and future directions for research are discussed. Internet Addiction: The Emergence Of A New Clinical Disorder Methodology  Subjects  Materials  Procedures Results  Demographics  Usage Differences  Length Of Time Using Internet  Hours Per Week  Applications Used  Extent Of Problems Discussion References INTERNET ADDICTION: THE EMERGENCE OF A NEW CLINICAL DISORDER Recent reports indicated that some on-line users were becoming addicted to the Internet in much t