To learn more about this controversy, read Caught
in the Net, the first recovery book about on-line behavior and addictive
use of the Internet.
While many believe the term addiction should be applied only to
cases involving the ingestion of a drug, many researchers have previously
applied this same term to high-risk sexual behaviors, excessive television-viewing,
compulsive gambling, computer overuse, and overeating without such controversy.
Mental health professionals do not agree on what constitutes an "addiction."
The common argument is that we can be addicted only to physical
substances to which we have a chemical response in our bodies. If our bodies
our hooked, we're hooked. Well, recent scientific evidence suggests that
it may be possible to experience habit-forming chemical reactions to behavior
as well as substances. Scientists studying the effect of addictions on
the brain have focused new attention on dopamine, a substance of the brain
associated with pleasure and elation. Scientists believe that levels of
dopamine may rise not only from taking alcohol or drugs, but from gambling,
eating chocolate, or even from a hug or word of praise. And when something
makes our dopamine level rise, we naturally want more of it. Other studies
indicate that as our brain reacts to familiar stimuli it can alter our
behavior without our ever really knowing it, which may explain our tendency
to excessively repeat addictive patterns. Therefore, linking the term "addiction"
solely to drugs creates an artificial distinction that strips the usage
of the term for a similar condition when drugs are not involved. Ultimately,
it is unclear whether physiologic reasons are responsible for all
addictive behaviors, rendering the debate between substance-based and behavior-based
addictions meaningless.
Another significant issue is that unlike chemical dependency, the Internet
offers several direct benefits as a technological advancement in our society
and not a device to be criticized as "addictive." The Internet
allows a user a range of practical applications such as the ability to
conduct research, to perform business transactions, to access international
libraries, or to make vacation plans. Furthermore, several books have been
written which outline the psychological as well as functional benefits
of Internet use in our daily lives such as Howard Rheingold’s book,
The Virtual Community and Sherry Turkle’s book, Life on
the Screen. In comparison, substance dependence is not an integral
aspect of our professional practice nor does it offer a direct benefit
for its routine usage. Therefore, when one juxtaposes a term with such
a negative connotation as "addiction" against a positive tool
as the Internet, it is easy to understand why people will respond with
criticism. However, even positive activities in life such as gambling,
food, sex, or the Internet - can be considered an addiction when it causes
significant life problems, or when a person loses self-control.
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