Internet addiction disorder (IAD)

Although its status as a true mental disorder is being debated, many mental health professionals have suggested that Internet addiction is a very real problem which may lead to relationship problems, lowered work productivity or failure at school as individuals neglect these aspects of their lives to spend excessive amounts of time on the Web.

Suggested signs of Internet abuse include increased tolerance to the amount of time spent online, feelings of agitation or anxiousness when trying to stop Internet use, use of the Net for longer periods of time than intended or losing track of time spent online, neglect of family, work or school in favor of the Internet and frequent thoughts about the Internet when not using it.

Some experts have suggested that addictions to cybersex, online pornography and online gambling also be grouped with Internet addiction.

To read more about the symptoms of Internet addiction as proposed by the doctor who coined the term in 1995, visit Dr. Ivan Goldberg's Internet Addictive Disorder (IAD) Diagnostic Criteria. Or, test your own level of Internet addiction with the Internet Addiction Test (IAT) developed by Dr. Kimberly Young.