A Non-Profit Drug & Alcohol Rehab Referral & Placement Service
Let Us Help You. Call Now. 1-800-895-1695

Dangers of an Internet Addiction Disorder

As stated by the Better Health Channel, “Internet addiction is when a person has a compulsive need to spend a great deal of time on the Internet, to the point where other areas of life (such as relationships, work or health) are allowed to suffer.” Because Internet addiction is not the same as mere excessive use, dangerous effects can result from this condition, some of which are illustrated above. It is important that an individual whose life is being negatively affected by their Internet use is able to receive the right treatments and to learn better, safer behaviors.

Financial and Professional Dangers

internet addiction disorder effects

An internet addiction disorder can affect your finances.

Obsessive Internet use has the potential to cause financial issues for those who are unable to stop. Some individuals will continue to pay for the Internet even if they cannot afford it, neglecting more important necessities like food and rent. This kind of situation regularly occurs in cases of addiction where the individual stops caring about work and becomes extremely apathetic toward their professional life. They often will go online even when they are supposed to be working or will not go work because they would rather be online. This can cause addicted individuals to lose their jobs as a result.

Psychological Health

Any kind of addiction can wreak havoc on an individual’s self-esteem as well as their psychological state. Depression and anxiety are two issues many Internet addicts struggle with, and they will often “turn to the Internet to cope with negative feelings” which only will only make the disorder stronger.

Addiction can be a product of these kinds of issues or it can cause them to come about. In either scenario, an individual who experiences a severe behavioral addiction will often feel extreme highs when able to participate in the activity and intense lows when unable to. The person’s depression may even become so intense that they experience thoughts of suicide, especially if they lose their job, friends, and other important aspects of their lives to their disorder. Someone experiencing these kinds of thoughts will need 24-hour care and specialized treatment.

Physical Health

According to a study from the NCBI, “In South Korea, as many as 24% of children diagnosed with Internet addiction required hospitalization.” This issue occurs many different reasons, but some individuals actually experience physical health problems as a result of Internet addiction. These can include

  • Tension headaches or migraines
  • Dry eyes
  • Insomnia
  • Vision problems

Because Internet addiction causes an individual to want to be online as often as possible, they will often refuse to admit that they are experiencing any kind of issue as a result of their Internet use. If they are able to admit to it, they will usually try to remedy the effects without limiting their Internet use at all, which only causes the problem to worsen.

Although the dangers of drug addiction are often more intense, Internet use can be physically, mentally, and personally harmful in the life of an addicted individual. “There are treatment guidelines” for Internet addiction, and those who struggle with it should seek some sort of professional help in order to more effectively recover from their addiction (NCBI).