Internet Addiction : The Problem of Interpretation

The article is devoted to analysis of problem of definition and understanding of internet addiction. Psychologist-doctors no longer discuss, but treat this problem, which turned into a disease. However, the term “Internet addiction” was offered by Dr. A. Goldberg 1996 still didn’t get clear definition. Goldberg used term “Internet addiction” to describe a pathological, irresistible craving for using the Internet. He interpreted Internet addiction by this expression not as medical problem like alcohol or drug addiction, but behavior with a reduced level of self-control. Diagnostic criteria for the disorder generally are in accordance with the criteria of DSM-IV (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders IV) for non-chemical dependencies. According to Dr. Kimberly S. Young, professor of psychology at the University of Pittsburgh, the author of the book “Caught in the Net”, typical Internet-addicted person is the woman who thirty-five years old with the average educational level. Despite there is not enough reliable data, according to preliminary estimates, from 1 to 5% of people who use the Internet have become dependent on it. Despite the fact that the Internet is the ideal research tool, students have problems with their studies because they visit non-relevant sites, spend hours in chats with friends and playing interactive games instead of classes. We made the conclusion that term internet addiction didn’t get proper interpretation. So it is needed to create systems of criterion which allow to differ Internet-addicted people from others