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Behind IAD

IAD, or the Internet Addiction Disorder, is a creeping addiction that grips many Internet enthusiasts. You've been wondering why you can't get away from Dotta for a day? Or, perhaps from social networking sites, such as Facebook?

DENISE Caruso of New York Times wrote: “It shouldn’t be too much of a surprise that the Internet has evolved into a force strong enough to reflect the greatest hopes and fears of those who use it. After all, it was designed to withstand nuclear war, not just the puny huffs and puffs of politicians and religious fanatics.”

Last month you were introduced to a new mental disorder worth inclusion in the DSM-V—the Internet addiction disorder (IAD). You learned what’s going to happen when this mental disease gets stuck into your heard.

This week you will know what makes internet addiction possible.

There are many studies that tried to determine the precursors of IAD. As early as 2003, it has been established that obsessive compulsive (OC) behaviors are buddies with internet addiction. Manifestations of OC had been much higher than the norm even before IAD developed.

A team of psychologists from Zhejiang Normal University (Jinhua, Mainland China) has established in their report in Plos One early this year that IAD has nothing to do with somatization, phobic anxiety or paranoia. What predicts Internet addiction are these... [Read more.]


This article appears in SunStar Cebu newspaper on 8 June 2011.
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