Understanding Internet Addiction and Its Impact

Scroll. Refresh. Scroll again. For many of us, the phone is the first thing we reach for in the morning and the last thing we put down at night. Somewhere between casual use and compulsion lies a grey zone that psychologists are increasingly worried about: internet addiction. It is not just a quirky habit of the digital age – it is a behavioural pattern that can quietly erode sleep, self-esteem, relationships, and mental health.

What exactly is internet addiction?
Is it a recognised disorder?
Why does it behave like an addiction?
Common warning signs
The psychological toll
Depression, anxiety, and stress
Poor sleep and social dysfunction
The South Korean wake-up call
How big is the problem back home?
Who is most at risk?
What can be done about it?

What exactly is internet addiction?

Internet addiction refers to the excessive, compulsive, and poorly controlled use of the internet that interferes with a person’s daily life. The term was first proposed by Dr Ivan Goldberg in 1995 to describe pathological and compulsive internet use, and it is now widely characterised by excessive or poorly controlled preoccupations, urges, or behaviours regarding computer use and internet access that lead to impairment or distress.

A helpful way to think about it is this: the internet itself is not the “drug”. It is the delivery mechanism. The addictive behaviours emerge around specific online activities – gaming, social media, shopping, pornography, gambling, or endless scrolling – rather than the network itself. Researchers point out that the concept of internet addiction should really refer to pathological behaviours tied to specific online activities rather than the internet as a whole.

Is it a recognised disorder?

This is where things get interesting. Internet addiction, as a broad category, is not officially classified as a standalone disorder in the DSM-5-TR, which currently lists gambling disorder as the only formally recognised behavioural addiction. However, the American Psychiatric Association included Internet Gaming Disorder (IGD) in Section III of the DSM-5 as a “condition for further study”, essentially flagging it as an area that needs more research before becoming an official diagnosis.

The World Health Organization went a step further. In 2018, Gaming Disorder was included in the 11th revision of the International Statistical Classification of Diseases (ICD-11) under the category “disorders due to addictive behaviours”. This was a big deal – it validated what clinicians around the world had been seeing in their practice for years.

Why does it behave like an addiction?

The diagnostic framework borrows heavily from gambling disorder and substance use disorders. The reasoning is simple: these conditions all seem to share the same underlying reward-seeking brain circuitry. When you get a notification, a “like”, or win a virtual battle, your brain releases a small burst of dopamine – the same neurochemical involved in other addictions. Over time, the brain begins to crave more of that stimulus, and the cycle deepens.

According to the DSM-5’s proposed framework for Internet Gaming Disorder, a diagnosis is considered when someone meets at least five of nine criteria, including preoccupation with internet games, withdrawal symptoms when gaming is taken away, tolerance (needing more time to feel the same satisfaction), unsuccessful attempts to cut down, loss of interest in other hobbies, continued overuse despite knowing the harm, deceiving others about time spent, using games to escape negative moods, and jeopardising relationships, jobs, or educational opportunities.

Even though these criteria were designed for gaming, clinicians note that people can develop technological addictions around seven major online behaviours: internet gaming, online gambling, online shopping, cybersex, internet surfing, texting or emailing, and social media use.

Common warning signs

In everyday terms, watch out for these red flags:

Preoccupation: You constantly think about your next online session even when offline. Loss of control: You repeatedly try to cut down and fail. Withdrawal: You feel irritable, anxious, or low when you cannot access the internet. Tolerance: You need more hours online to feel satisfied. Neglect: Work, studies, sleep, hygiene, or relationships start to suffer. Deception: You hide the true extent of your use from family or friends. Mood regulation: You go online primarily to escape stress, boredom, or sadness.

The psychological toll

Research from across the world has consistently linked internet addiction to serious mental health consequences. It is not a harmless habit – it is associated with measurable psychological damage.

Depression, anxiety, and stress

A study among undergraduate college students in Delhi found that the prevalence of internet addiction was 25.3%, and it was strongly associated with depression, anxiety, and stress. The mechanism often runs in both directions – people with avoidant coping styles retreat into the internet to escape real-world problems, and prolonged excessive use then worsens their anxiety and mood.

In Assam’s Kamrup district, a study of adolescents in higher secondary institutions found that internet addiction was significantly associated with stress (odds ratio of 12), depression (odds ratio of 14), and anxiety (odds ratio of 3.3). Those numbers are striking. The brain’s reward pathways, when hijacked by compulsive online activity, set off a cascade of emotional dysregulation.

Late-night scrolling does more than steal your hours. The blue light and the cognitive stimulation disrupt melatonin release, delaying sleep onset and reducing sleep quality. Sleep-deprived brains then struggle with emotional regulation, attention, and decision-making – which, in turn, drives more escapist internet use. It is a vicious loop.

Social relationships also take a hit. Online interactions, while convenient, can crowd out the slow and often awkward process of building real-life intimacy. Many heavy users report feeling lonelier despite being more “connected” than ever. Low self-esteem is another recurring theme: clinical indicators that often appear alongside internet addiction include insomnia, symptoms of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, low self-esteem, and underlying conditions like depression and anxiety.

The South Korean wake-up call

If you want to see what happens when internet addiction is left unchecked at a societal scale, look at South Korea. The country has blazing internet speeds, near-universal smartphone ownership, and a vibrant gaming culture – and it has paid a price.

A 2018 government survey found that almost 20% of the population – nearly 10 million people – were at serious risk of internet addiction. Authorities and health professionals now openly describe it as a public health crisis. Psychiatrists at Hanyang University have reported treating patients whose lives have been derailed by gaming – students refusing to attend school, or even turning violent towards their parents when denied access to devices.

South Korea’s response has been extraordinary. The government established regional education offices that provide in-school counselling, screening surveys, preventive education, and – for severe cases – addiction camps, most of which are paid for by the national or local government. At one such centre in Muju, three hours south of Seoul, teenagers hand over their devices on arrival and spend two to four weeks learning new hobbies and healthier routines.

South Korea also took a policy route unusual for a democracy. It was the first country to allocate a national budget specifically to tackle internet and gaming addiction, and implemented controversial measures like the “Internet Shutdown” and “Cooling Off” rules, which were designed to limit adolescents’ online gaming at midnight and cap the total amount of time spent on online games. Whether these measures worked is still debated, but the intent is clear: when nearly one in five citizens is at risk, the state cannot afford to look away.

How big is the problem back home?

India is rapidly catching up with – and in some segments overtaking – the global curve. We now have over 1.4 billion people with growing digital access, and the pandemic accelerated our collective dependence on screens for school, work, and leisure.

A nationwide meta-analysis concluded that about 20% to 40% of college students in India are at risk for internet addiction. Among school-going adolescents, the prevalence of moderate pathological internet use stands at 21.5%, with another 2.6% categorised as severe. Researchers have been calling for the development of a national policy, internet de-addiction clinics, and integration of screening into primary mental healthcare.

Who is most at risk?

Adolescents and young adults are the most vulnerable – their brains are still developing the circuits responsible for impulse control, and they are in a life phase where social identity is heavily mediated by peers. Children who get their first device very young, students under heavy academic pressure, people with pre-existing anxiety or depression, and individuals with weak offline social support are disproportionately represented in clinical samples.

What can be done about it?

Recognition is the first step. If you – or someone close to you – check several of the warning signs listed earlier, it is worth taking seriously. Small behavioural shifts can make a surprising difference.

Track your screen time: Most devices now offer detailed usage reports. Awareness alone tends to reduce compulsive checking. Schedule offline blocks: Designate device-free hours, especially the first hour after waking and the last hour before bed. Replace, don’t just remove: Deleting an app rarely works unless the underlying need – boredom, loneliness, stress relief – is met another way. Pick up a sport, a book, a hobby. Seek help when needed: Persistent distress, failed attempts to cut down, or significant impact on studies, work, or relationships warrant professional consultation. Clinical psychologists and psychiatrists in India are increasingly trained to handle behavioural addictions.

At the societal level, lessons from South Korea suggest that public awareness campaigns, school-based screening, and dedicated treatment infrastructure can collectively shift the needle. India’s mental health system is still catching up, but the conversation has begun.

What do you think? How much of your own internet use is genuinely purposeful, and how much is driven by habit or emotional avoidance? And if internet addiction continues to rise among young people, what role should schools, parents, and the government play in protecting the next generation?

References

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Table of Contents

What exactly is internet addiction? 🔗

Is it a recognised disorder? 🔗

Why does it behave like an addiction? 🔗

Common warning signs 🔗

The psychological toll 🔗

Depression, anxiety, and stress 🔗

Poor sleep and social dysfunction 🔗

The South Korean wake-up call 🔗

How big is the problem back home? 🔗

Who is most at risk? 🔗

What can be done about it? 🔗