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Understanding Internet Addiction

Internet addiction involves excessive use of the internet to the point that is disrupts one’s life or causes severe stress on family, friends or one’s work environment. It is common for people with an internet addiction to place a priority on internet use over other aspects of their life and to the extent that it dominates the addict’s life. Like other addictions, internet addiction makes people willing to sacrifice every other part of their life in order to continue their unhealthy behavior.

To learn more about internet addiction, please answer the questions in our Internet Addiction Self-Assessment Tool:

"TOP TEN" LIST of the most commonly mentioned activities that suffer because of excessive computer/internet use:

  1. Time with partner or family
  2. Daily chores
  3. Social events (movies, plays, concerts)
  4. Reading
  5. Watching T.V.
  6. Time with friends
  7. Exercise
  8. Hobbies (gardening, woodworking, sewing, etc.)
  9. Sex
  10. Sleep

INTERNET ADDICTION TEST

To assess your level of addiction, answer the following questions using this scale:

1. Not at all
2. Rarely
3. Occasionally
4. Often
5. Always

1. How often do you find yourself staying online longer than you intended?
Not at all Rarely Occasionally Often Always
2. How often do you neglect household chores to spend more time online?
Not at all Rarely Occasionally Often Always
3. How often do you prefer the excitement of the Internet to intimacy with your partner?
Not at all Rarely Occasionally Often Always
4. How often do you form new relationships with fellow online users?
Not at all Rarely Occasionally Often Always
5. How often do others in your life complain to you about the amount of time you spend online?
Not at all Rarely Occasionally Often Always
6. How often do your grades or work suffer because of the amount of time you spend online?
Not at all Rarely Occasionally Often Always
7. How often do you check your e-mail before something else that you need to do?
Not at all Rarely Occasionally Often Always
8. How often does your job performance or productivity suffer because of the Internet?
Not at all Rarely Occasionally Often Always
9. How often do you become defensive or secretive when someone asks you what you do online?
Not at all Rarely Occasionally Often Always
10. How often do you block out disturbing thoughts about your life with soothing thoughts of the Internet?
Not at all Rarely Occasionally Often Always
11. How often do you find yourself anticipating when you will go online again?
Not at all Rarely Occasionally Often Always
12. How often do you fear that life without the Internet would be boring, empty, and joyless?
Not at all Rarely Occasionally Often Always
13. How often do you snap, yell, or act annoyed if someone bothers you while you are on-line?
Not at all Rarely Occasionally Often Always
14. How often do you lose sleep due to late-night log-ins?
Not at all Rarely Occasionally Often Always
15. How often do you feel preoccupied with the Internet when offline, or fantasize about being online?
Not at all Rarely Occasionally Often Always
16. How often do you find yourself saying "just a few more minutes" when online?
Not at all Rarely Occasionally Often Always
17. How often do you try to cut down the amount of time you spend online and fail?
Not at all Rarely Occasionally Often Always
18. How often do you try to hide how long you've been online?
Not at all Rarely Occasionally Often Always
19. How often do you choose to spend more time online over going out with others?
Not at all Rarely Occasionally Often Always
20. How often do you feel depressed, moody, or nervous when you are offline, which goes away once you are back online?
Not at all Rarely Occasionally Often Always

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