Internet addiction

This chapter reviews the current literature on internet addiction (IA) and provides a comprehensive summary regarding: (i) potential positive and negative effects of internet and technology use, (ii) main conceptual frameworks, (iii) biological bases, (iv) comorbidity factors, (v) prevalence rates, (vi) assessment methodologies, and (vii) treatment approaches. Although the current evidence suggests a relatively low prevalence rate of IA worldwide, and that several scholars remain doubtful about the validity and utility of IA as a clinical phenomenon, the existing evidence indicates that further research is required in order to facilitate greater understanding of this intricate issue and to tackle a range of challenges identified in the literature. Furthermore, the current scientific trend points toward the adoption of more specific terms that underscore the role of specific online activities in eliciting addictive usage, as opposed to the adoption of the broad and unspecific umbrella term IA