Internet addiction is a mental condition characterized by excessive use of the internet, usually to the detriment of

the user. Addiction is generally understood to be a mental disorder involving compulsive behavior. When someone is
constantly online, they may be described as addicted to it. While it is recognized as a problem, professionals have yet
to agree on whether to recognize the term as a distinct form of addiction.

Internet addiction is also known by numerous other terms, including internet addiction disorder, pathological
internet use, internet dependency, problematic internet use, internet overuse and compulsive internet use.

5 Types Of Internet Addiction

Internet addiction is a broad term that covers a range of behaviors and impulse-control problems involving internet,
personal computer, and mobile technology. While there is yet no officially accepted criteria to diagnose an internet
addiction, researchers have identified 5 subcategories of specific types of computer and internet addictions.

Cybersex Addiction

A cybersex addiction is one of the more self-explanatory internet addictions. It involves online pornography, adult
websites, sexual fantasy/adult chat rooms, and XXX webcam services. An obsession with any of these services can be
harmful to one’s ability to form real-world sexual, romantic, or intimate relationships. Treatment options are
available for those with cybersex addictions, typically in the form of intervention followed by ongoing inpatient or
outpatient therapy.

Net Compulsions

Net compulsions concern interactive activities online that can be extremely harmful, such as online gambling, trading
stocks, online auctions (such as eBay), and compulsive online shopping. These habits can have a detrimental impact
on one’s financial stability and disrupt job-related duties. Spending or losing excessive amounts of money can also
cause stress in one’s relationships. With instant and easy access to online casinos and stores, it is easy for those who
are already susceptible to a gambling or spending addiction to get hooked online.

Cyber (Online) Relationship Addiction

Cyber or online relationship addicts are deeply involved with finding and maintaining relationships online, often
forgetting and neglecting real-life family and friends. Typically online relationships are formed in chat rooms or
different social networking sites but can occur anywhere one can interact with people online. Often people who
pursue online relationships do so while concealing their real identity and appearance; this modern phenomena led
to the creation of the term “catfish.”

After being consumed by an online social life and persona, a person may be left with limited social skills and
unrealistic expectations concerning in-person interactions. Many times this leads to an inability to make real-world
connections, in turn making the individual more dependent on their cyber relationships. Counseling or therapy is
typically required to treat this addiction and ensure lasting behavioral changes.

Compulsive Information Seeking

The internet provides users with a wealth of data and knowledge. For some, the opportunity to find information so
easily has turned into an uncontrollable urge to gather and organize data. In some cases information-seeking is a
manifestation of pre-existing, obsessive-compulsive tendencies. Compulsive information-seeking can also reduce
work productivity and potentially lead to job termination. Depending on the severity of the addiction, treatment
options can range from different therapy modalities — which target changing compulsive behavior and developing
coping strategies — to medication.

Computer Or Gaming Addiction

Computer addiction, sometimes referred to as computer gaming addiction, involves online and offline activities that
can be done with a computer. As computers became more widely available, games such as Solitaire, Tetris, and
Minesweeper were programed into their software. Researchers quickly found that obsessive computer game playing
was becoming a problem in certain settings. Office employees would spend excessive amounts of time playing these
games, causing a notable decrease in productivity. Not only are these classic games still available today but so are
thousands of new ones, and the condition of computer gaming addiction is as prevalent and harmful as ever.

Some of the typical signs and symptoms that would indicate that you may be suffering from an internet addiction are
defined below:

Behavioural symptoms of internet addiction:

Common symptoms of an internet addiction can include:

 No longer engaging in activities that were once enjoyed

 Spending most waking hours online

 Anger or agitation if you are asked to step away from your device of choice

 Lying about your internet use

 Concealing your internet use

Physical symptoms of internet addiction:

 Fatigue

 Insomnia

 Aches and pains from lack of movement

 Digestive problems

 Change in physical appearance/no longer paying attention to grooming or hygiene

 Unintended weight loss or weight gain

Mental symptoms of internet addiction:

 Poor concentration capabilities

 Trouble distinguishing reality from fantasy

 Memory impairment

Social symptoms of internet addiction:

 Irritable mood

 Social isolation

 Employment problems

 Strained interpersonal relationships

 Academic difficulty

What causes it?

There’s no single cause of internet addiction.

Several factors can play a role, including:

 underlying mental health conditions, including anxiety and depression

 genetics
  environmental factors

Some experts have suggested that some people are predisposedTrusted Source to addictive behaviors because they
don’t have enough dopamine receptors, or they aren’t making the right balance of serotonin with dopamine. These
are two neurotransmitters that play a big role in your mood.

TIPS TO OVOID/OVERCOME INTERNET ADDICTION

Limit the Smartphone use

Digital Detox is something you can do on your own if you have the determination and strength to do it. Once you
realize that internet addiction is bad for you and it taking control over your life, you can start keeping the distance.
You can limit your online session to 30 minutes. You can make some rules about not using the internet after a certain
time every day. This will keep you all managed and self-controlled.

Socialize

Get over the internet and share some real life experiences. Invite over your friends and have some fun activities with
them. Go out more frequently and make your loved ones your priority. Spend time with them, do what you love, and
try to maintain your real life relationships more than your internet relationships.

Prioritize your Needs

Focus on the things you want to get done first. It depends on what you do and how you do it. For instance, if you are
a student, you can decide on finishing the homework first when you come at home and doing everything later.

Similarly, if you are a businessman, you can prioritize your meetings, your schedules, first and then everything
including the internet usage later. This way, you will see how internet addiction was making you miss out the things
that are important in your life.

Keep Devices Inaccessible

If things are getting out of control and you find yourself getting more addictive day by day. You can take some
serious steps by getting rid of your digital devices for a fixed time period, especially the ones bothering you a lot. It
could be your gaming console, your smartphone, laptop, etc. You can ask for help from a friend and let him keep
your things for a while to keep the necessary space.

Find Activities outside

There are many things you can do without the use of computer or smart devices. You can take part in sports team,
volunteering programmes, civic groups, and further such communities to feel worthy and spend your quality time.
A hookup culture is one that accepts and encourages casual sex encounters, including one-night stands and other
related activity, without necessarily including emotional intimacy, bonding or a committed relationship.[1] It is
generally associated with Western late adolescent sexuality and, in particular, United States college culture. [2][3][4] The
term hookup has an ambiguous definition because it can indicate kissing or any form of physical sexual
activity between sexual partners.[5][6] The term has been widely used in the U.S. since at least 2000. [6] It has also been
called nonrelationship sex,[7] or sex without dating.

Most research on hookups has been focused on U.S. college students, but hookups are not limited to college
campuses.[8][9] Adolescents and emerging adults engage in hookups for a variety of reasons, which may range from
instant physical gratification, to fulfillment of emotional needs, to using it as a means of finding a long-term romantic
partner.[9] Reaction by media to hookup culture has been often considered moral panic.[10][11][12] The recent
introduction of mobile hookup apps and websites have shaped hookup culture, especially among gay men.[13]

Any type of oral, vaginal or anal sex is considered hooking up. ... More than kissing, less than sex. Oral sex is hooking
up. Hooking up means kissing, making out and oral sex.

Hookups (history) — have emerged from more general social shifts taking place during the last century. Hookups
began to become more frequent in the 1920s, with the upsurge of automobiles and novel entertainment, such as
movie theaters. Instead of courting at home under a parent's watchful eye, young adults left the home and were
able to explore their sexuality more freely.

By the 1960s, young adults became even more sexually liberated, with the rise of feminism, widespread availability
of birth control and growth of sex-integrated college party events. Today, sexual behavior outside of traditional
committed romantic pair-bonds has become increasingly typical and socially acceptable (Bogle, 2007, 2008).

Hookup Culture: The Pros and Cons

It’s no secret that what was once courtship, dating, and romance has evolved into a modern “hookup culture.” 
People are looking less for a long-term relationship and more for a one-night stand or an FWB, aka Friends with
Benefits.  And apps like Tinder have made it quick and easy to meet up with other people looking for the same thing. 

While this hookup culture has certainly received a lot of backlash, particularly from older generations accustomed to
“going steady” with only one other person, it’s important to consider the advantages of this casual, no-strings-
attached trend.  After all, there must be some positives if it’s become so popular, especially among twenty-
somethings.  So, let’s take a look at good, the bad, and the questionable of this casual sex phenomenon. 

The Pros

1.Allowing for Sexual Experimentation

In the recent decade, more and more people have been experimenting with their sexuality, as society has become
more accepting toward a spectrum of sexual orientations. Homosexuality, bisexuality, and asexuality are just of few
of the identities that have become more visible, and hookup culture may be partially to thank for that.  In order to
discover your sexuality, you have to experiment, often times with several people.  Hookup culture may allow people
to experiment with different genders, or even just different preferences when it comes to sex, without the
commitment to one person.

2.Testing out Different Kinds of Relationships

Just like how a more causal approach to dating can help someone sort out their sexual identity, it can also help
people figure out what sort of relationship they are ultimately looking for.  When it’s socially acceptable to spend
one night with a sexual partner, or meet up with them on a regular basis, it can be easier to see what sort of
relationship works for you.  Maybe you prefer being independent, knowing you have the option of hooking up with
someone once in a while? Maybe you prefer being with the same person consistently, or maybe you prefer sampling
a pool of potential partners?  Whatever you find you need in a relationship, it can be easier to figure out once you’ve
shopped around.

3.Less Stress than a Serious Relationship

Let’s face it, while we all romanticize having a serious, committed relationship, it’s often more complicated and
stressful than we thought.  Being with one person in a long-term relationship requires effort from both partners and
a willingness to resolve conflict when it inevitably arises.  Being young, that’s often unnecessary stress added to our
already hectic lives.  Especially for college students balancing school, finances, friends, and other commitments,
being in a long-term relationship can seem unmanageable.  However, that doesn’t mean that you don’t want to be
with anyone at all.  Casually hooking up with someone can be a happy medium when you’re still trying to figure out
this whole “adulting” thing. 

4.Relationships Are Less Rigid

We’ve certainly come a long way from the rigid rules of dating that used to govern our social interactions, and that’s
not necessarily a bad thing.  Meeting someone can often times be more complicated when there are more
expectations involved, which is where our modern hookup culture comes in to simplify things.  Now, meeting
someone from Tinder can be as simple as a “Netflix and Chill” sesh, or just hanging out in a group at a bar.  Either
way, when relationships become more causal, it can make it more fun, relaxed, and even easier to develop it into
something more later on. 

The Cons:

1.Safety and Health

Casual sex, or even just random makeouts, come with certain health and safety concerns that are less prevalent in
monogamous, long-term relationships.  STIs and certain illnesses like mono and meningitis become a cause for
concern among people who’ve had multiple partners, especially if certain precautions aren’t taken.  The more
relaxed the attitudes around sex and hooking up become, the more important it is to discuss birth control, condoms,
and other contraceptives. 

2.Self-Worth

While this may not be the case for everyone who partakes in hookup culture, there are times where casual sex can
lead to negative feelings of self-worth.  Being in a relationship with someone, and being intimate with only this one
person, usually makes sex feel safer and more meaningful.  On the other hand, having casual sex with multiple
partners may lead to significant decrease in self-esteem when these no-strings-attached relationships end. Overall, it
becomes important to make self-care a priority and assure yourself that you are having sex for the right reasons,
with someone you trust to respect you in the long-run. 

3.It’s Harder to Find a Traditional Relationship

When casual sex and friends-with-benefits-type relationships are so prevalent, it can seem impossible to find
someone who is looking for a traditional, monogamous relationship.  This becomes a problem when a generation
who grew up immersed in hookup culture eventually looks to settle down with one person, when it seems that the
dating norms of the past are almost slowly being forgotten.  While dating has not completely vanished from our
culture, it is becoming more and more rare among teens and twenty-somethings. 

4.Hookup Culture Can Be Confusing

“Are we dating?  Are we exclusive? Are we seeing other people?” These are all questions that have popped into the
heads of anyone who’s casually hooked up with someone else.  It can be confusing to navigate this new causal
relationship culture where, many times, relationships are completely undefined.  We’ve all seen someone get hurt
when they realize the person they were sleeping with was actually never interested in anything other than the sex
itself.  A lot of the time it can be difficult to define the contexts of these informal relationships. 

So there you have it, a comprehensive guide to the pros and cons of hookup culture.  Whether you’re “seeing
someone,” have a “thing” with someone, or are completely new to this whole no-strings-attached thing, just
remember to be cautious – but embrace being spontaneous.