Internet Addiction, Internet Use Disorder & Internet Use Gaming Disorder are three synonymous terms describing the mental health condition and psychopathology of children and adults who become compulsive dependent upon Information and Communications Technology. Michael Nuccitelli Psy. D., a New York State licensed psychologist and author of the Information Age forensics construct, iPredator, presents his understanding and definitions of these mental health issues new to humanity.
Internet Addiction and Internet Use Disorder are synonymous terms describing the compulsive dependency people experience using Information and Communications Technology. Humanity is thriving at the beginning of the period called the Information Age whereby digital devices and electronic communication channels are a priori. Internet addiction, information technology, cyberspace and virtuality are new terms introduced to the English lexicon. Just as any new human experience, the Information Age and the growing dependency upon Information and Communications Technology is a proverbial âdouble edged sword.â Contemporary Information Age society has now been introduced to Internet Addiction. At present, Internet Addiction and its psychopathology is a new mental illness for a new societal paradigm. In Mid-May 2013, this writer spent 3 days conducting research on Internet Use Disorder and the cornucopia of terms found were numerous. Provided is this writer's definitions of Internet Abuse & Internet Dependence.
Internet Abuse: Internet Abuse (aka Internet Addiction & Internet Use Gaming Disorder) is an umbrella concept defining a child or adultâs compulsive and progressive abuse of the internet and electronic devices designed to obtain, exchange or disseminate information. Although the internet is the predominate arena in which Internet Abuse takes place, electronic devices and communications channels not internet enabled are also included in the definition.
Internet Abuse causes dysfunctional cognitive, affective, behavioral & perceptual intrapersonal consequences accompanied with employment, academic, familial, peer & intimate partner interpersonal consequences. On a continuum of severity, ranging from absent to mild, cessation of Internet and/or electronic device usage causes withdrawal symptomology, psychological and/or physiological, combined with perceptual tolerance. Also on a continuum of severity, Internet Abusive online users engage in criminal, deviant and/or deceptive online activities ranging from absent to severe.
Internet Dependence: Internet Dependence (aka, Internet Addiction & Internet Use Gaming Disorder) is an umbrella concept defining a child or adult's compulsive and progressive dependency upon the internet and electronic devices designed to obtain, exchange or disseminate information. Although the internet is the predominate arena in which Internet Dependence takes place, electronic devices and communications channels not internet enabled are also included in the definition. Internet Dependence causes dysfunctional cognitive, affective, behavioral & perceptual intrapersonal consequences accompanied with employment, academic, familial, peer & intimate partner interpersonal consequences.
On a continuum of severity, ranging from mild to severe, cessation of Internet and/or electronic device usage causes withdrawal symptomology, psychological and/or physiological, combined with perceptual tolerance. Also on a continuum of severity, Internet Dependent online users engage in criminal, deviant and/or deceptive online activities ranging from mild to severe.
Internet Abuse & Internet Dependence are behavioral health disorders segmented into six typologies as follows: Cyber Sex Fixated, Cyber Relationship Fixated, Internet Gaming & Online Commerce Fixated, Information Implosion Fixated, Dark Side Fixated and NOS (Not Otherwise Specified) Fixated. The NOS Fixated typology applies to internet abusing online users who share more than one typology, has a co-existing mental illness or medical condition causing psychiatric dysfunction.
