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Internet Addiction short documentary now viewable online

Internet addiction will be discussed on television
Thursday, November 8, 2012
at 10pm eastern on "Rock Center with Brian Williams"
(NBC network).

Here is the article that goes with this episode of the show.
http://rockcenter.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/11/08/13810834-trapped-by-an-internet-addiction-obsessed-surfers-seek-rehab-help

The article contains links to more information about the topic, including information about going into rehab for internet addiction, and some of the names of scientists who have been researching this.

UPDATE:  You can now watch it on the NBC website here:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/49754151#49754151
Ironically, yes, you can watch it on the internet.


UPDATE:  I just watched it.
It discusses internet gaming
but also other forms of internet addiction such as
addiction to reading blogs or addiction to online discussion groups and chatrooms.

They mention the DSM.

For those of you unfamiliar with the DSM ... The DSM (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders) is the official categorization of mental illnesses in the USA. The DSM is the official manual written by the APA (American Psychiatric Association). This is how mental health professionals record a diagnosis in a patient's medical records. This is how insurance companies authorize payment for treatment.

The DSM was first written in the year 1952. Major changes are written approximately every 12-14 years.

  • .. Original DSM (#1). DSM-I (1952)
  • ........................ #2. DSM-II (1968)
  • ........................ #3. DSM-III (1980)
  • minor revision to #3. DSM-III-R (1987)
  • ........................ #4. DSM-IV (1994)
  • minor revision to #4. DSM-IV-TR (2000)

The next edition is the DSM-5 (now using the digit "5" and not the Roman Numeral "V"). It is scheduled to be released in the year 2013.

The proposal for the DSM-5 is to call it "Internet Use Disorder".
Here is the proposed wording --
-- notice that this covers Internet GAMING only and not other forums of internet addiction.
http://www.dsm5.org/proposedrevision/pages/proposedrevision.aspx?rid=573

NOTE: This is just a proposal ... not yet a finalized decision to put an official diagnosis in the DSM. The current plan is to put it in the section of the book under "Recommended for Further Study". This could change.


re: Internet Addiction documentary

I just watched it, and then I added more info about the topics covered ... added to the opening post of this thread.

I found it strange that the documentary did NOT mention
the 12step group "Online Gamers Anonymous"
http://www.olganon.org
That group has helped a lot of people.

Strange that olganon wasn't mentioned at all.

My personal thoughts:  I was glad they mentioned addition to blogs, online discussion groups, and online chatrooms.  This was very briefly mentioned, but at least it was mentioned.

In the documentary, the therapists said that in general, men tend to do online gaming and women tend to do online discussion.

Personally, I think that there are many people of both genders who do both activities.

I did like the therapists' definition of addictive behavior.