The Seventh Kingdom: Is Technology Addiction Real Jan. 2015 | Page 33

(Drugabuse.g ov, 2011).

(Drugabuse.g ov, 2011).

(EverydayHealth.com,
2013).

Number of worldwide internet users (millions)

2,000
1,800
1,600
1,400
1,200
1,000
800
600
400
200
0
90

91

95

00

05

10

Year

(Rosenberg and Feder
,
2014).

This chart suggests that internet usage is increasing due
to necessity in everyday life. One in eight internet users
experience problematic symptoms of usage (TechRadar UK).
,
This figure will rise unless the issue of problematic internet use
is addressed. Would this be considered an addiction?

Video gaming and internet addiction
may not be extremely popular or
dangerous, however considering
,
popular consumer use has only been
present for approximately 20 – 30
years, it is still a growing addiction.
Technology addiction is not usually
lo oked upon as a serious matter
,
even though it is still fairly common
worldwide.

There are others who contradict
the idea of addiction not being a
chronic disease stating that addiction
does not meet the criteria for a
specified disease – the presence
of a measurable deviation from
physiological or anatomical norm.
Addiction is self-acquired and is not
contagious, hereditary, or transmissible
and treatments consist of stopping
a given behaviour. True diseases
worsen if they are not treated (Holden,
2012). Another example to support
the ideology of addiction not being a
disease is Holden affirming “Criminal
courts do not hand down verdicts of
‘not guilty by virtue of mental illnesses
to drunk drivers who kill pedestrians”
(Holden, 2012). However Holden
,
also mentions how addiction is a
maladaptive response to an underlying
condition i.e. depression (Holden, 2012)
CHAPTER TWO: BEHAVIOURAL ADDICTION

18