Internet addiction is a relatively new and controversial disorder. Though it is still not recognized as a specific disorder by all doctors, many people see the signs of Internet overuse in their lives and are trying to fight it.

Most compulsive Internet users are hooked on a few specific activities: online buying or gambling, online relationships (including social networking), computer games, and compulsive data searching. These are activities that many of us often perform. Some people, however, find them hard to stop. Their online activities may become more important than their real-life activities. They may allow relationships to die because they only spend time with Internet friends. They may be unable to stop playing computer games and ignore chores or family time. People often turn to the Internet for stress relief or to get away from their problems for a few minutes. However, some people may become too dependent on escaping into the Internet. The Internet becomes a destructive force in their lives.

To check for possible Internet addiction or compulsion, doctors will ask you a few key questions. They ask about whether spending time online is affecting your school or work performance. They ask if family or friends complain about your Internet use and if you form more new relationships online than offline. They ask if you worry that life without the Internet would be useless and boring, if you often stay online longer than you intended, or if you lie about how long you've been in front of the computer.

We use the Internet so much that when it becomes an unhealthy addiction, it can be hard to spot. Think carefully about how you use the Internet. Even useful tools can be dangerous.

網路成癮症是一種較新且具爭議性的病症，雖然它尚未被所有醫生公認為特定病症，但許多人都發覺到自己在生活中過度使用網路的狀況，並想努力擺脫這種症狀。

多數用網路成癮的人都受控於幾個些特定活動：網路購物或賭博、網上人際關係（包括社交網站）、電腦遊戲，及強迫性的資料搜尋，這些是我們許多人經常做的活動。然而，有些人卻停不下來，他們的網路活動可能變得比現實生活的活動更重要，他們可能因為只花時間跟網友相處而斷了原本的人際關係。有些人可能因為沉溺於電玩而不做家事，也不花時間跟家人共處。人們經常把網路當作發洩壓力的管道，或者用它來暫時逃避自己的問題。然而，過度依賴網路世界當作避難所的話，網路也將破壞原本的生活。

醫生通常會問幾個關鍵問題，以確認某人是否網路成癮或有了強迫症。他們會問下列問題：上網是否影響了你的學業或工作表現？你的家人或朋友是否抱怨你的網路使用習慣？你在網路上新建立的人際關係是否比現實生活中來得多？你是否擔心沒有網路的生活會失去價值或變得無聊？你上網的時間是否經常比你原本預估的還長？你是否謊報自己花在電腦前的時間？

我們使用網路的頻率很高，所以很難察覺這個行為已經變成一種不健康的癮頭。仔細想想你是如何使用網路的。就算是有用的工具，也有可能是危險的。