If you’re spending too much time on the Internet, you may soon be diagnosed with a medical condition. Psychologists are looking at including a new classification in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM), the de facto guide to identifying and classifying mental diseases. Could you be suffering from Internet Use Disorder?

Internet Use Disorder, or IUD, is one of the many new conditions to be included in the latest revision of the DSM, as a disorder that is “recommended for further study.” It will be placed alongside new forms of substance addiction disorders, and experts are recommending that the classification be inclusive of all Internet-capable devices, such as iPads, smartphones and other mobile devices.

Research has shown that Internet over-use in children can manifest in structural changes to the brain, resulting in lower densities of grey matter compared to teens that aren’t dependent on the net for a fix. Mike Kyrios, an Australian psychologist, has the following to say about the problem:

With kids, gaming is an obvious issue. But overall, technology use could be a potential problem.

Emil Hodzic, another psychologist, says that the following symptoms are often present in cases of Internet over-use:

The most typical sign of addiction is anything that looks like withdrawal symptoms. So any expression of distress, frustration, irritability when they don’t get to play. A lot of kids I have coming into the clinic have difficulty in being able to tolerate distress without zoning out via the internet or via the games.

Could you be suffering from IUD? Psychologists are recommending the following warning signs to be included in the new DSM, so if you are exhibiting any of the following, it may be time to re-think your Internet habits:

1. Excessive use, often associated with a loss of sense of time or a neglect of basic drives.
2. Withdrawal, including feelings of anger, tension, and/or depression when the computer is inaccessible.
3. Tolerance, including the need for better computer equipment, more software, or more hours of use.
4. Negative repercussions, including arguments, lying, poor achievement, social isolation and fatigue.

You’ve been warned.

[Source: Medical Daily]