Abstract:

Dependency, expressed as Internet addiction or problematic internet use, is a behavioral addiction which is characterized by extreme internet use and uncontrollable impulses or behaviors towards internet use and it leads to impairment and distress. Internet addiction causes both physical and mental problems, detaches a person from social life and harms human relationships. In some cases, people tend to take caffeine-containing beverages and caffeine pills in order to increase their internet use, and substance addiction is developing along with internet addiction. Internet addiction includes some other addictions such as social media addiction, gambling addiction, and sex addiction. Researchers are skeptical about whether such cases are merely internet addiction or not, and some researchers have suggested that these dependencies can not be defined as internet addiction in nature, addicted people use the internet to repeat the behavior they depend on. It will not be misleading to expect such addictions to become widespread, especially when it is considered the development of the internet network and other technologies. In this context, this study aims to examine internet addiction by explaining the concept of addiction and addiction related concepts, substance abuse and non-substance addictions.

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