Can you be addicted to the internet?

Last week, the pub chain JD Wetherspoon announced it was quitting social media, claiming its decision had been influenced in part by concerns regarding “the addictive nature of social media”. Is this real? And if so, what, if anything, can be done about it?

Internet addiction means feeling you must be logged on 24/7 and that you’re unable to resist checking your devices. It’s a problem for many. A survey of more than 11,000 adolescents in 11 countries across Europe, by Tony Durkee and colleagues at the Karolinska Institute, categorised 4.4 per cent of respondents as pathological internet users (PIU).

Dr Katie Niemz and colleagues at Nottingham Trent University found an even higher rate of PIU: 18.3 per cent. A survey of 5,000 students in England by Digital Awareness UK found 56 per cent felt “on the edge of addiction”.

The effects of excessive internet use are not yet proven, but negative associations are strong. In the Digital Awareness UK survey, 52 per cent said their extensive use of social media made them feel less confident about their appearance and their life generally. Dr Niemz found the PIUS in her study had lower self-esteem. At work, use of the internet for personal reasons has been linked to lower productivity. A study by Nucleus Research in Boston, US, claims firms that allow employees access to social media in work time lose about 1.5 per cent of employee productivity. A report by Teamlease in

Business Today put the loss much higher, at 13 per cent.

But is it a true addiction? The most recent update to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders fails to classify internet overuse this way, as the authors claim more research is still needed.

None the less, if your internet use feels out of control, you’ll want help now. The key to control lies not in how often you use the internet, but in recognising why you do so.

If you seek the good feeling it gives you because of a connection with others, your priority is to increase the number of additional activities that make you feel satisfied and happy. Create a schedule in which you pursue at least one such activity every day. Spending real time with friends and becoming more physically active are particularly helpful. If you use the internet when you’re feeling stressed, as an escape from uncomfortable feelings, you need to identify the triggers that cause your discomfort (for example, when you’re asked to do too much at work). Address the source of the stress (talk to HR) instead of avoiding it.

It will also help to learn to wait before checking your devices. Start small and build slowly: even waiting two minutes will start to build self-control. Create a daily schedule with times when you’re allowed to check. When you’re not meant to be checking, turn off your devices, or at least turn off the sound.

Finally, keep written notes of your internet use and praise yourself every day you feel in control.