Internet addiction disorder
excessive internet use that causes psychological disorders
Internet addiction disorder (IAD), also called problematic Internet use (PIU), is characterized by excessive or poorly controlled preoccupations, urges, or behaviors regarding computer use and Internet access that lead to impairment or distress. There is concern that increased access to the Internet among young people may cause students' academic performance to decline. Some experience health consequences from loss of sleep as they stay up to continue scrolling, chatting, and gaming.
Excessive Internet use is not recognized as a disorder by the American Psychiatric Association's DSM-5 or the World Health Organization's ICD-11. Controversy around the diagnosis includes whether the disorder is a separate clinical entity, or a manifestation of other underlying psychiatric disorders. Definitions are not standardized or agreed upon, complicating the development of evidence-based recommendations.
Many different theoretical models have been developed and employed for many years in order to better explain predisposing factors to this disorder. Models such as the cognitive-behavioral model of pathological Internet have been used to explain IAD for more than 20 years. Newer models, such as the Interaction of Person-Affect-Cognition-Execution model, have been developed more recently and are starting to be applied in more clinical studies.
In 2011 the term "Facebook addiction disorder" (FAD) emerged.
The public source identifies “Internet addiction disorder” as excessive internet use that causes psychological disorders. This brief keeps that definition visible, then builds a research path around Internet, addiction and disorder.
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Named sources, stable identifiers and responsible institutions provide the strongest route from overview to verifiable evidence. The source revision retrieved here is dated Sep 26, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q831735. The Library of Congress control number is sh97009080. 1 of 1 selected statements include explicit references; 0 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank. The first chronological checks are 2011.
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This entry incorporates text from “Internet addiction disorder” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.