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ARTICLE · 16 OCTOBER 2012

The Latest And Greatest: Internet Use Disorder

Cozen O'Connor
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Word has just come down that going nuts from the ‘net may become a recognized form of mental illness.

United StatesEmployment and HR
Michael Schmidt
Michael Schmidt

Word has just come down that going nuts from the 'net may become a recognized form of mental illness.   The consequences for employers may be significant.

The American Psychiatric Association ("APA") is adding "Internet Use Disorder" (recommended for further study) to its DSM, which stands for the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders.   According to Abby Ohlheiser of slate.com: "Essentially, they're saying that some people who spend a lot of time on the Internet demonstrate similar symptoms to people diagnosed with other addiction disorders, and that the psychiatric community should study it and consider promoting it to a full-blown disorder down the road."

And, according to Natalie Wolchover of livescience.com, the APA's list of symptoms include:

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