Exploring internet addiction: Demographic characteristics and stereotypes of heavy Internet users

Internet addiction is a medically recognized disorder; several million Americans may suffer from it. Symptoms of Internet addiction are similar to those of other addictions and include heavy use of the Internet. Consequences of this addiction include lost productivity, lost jobs, and destroyed families. Prior research suggests that several groups of people are vulnerable to Internet addiction. This research may lead to the identification of individuals who are candidates for addiction so that interdiction and treatment can occur. This research can also test the validity of the stereotypes of earlier research. Data from the Tenth GVU Survey showed that approximately 10% of respondents used the Internet at levels that indicate addiction; the data matched previous estimates of the percentage of addicts. Tests on that data showed that neither the single middle-aged woman stereotype nor the young white male stereotype may be valid. The data were imperfect and did not permit testing for all vulnerable groups.