Overcoming Internet Addiction For Dummies

A guidebook to beating internet addiction and screen overuse and for living a fuller life

There’s no escaping it―we live in a digital world. We work, play, socialize, and learn online, and the Internet provides many amazing opportunities. Unfortunately, because of our basic biology, we’re all susceptible to overuse and addiction to screens. Video games, social media, porn, and even scrolling online, taps into that pleasurable dopamine reward system. So, when is it time to log off or put the phone down and get help? Overcoming Internet Addiction For Dummies gives you the information, resources, and the self-assessment tools you need to discover how much is too much, along with practical suggestions on what to do about it.

Learn how to take back control of your time and attention—or help your kids or loved ones get control of theirs. This comprehensive, user-friendly overview of Internet addiction is full of helpful and proven methods to help foster a healthy, balanced, and sustainable life with screens.

• Discover the basic biology of addiction, including why children and teens are especially susceptible.
• Become aware of the cognitive, psychological, and physical effects excess Internet and screen use.
• Learn how social media, video gaming, and Internet pornography could be getting in the way of real-time living.
• Find out why smartphones are not smart for you to use all the time.
• Understand the science of how and why you can become addicted to your screens so you can unplug more easily and use your time for what matters most.
• Empower yourself and your children to build a positive relationship with the Internet and digital technology.

This book can help you and your loved ones plug back into life and show you where you can find information, resources, support, and treatment. Overcoming Internet Addiction is about taking back control of your time and attention and learning to manage your screen use, so it doesn’t manage you.

Introduction 1

Part 1: Getting Up to Speed on Addiction Basics 7

Chapter 1: Defining and Overcoming Internet Addiction in a Nutshell 9

Chapter 2: Studying the Biology of Addiction 27

Chapter 3: Understanding Why Kids Are So Susceptible to Internet Addiction 43

Chapter 4: Discovering What Makes the Internet and Smartphones So Addictive 57

Part 2: Breaking Down Addictive Technologies 71

Chapter 5: Examining the Addictive Nature of Social Media 73

Chapter 6: The Endless Stream: Binge Watching TV and Online Entertainment 85

Chapter 7: Exploring Video Games and Video Game Addiction 95

Chapter 8: The Risks of Online Shopping, Gambling, and Stock Trading 113

Chapter 9: Combining Addictions: The Power of Porn and the Internet 125

Part 3: Diagnosing and Treating Internet Addiction 145

Chapter 10: Identifying the Signs and Symptoms of Internet Addiction or Overuse 147

Chapter 11: Taking a Self-Assessment 177

Chapter 12: Adopting Self-Help Strategies 199

Chapter 13: Exploring and Evaluating Treatment Options 223

Part 4: Living a Balanced Life with Internet Use in Its Proper Place 249

Chapter 14: Solutions for Real-Time Living 251

Chapter 15: Parenting in the Screen Age 265

Chapter 16: The Future of Internet and Screen Addiction 279

Part 5: The Part of Tens 291

Chapter 17: Ten Things You Can Do to Reduce Your Internet Use 293

Chapter 18: (Nearly) Ten Ways to Help Your Loved One with an Internet Addiction 301

Chapter 19: Ten Tips for Overcoming Internet Addiction and Screen Overuse 309

Index 317

David N. Greenfield, PhD, MS, is the Founder and Clinical Director of The Center for Internet and Technology Addiction and former Assistant Clinical Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Connecticut School of Medicine, and Consulting Medical Director at Lifeskills South Florida. He is a leading authority on behavioral and process addiction, Internet and screen behavior, and the treatment of Internet and video game addiction, and is author of Virtual Addiction.

Tackle technology overuse and rediscover balanced living

If you’re struggling to live up to your full potential “IRL,” you might be suffering from Internet addiction—and you’re not alone. Today’s screen technology taps right into our brain’s reward circuitry, keeping us (and our loved ones) hooked. The good news: we can understand and heal this common mental health issue. This book gives you a primer on addiction, including the neurobiology of why we and our children are all susceptible. You’ll learn how to recognize, manage, and treat Internet addiction, and how to foster a healthy and sustainable lifestyle in our digital age.

Inside*#8230;

• The biology of addiction
• How much screen time is too much?
• Self-tests to identify addiction and overuse
• Steps for seeking treatment
• Raising tech-healthy children
• Tips for enjoying real-time living
• Smartphones and other addictive technologies
• The trouble with video games