Revealing results

For his survey, which was published in the October 2006 issue of CNS Spectrums: The International Journal of Neuropsychiatric Medicine, Aboujaoude sought to measure the problem in the general population, outside hyper-wired Stanford and surrounding Silicon Valley.

To his surprise, "the survey suggests that it's not an isolated problem-it is relatively wide-spread, and deserves more attention." Gambling sites are just one part of the problem. Other sites-chat rooms, shopping venues and special-interest websites-are also habit-forming.

Teenagers tempted

Psychologist and computer engineer Kenneth Woog of San Clemente, California, welcomed the study, saying too little research has been done on the problem. Woog, who specializes in treating teenagers, is most worried about massive multiplayer online games.

Some games "are deliberately designed to be addicting," Woog added. "They're very compelling. You do something and get a reward. With enough rewards, you start to feel good about yourself.
And you're part of a team of people an a common quest." Because many games operate on a subscription model of sales, the most addicting games are the most lucrative for companies, he said.
Other therapists say they also increasingly see youths with unhealthy gaming habits who neglect schoolwork and sports for online games.

Defining the problem

It's not known whether so-called Internet addiction is a clinical disorder, Aboujaoude said. More research is needed to identify whether Internet overuse is a distinct condition or an expression of another psychopathology , such as depression, anxiety or obsessive-compulsive disorder, ha said.
The best label for now, according to Aboujaoude, is "impulse control disorder." More research, based on one-on-one interviews, will better define the problem.

Vocabulary Focus
isolated (adj) --- not connected with others; separate
compelling (adj)- -- very exciting and interesting and making you want to watch or listen
clinical (adj) --- describing medical work that relates to examination and treatment of sick people

Specialized Terms
psychopathology (n) --- 精神病理学 mental disease