CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background to the study
Internet addiction has contributed a lot of problem over the years especially among undergraduates since they are the ones who use sophisticated phones mostly these days. Internet addiction result in personal, family, academic, financial, and occupational problem that are characteristic of other addictions. Impairments of real life relationships are disrupted as a result of excessive use of the internet.  Individuals suffering from Internet addiction spend more time in solitary seclusion, spend less time with real people in their lives, and are often viewed as socially awkward. Arguments may result due to the volume of time spent on-line. Those suffering from internet addiction may attempt to conceal the amount of time spent on-line, which results in distrust and the disturbance of quality in once stable relationships. Some suffering from Internet addiction may create on-line personas or profiles where they are able to alter their identities and pretend to be someone other than himself or herself. Those at highest risk for creation of a secret life are those who suffer from low-self- esteem feelings of inadequacy, and fear of disapproval.  Such negative self-concepts lead to clinical problems of depression and anxiety. Many persons who attempt to quit their Internet use experience withdrawal including: anger, depression, relief, mood swings, anxiety, fear, irritability, sadness, loneliness, boredom, restlessness, procrastination, and upset stomach.  Being addicted to the Internet can also cause physical discomfort or medical problems such as: Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, dry eyes, backaches, severe headaches, eating irregularities, (such as skipping meals), failure to attend to personal hygiene, and sleep disturbance.
              Internet addiction disorder, more commonly called problematic Internet use (PIU), (Moreno, Jelenchick & Christakis, 2013) refers to excessive Internet use that interferes with daily life (Byun, Ruffini, Mills, Juline, Douglas, Niang, Stepchenkova, Lee, Loutfi, Lee, Atallah & Blanton, 2009).
      Internet addiction disorder was originally proposed as a disorder in a satirical hoax (Goldberg, 1995; Beato, 2010), although some later researchers have taken his essay seriously. He used this term because it was a suitable fit to his parody. This idea he conjured was to demonstrate the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders handbook's complexity and rigidity. Among the symptoms he included in this parody were "important social or occupational activities that are given up or reduced because of the internet use", "fantasies or dreams about the internet" and "voluntary or involuntary typing movements of the fingers". (Wallis, 2016).
Goldberg himself has redefined Internet Addiction Disorder as a "pathological Internet use disorder" (also known as PIU) to avoid what he started as a joke to be thought of as an officially diagnosed addiction, such as an addiction to heroin. Goldberg mentioned that to receive medical attention or support for every behavior by putting it in to psychiatric nomenclature is ridiculous. Goldberg added if every overdone behavior can be an addiction that would lead us to have support groups for individuals that consistently cough or are addicted to books (Wallis & David, 2016). He took pathological gambling, as diagnosed by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV), as his model for the description of IAD. (Internet Addictive Disorder (IAD) Diagnostic Criteria, 2009) Internet Addiction Disorder receives coverage in the press, and the possible future classification of it as a psychological disorder continues to be debated and researched in the psychiatric community (Block, 2008). A systematic review of Pathological Internet Use literature identified the lack of standardization in the concept as a major impediment to advancing this area of study. (Moreno, 2011). "Other online habits such as reading, playing computer games, or watching very large numbers of Internet videos are troubling only to the extent that these activities interfere with normal life.  Internet Addiction Disorder is often divided into subtypes by activity, such as gaming; online social networking, (Masters, 2015); blogging; email; excessive, overwhelming, or inappropriate Internet pornography use; (Turel & Serenko, 2010), or Internet shopping (shopping addiction). (eBay Addiction, 2014) Opponents note that compulsive behaviors may not necessarily be addictive. (PsychCentral, 2018).      
Internet addiction is a subset of a broader "technology addiction". Widespread obsession with technology goes back at least to radio in the 1930s and television in the 1960s, but it has exploded in importance during the digital age (Rosen et al, 2012).  A study published in the journal Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking (2014) suggests that prevalence of Internet addiction varies considerably among countries and is inversely related to quality of life (Cheng & Li, 2014).