INTERNET DEPENDENCE DISORDER INTERNET ADDICTION DISORDER (TDI/IAD) - STUDY OF THE PATHOLOGICAL USE OF THE INTERNET AND SOCIAL NETWORKS IN UNIVERSITY STUDENTS (Atena Editora)

Abstract

Since 2010, Brazil has been the world leader in time spent on domestic connections and has increasingly provided easier access to the internet, which represents the potential for addiction problems. Relationships are found between Internet Addiction Disorder - IAD (known as Internet Dependency Disorder - TDI) and self-harmful behavior (abuse of other substances, suicidal ideations or attempts), poorer school and work performance, problems with interpersonal relationships, social anxiety, depression ADHD, impulsive personality and, finally, physical health problems, such as overweight and obesity, sleep disorders and a sedentary lifestyle. The decision on the proposed topic came from the recognized scope of the problem by the American Psychiatric Association, which is already considering the inclusion of Internet Addiction Disorder in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-V), and thus, the importance of regionalized studies that propose the reproducibility of psychological tests such as the IAT (Internet Addiction Test) is evident. The present study sought to quantify, among a sample of university students, those who were prone to internet addiction or even already established addiction; quantify the proportion of individuals who use it excessively; check whether there are thoughts in anticipation of using the internet; point out the proportion of individuals who end up abandoning social life and work due to this technology. To do this, the Internet Addiction Test instrument was used, which was designed to assess which areas of an individual's life may be affected by excessive use. The sample consisted of 200 university students from different courses at the same higher education institution. The results demonstrated that 35% (n = 70) of the total were classified as dependent (mild and moderate), a percentage almost three times higher than the standard estimate. Among these, subjects classified as moderately dependent are those who have the most areas of their life affected, such as: attributing the emptiness and insignificance of life without the internet, anticipation on social networks, expression of concerns and changes in mood and the preference for virtual life to real.