Two surveys highlight dangers of the Internet

Some 300,000 of Taiwan's 6 million Internet users may be sufferers of a condition known as Internet addiction disorder, and 10 percent of adolescents under 15 years old have sought sex on the Internet according to two surveys released yesterday.

`Possible sufferers'

A survey carried out by the Ministry of Transportation and Communication last year showed that about 5 percent of Internet users are "possible sufferers" of the Internet addiction disorder, according to Chen Kuo Hwa (陳國華), a doctor in the department of psychiatry at Cathay General Hospital.

Internet addiction disorder has been defined by the American Psychiatric Association as a psychophysiological disorder involving tolerance of long online hours, withdrawal symptoms such as anxiety and depression and a failure to regulate daily Internet use, resulting in the impairment of social relationships.

But the research is insufficient to enable more specific criteria to be established so doctors can diagnose the condition, hence the survey's reference to "possible sufferers."

"Since internet addiction disorder is not yet regarded as a disease, diagnosis of the condition depends on individual medical professionals," Chen Kuo Hwa (陳國華), a doctor in the department of psychiatry at the Cathay General Hospital, told the Taipei Times.

A mere "disorder," which differs from a "disease" -- which has a clear cause, symptoms and forms of treatment -- could have various causes, changeable symptoms, and many different treatments, he said.

Kimberly Young, a psychiatrist at the University of Pittsburgh, however, has devised an eight-point definition of the condition, but other scholars argue that research in the field is insufficiently advanced for her criteria to be considered definitive.

Second survey

Results of another survey, conducted by the Garden of Hope Foundation (勵馨基金會), were also announced yesterday and showed that nearly 10 percent of adolescents under 15 years of age have used the Internet to seek casual sex. The percentages among older age groups range between 5.2 and 5.8 percent.

"These youngsters are lost in a virtual world in which there are nearly no rational conversations or genuine humanity," said Chi Hui-jung (紀惠容), director of the foundation.

She also said that teenagers and people with limited educations could easily fall prey to criminals or suffer as a result of "dangerous" interactions with anonymous people over the Internet.

"Teachers should really try to enter the online chatrooms in order to fully understand Internet language and the way adolescents interact with each other online," said Chi.

The seminar, attended by over a hundred high school and junior high school teachers, was aimed at educating teachers in theories about Internet use, recent trends in Internet usage, and the possible negative influences on the nation's youth.

"Although many teachers recognize the problems of adolescents' overindulgent use of the Internet or the negative influences of the Internet on their students, they do not know what to do about these problems due to their ignorance of the Internet," said Chen Jing-chang (陳景章), director of the MOE's computer center.