Estimated read time: 2-3 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
NBC's Tracie Potts ReportingDoctors believe they're beginning to see patterns with a new addiction -- patients who are obsessed with being online. Is it a medical problem or just a really bad habit?
At internet cafes it's common to see people tapping away on laptops for hours.
Kara Heitz, Internet cafe customer: "I always get up in the morning, check my email, check the weather. And it's easy to get stuck there and then, 30 to 45 minutes later you're like, my morning hasn't gotten started yet."
But when does being online cross the line? Stanford university asked 2,500 adults and found one in eight internet users have symptoms similar to alcohol and other addictions, like compulsively checking email or using the internet as a way to escape real-life problems.
Elias Aboujaoude, Stanford University: "We've been seeing in our clinics patients who come in saying things like, 'My wife is divorcing me over my Internet use because I can't wait for her to go to sleep so I can sneak out of bed and go online on one last time.'"
And it's not just gambling and online porn. Researchers found many users obsessed with chat rooms, blogs and even shopping!
Hugh Rosen, Internet cafe customer: "I think when it starts to take the place of actual relationships with people and, you know, experiencing things in the outside world, then yes, it can be a problem."
Dr. Elias Aboujaoude, Stanford University: "I've had patients describe almost lapses of consciousness. They tell me, 'I didn't realize I was doing it till I'd been online for four and a half hours and missed my dental appointment' or something."
But researchers stop short of calling it addiction and say not everyone who's stuck is obsessed.
Dr. Elias Aboujaoude, Stanford University: "If you're spending your lunch hour at work making plans for your Mediterranian cruise next year, that's not what we're talking about. That's not problematic use, as long as you're able to meet those deadlines at work."
But that could be a problem with your employer if you're using a company computer.
