Is “Internet addiction” addressed in the classroom? A survey of psychology textbooks

Although not designated as an official diagnostic entity, problematic Internet use (or “Internet addiction”, IA) has received increasing attention in professional literature, both within psychology and in other fields. Given the Internet’s popularity and growing recognition of its misuse, it seems legitimate to question whether IA is being given similar attention in relevant academic courses. To address this question, the author surveyed current college-level introductory and abnormal psychology textbooks for references to the IA phenomenon. Of the 44 texts examined, only three specific references to IA (or similar terminology) were found. Recommendations are made regarding the coverage of this contemporary concern in updated text editions.