Psychiatrists are proposing that Internet addiction be considered a mental disorder.  I think they have good intentions, but it seems like they're just generalizing it too much.  To me, there are a few different types of Internet disorders....  The government estimates 168,000 children will develop it and require psychotropic medications.  In China, the Beijing Military Region puts the number of teenage pathological computer users at 10 million. 
I'm not sure if categorizing Internet addiction in such a way will benefit addicts in any way.  I think it might be too broad, like it should be broken up into genres: RSS, blackberries, gaming, forums...etc. 

It seems like there's a really fine line betwee Internet addiction and a hobby.  Sometimes I just get on the Internet for fun if I'm bored, or if I'm interested in something, I'll do a little research on it.  But a lot of people spend time on the Internet because it's their main source of friends, or escape like bloggers.  I don't really think there's anything wrong with that, unless it's to the extremes where you're blogging to the point where you're neglecting your family, that's just wrong. 

alessandra said: It seems like there's a really fine line betwee Internet addiction and a hobby.  Sometimes I just get on the Internet for fun if I'm bored, or if I'm interested in something, I'll do a little research on it.  But a lot of people spend time on the Internet because it's their main source of friends, or escape like bloggers.  I don't really think there's anything wrong with that, unless it's to the extremes where you're blogging to the point where you're neglecting your family, that's just wrong. 

What your describing is not an addiction. That's a hobby. When a person is constantly on the internet, wanting to get on the internet, and doesn't think about anything but the internet thats when they are addiction. Many will have their fingers jsut start moving as if they're typing as withdrawals. Headaches start up things like that. People have actual withdrawals from the internet. Thats when its an addiciton. If a person spends hours and hours on it one week but goes on for the next two barely touching it then thats not an addiction, its a hobby.

a person who is addicted to the internet would put aside so many other things in life like friends, family, school, work, everything just to get on the internet. If your not giving up anything important to get on the internet and dont spend everyday a majority of the day on the internet then it is not an addiciton its a hobby. I heard that China has the highest rate of internet addiction. I wonder what addicts do on the internet all day though. I would get very bored with it.