An Exploratory Study To Understand The Nature Of Internet Overuse As a Form Of Addictive Disorder Or Compulsion

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INTRODUCTION Internet has made the world a much smaller place full of opportunities to prosper with minimum resources. It has exposed vulnerable people to a deep dark world of web where they are 'suffering' rather than "benefitting" from internet (Rao, Bansal, & Chandran, 2018). Compulsive use of internet leads to pathological behaviours and individuals are not able to control their internet use, facing social problems as well as school or occupational difficulties. Excessive use is also associated with the presence of psychological problems. Chances are more to overuse internet in the presence of co-morbid factors like depression, anxiety, low self-esteem, and high level of stress. Depression, loneliness, social phobia, hostility, and symptoms of ADHD are seen as co-morbid conditions to problematic internet use. Individuals suffering from these issues reported a greater feeling of comfort when socializing online compared to face-to-face communication (Das et al., 2019, MorahanMartin & Schumacher, 2003, Whitty & McLaughlin, 2007). Millions of people use internet in their private and public life for various academic and work purposes. Internet has given us many benefits, like accessing useful information, shopping, and communicating with others for personal and professional reasons. These and many other usages have increased the number of internet users dramatically. The subject of internet usage is an emerging topic for researchers to explore. However, despite its advantages, internet causes some severe problems like an overload of information, where it is challenging to decide which information is reliable and which is not. All sources on internet not necessarily give authentic information. Pornography is another disadvantage of internet, accessing it, is an offense in many countries. Interestingly internet addiction is very similar to other compulsive consumer behaviors, and studying it as a type of an irrational consumption behavior could be an interesting matter (S. Kim, R. Kim., 2002). This study will try to provide understandings of the status and causes of internet overuse. In the multiplicities of internet addiction, the social consequences of internet overuse, which could be called addiction is a growing concern among students. Considering what individuals experience, and academic studies on internet overuse, it is understood that internet is deleteriously addictive, but at the same time, portraying internet as addictive is seriously deceptive. There is a difference between dependence and addiction. Many individuals rely so much on internet for communication and recreation that they can be called,