By BLYTHE BERNHARD - One in eight Americans may have an unhealthy relationship with the Internet, researchers from the Stanford University School of Medicine announced today.

In a phone survey of 2,500 people, the researchers found that 70 percent regularly used the Internet to some degree for work or entertainment.

About 300 of the people interviewed exhibited at least one sign of possible Internet addiction, such as staying online longer than they intended, hiding Internet use or using the Internet as an escape.

Some of the study subjects had seen doctors about how their attachments to the Internet were affecting their work and personal lives.

The findings were published in the October issue of the trade journal for neuropsychiatric medicine.

The people most likely to be affected by Internet addiction are single, white males in their 30s who are college educated and spend about 30 hours on the computer a week for non-work purposes, according to the study.

Researchers said that visits to pornography sites were only part of the problem. Users were as likely to be visiting shopping sites and chat rooms.

The researchers said that more thorough studies would be needed to determine if Internet addiction meets the psychological guidelines as a separate disorder.
Source: The Orange County Register