A group of psychologists are lobbying to get internet addiction added to the next edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders.

 Like other addicts, users reportedly experience cravings (for better software, faster machines), withdrawal (logging off may cause irritability), a loss of sense of time (wee-hour fixes), and negative social repercussions (it’s so much easier to date an avatar). Sound familiar? Your friend the World Wide Web may be a monkey on your back. Or not. Just ask yourself this: If Google were a drug, would I smoke it? [Wired]

I may have a problem. Let’s see, I spend much of my day searching the web for blog ideas, blog photos, blog links, plus an additional few hours actually blogging, not to mention my multiple MySpace/Facebook/Gchat breaks…I wonder if I can go to virtual rehab? Ya know, join some sort of online internet addict group chat therapy program? I found the site netaddiction.com which in fact has an “internet addict” message board. Sooooo, what if one becomes obsessed with logging onto the message board? Ah irony.If you or someone you know does have any kind of addiction, takepart and visit Psychology Today for addiction help resources and information.