NurseWeek

Psychologists gather for first Internet sex summit

By Tim Bergling
Health24News
September 13, 2000


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Washington (H24N). They came from around the world to talk about sex, gambling, addiction and the chances for recovery. An international gathering in Zurich last week brought together hundreds of psychologists, psychotherapists and counselors in the first-ever summit on addiction to the Internet.

The conference, called "Online: Between Fascination and Addiction," was designed to call attention to what many call a serious disorder that’s only now becoming widely known, as well as address prospects for treating it. "The conference adds credibility to the emergence of Internet addiction, creates awareness of the seriousness of the disorder and shows the globalization of its impact," said conference Chairman Franz Eidenbenz.

According to the Center for On-Line Addiction, Internet addiction takes several forms, much of it sexual in nature. It often involves people who spend untold hours viewing or downloading pornography, people who engage in online sexual role playing, to those who spend inordinate amounts of time in sex chat rooms.

Internet addiction has its non-sexual aspects as well; addicts become stuck in a world of online gambling, gaming, shopping or stock trading. Some simply become addicted to ‘Net "surfing," and find themselves lost in a world of informational overload.

Center for On-Line Addiction Director Kimberly S. Young, Ph.D., was among the first to identify the problem in the United States. The author of a book on the phenomenon, "Caught in the ‘Net," Young was the sole American at the conference and delivered its keynote address. "In many countries the Internet is a new technology, and addiction to it is a new problem," she said. "One of our focuses at the conference was looking at ways to prevent addiction, especially among children."

Young says one of the problems professionals face worldwide is getting people to recognize that the disorder is just as real as addictions to drugs, alcohol or nicotine. Conferences like the Zurich summit help to define the issue and start the conversation that may lead to viable treatments. "Twenty years from now we may well look back at this event as the first of many to address a problem that’s real, and growing," she said. "People still ask me if this is a real problem. The conference really helps validate the concept."