A new study has found that 6 percent of the world's population is addicted to the Internet, suggesting the issue is a bigger problem than initially believed.
The term Internet Addiction (IA) is described in the study as a dependence on using the Internet that is strong enough to have a negative impact on the individual's relationships and physical health, according to Pharmacy Times. This form of addiction is also capable of causing neural dysfunction, impaired working memory, depression and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder.
The study involved about 90,000 participants from 31 countries. The highest prevalence of IA was found in the Middle East with 10.9 percent, the second highest prevalence was found in North America at 8 percent and Northern and Western Europe had the lowest prevalence at 2.6 percent.
The authors of the study said the rate of IA prevalence was more than three times greater than the prevalence rate of gambling and impulse control disorder, Newser reported.
Another important finding was that countries with a higher prevalence rate experienced greater pollution, more traffic commutes, lower national income, and a "perception of less life satisfaction in general."
The researchers suggest the number of people addicted to the Internet can be brought down if policymakers focus more on providing new sources of transportation and bringing down pollution, which could influence people to spend more time outside and away from their computers, Pharmacy Times reported.
The study was published in the journal Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking.
