Internet Addiction: Can Cognitive Behaviour Therapy Help?

The Internet is one of the most impressive and the most useful technological advancements that the human race has known. It grants the user a vast amount of knowledge and skills that can be utilized at any given time and at any given place, making it a very powerful tool in the hands of productive individuals. Internet savvy individuals are able to keep in touch with friends, perform financial transactions, shop and perform multiple tasks, all from the comfort of one’s home. The most intriguing aspect of the Internet is that all of the above mentioned tasks can be performed simultaneously. This very fact highlights the amount of control the Internet puts into the hands of individuals who know how to utilize it effectively. The main aim of this review was to understand Internet addiction as a mental health problem and the effectiveness of Cognitive Behaviour Therapy as a treatment strategy to help tackle addiction to the Internet. Based on the findings of the articles reviewed in the current study, it was found that CBT and a form of CBT specifically designed for Internet addiction (CBT-IA) are standard and effective ways of treating Internet addiction.