Could Internet Addiction Be Genetic? Latest Mental Health News
TUESDAY, Sept. 4 (HealthDay News) -- Not only is Internet
addiction a legitimate compulsion, it may have the same genetic
component as nicotine addiction, a new study suggests. Out of
nearly 850 people interviewed about their Internet habits,
German researchers evaluated 132 who showed signs of being
hooked to the Web, while another 132 without problematic
Internet behavior were selected as a control group. The addicted
users said that all their thoughts revolved around the Internet
during the day, and they felt that their well-being was harmed
if they couldn't go online. The participants' average age was
25. The study authors conducted a genetic analysis and
discovered that the people with Internet addiction were more
likely than others to have a genetic mutation on the CHRNA4
gene, which is known to play a major role in nicotine addiction.
The gene mutation was more common in women with online addiction
than in men with the problem, according to