Excessive Internet Use and Personality Traits

Abstract

Cases of excessive use of the Internet have been reported for some time, with numerous claimed adverse effects to the well-being of the subject. Objective signs and subjective symptoms are similar to those of addictive behavior, leading to the classification of those cases as incidences of an addiction disorder. Research results from this new field of study have led to the recent provisional introduction of a subset of those cases, those concerning online gaming, in the fifth edition of the Diagnostic & Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders by the American Psychiatric Association (DSM-5) under the heading ‘Internet Gaming Disorder’. This review article critically examines research conducted on the personality attributes of those Internet users who demonstrate signs and symptoms of excessive use. The results lend credit to the notion of including a disorder in psychiatric taxonomies yet do not cover all possible fields of research, rather focusing on trait personality psychology. Directions are offered for future research.