I have no formal training of any kind in analyzing the causes and effects of internet porn addiction. Please take that into consideration as I offer my opinions on a subject that I have researched and studied over the last three years.

Why do people become addicted to the internet and internet pornography so easily? Privacy, sccrecy and ACCEPTANCE. On the internet, where one can remain anonymous, it is easy to be accepted by others, strangers, to whom you can share your most hidden desires and needs. Very often, these strangers quickly become friends (or more), because they seem to understand you better than anyone you have ever known.

How does this happen? How is it that strangers you meet on the net can so swiftly become the best friend that you have ever had or the lover that you have never desired more? One reason is that in a chat room or through email, both parties can tailor their answers to best meet the needs of the other and they may not even be aware that they are doing it.

When communicating on the internet, a person has, at the very least, a few moments to consider the best reply. The answer that will strike the perfect chord with the recipient. There is no body language to read (don't believe those emoticons), voice inflection, you cannot look into their eyes, nothing other than the seemingly sincere text that is exactly what you wanted to hear.

Finding fantasy friends and lovers on the net is easy, it happens all the time. This is what makes the internet so addicting. Finding a true friend or a lifetime mate is a rare thing in life and I don't think that it happens in a chat room as often as people think.  John

What is Internet Addiction Disorder (IAD)?
psychcentral.com
John M. Grohol, Psy.D.

What IAD is is difficult to define at this time. Research to date has been composed exclusively of exploratory surveys, which cannot establish causal relationships between specific behaviors and their cause. While surveys can help establish descriptions of how people feel about themselves and their behaviors, they cannot draw conclusions about whether a specific technology, such as the Internet, has actually caused those behaviors. Those conclusions which are drawn are purely speculative and subjective made by the researchers themselves. They cannot be supported by existing data.

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How do you know if your partner may be addicted to the Internet? Impairment to real life relationships appears to the be the number one problem caused by Internet Addiction. Internet Addicts gradually spend less time with real people in their lives in exchange for solitary time in front of a computer. Partners first rationalize the Internet-obsessed user’s behavior as "a phase" in hopes that the attraction will soon dissipate. However, when addictive behavior continues, arguments about the increased volume of time and energy spent on-line soon ensue, but such complaints are often deflected as part of the denial exhibited by Internet Addicts. Internet Addicts become angry and resentful at others who question or try to take away their time from using the Internet. For example, "I don’t have a problem," or "I am having fun, leave me alone," might be an addict’s response. These behaviors create distrust that over time hurt the quality of once stable relationships. The following test will help you determine if you may be dealing with Internet addiction in your home.

Take this quiz

More Internet Addiction Articles

Obsessive Internet use poses risk of isolation, depression
CNN.com - By Barbara Jamison

Addictions and Life Page
Symptoms of Addiction

Internet Addiction
Illinois Institute for Addiction Recovery

It's Official: Net Abusers Are Pathological
TechWeb.com

Addicted to the Internet
University of Massachusetts Lowell

To rebuild trust, use Spector or Eblaster with the permission of the internet addicted person and limit their hours on the web. Download now

Center for On-line Addiction
netaddiction.com
Dr. Kimberly Young

Dr. Kimberly S. Young has been touted as "the world's foremost Cyberpsychologist" and is an internationally known researcher, author, and speaker on the impact of technology on human behavior. Dr. Young is a licensed psychologist and has published numerous articles about e-behavior and authored Caught in the Net, a ground-breaking book on Internet addiction recovery, already translated in six languages, and her latest book, Tangled in the Web, which explores cybersex fantasy and its potential for addiction.

Dr. Young serves as the executive director of the Center for On-Line Addiction and travels both domestically and abroad to conduct workshops on the treatment of cyber-related disorders. Her work has recently been honored with the Psychology in the Media Award given by the Pennsylvania Psychological Association.

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If being online is threatening your job or ruining your marriage, you may have to remove your computer, modem and internet user manuals from your home -- similar to the drastic steps an alcoholic takes when he/she throws out all the booze -- to recover.

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Spector is the perfect product to install on your computer if you have an internet addicted person in the house or at work. It takes hundreds of snapshots every hour and records all they type. Capture all emails, chat and instant messages. Eblaster will email you at work what is going on at home. Mac versions available.

SCAPEGOAT, ANYONE? It seems obvious that Internet Addiction Disorder does indeed exist. The question arises of who, if anyone, is to blame? Should it be the individual who chooses to participate in any on-line activity--from research, to chat, to just "surfing" the Net? A contemporary and pressing issue involving alcohol, drugs, cigarettes and even state- sponsored gambling faces legislatures today. Is it the suppliers of these addictive substances and products that should take responsibility for the problem?...  Should the programmers and on-line services providers, like the drug dealers on the street, or the nicotine fixers at R.J. Reynolds, or the Commonwealth of Virginia Lottery marketers be held responsible for how and how much people use their products? Not everyone gets addicted to drugs or the lottery. In fact, it seems most people who do use the Internet, even in large quantities, never get addicted. It is hard to say who, if anyone, should take the blame.

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How does Covenant Eyes work?

Covenant Eyes removes the temptation and secrecy of using the Internet by recording your every website visit, and emailing a report to one or two accountability partners of your choosing. Covenant Eyes is not a filter and cannot be bypassed. Covenant Eyes is effective.

The Covenant Eyes Program was established to change people’s lives. We, at Covenant Eyes, have a strong desire to make available to everyone, the ability to foster

self-control, self-discipline, and personal accountability when using the Internet. Job 31:1a states, "I have made a covenant with my eyes." It is our stated purpose to provide a tool enabling Internet users to maintain that covenant, regardless of whether their temptation is to pornography, gambling, or simply time spent on the Internet. Our goal is to honor God, our families, and our relationships in the way that we use the Internet by establishing accountability with others. Covenant Eyes IS THE TOOL THAT ACCOMPLISHES THIS GOAL