• Olga Geisel, Anneke Lipinski, and Michael Kaess.
• ADHD, Mobbing, and Addiction Research Section, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics, and Psychotherapy, Charité-University Medical Center Berlin; University Hospital of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Bern, Switzerland; Section for Translational Psycho -biology in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Center for Psycho -social Medicine, University Hospital Heidelberg.
• Dtsch Arztebl Int. 2021 Jan 11; 118 (1-2): 14-22.

BackgroundAround 5.8% of adolescents and 2.8% of young adults have an Internet-related disorder. These figures underline the widespread concerns in our society regarding the potential dangers and risks associated with Internet and digital media use.MethodsSelective literature search for records on Internet-related disorders in children and adolescents.ResultsInternet-related disorders are now viewed as belonging to the behavioral addiction. Research has revealed similarities to substance-related disorders. There are often associations with other mental illnesses such as depression, anxiety, attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder, and personality disorders, as well as disturbed sleep patterns, increased risk taking, nicotine abuse, an unbalanced diet, and lack of exercise. Female adolescents are statistically significantly more often affected than male adolescents (7.1% versus 4.5%). The German STICA study, the first randomized controlled trial worldwide, demonstrated that cognitive behavioral therapy was effective compared with a waiting group (odds ratio 10.10, 95% confidence interval [3.69; 27.65]).ConclusionInternet-related disorders have not yet been conclusively conceptualized and operationalized. Further work is urgently required to refine the concepts of both the illness and and its treatment.

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