With the exponential increase of surfers on the World Wide Web, the Internet has become a place of business, relationships, shopping, and games. Is there more to the Internet and does the Internet hide a darker side? What is this phenomenon of sexual addiction, sexual compulsion, cybersex, cyberaddiction, and the Internet?

This year (2007) it has been estimated that there will be over 1.25 billion users on the Internet world wide. In the United States alone there are 233 million Internet users. These users spend an average of 11 hours a week online. This means that four out of five adults in the United States is online and doing something on the Internet. But what are they all doing?

Internet Use

Internet Addiction

In another study conducted by Griffiths (2000a), the results indicated that of the 9,265 participants (n = 9,265) who were self proclaimed Internet users; the majority utilized the Internet predominantly for conventional and daily uses, (e.g., email, work related activities, or finding weather and news). This study also reveals that 29% of Internet users participate in gaming activities, and areas of recreation. It might not be a giant leap to state that many individuals find that the Internet can be a fun and exciting place to virtually hang out.

This study also finds that only one percent in this sample fell into the grouping of cybersex compulsives (n = 96). One percent may sound like a very small percentage; however, applying this figure to millions of people; the numbers could be substantial. One percent of the United States Internet users, which is estimated to be approximately 233 million and growing according to Internet World Stats (2007), would yield approximately 2,330,000 people that statistically would fall into the category of cybersex compulsive Internet users.

Within the profiles that were taken at the time of the questionnaire 60% of the subjects that define themselves as “cybersex compulsive” were profiled to be: 33 year old professional males (businessmen), who are engaged in heterosexual or committed relationship (Griffiths, 2000a, p. 337). An interesting finding that emerged from the study was that many individuals who answered the questionnaire believed that they did not have any problem with sexual compulsions or sexual addictions (Griffiths, 2000a).

Internet sexual addiction is the “crack cocaine of sexual addiction” (Schneider, 2000, p. 34). Due to the intense and pervasive qualities that the Internet has over the users, people who have a propensity toward compulsivity have a greater chance of being drawn into this addiction (Schneider, 2000).

Carnes (2005) refers to sexual addiction that is developed around the Internet is termed as Online Sexual Addiction (p.13). After many years of working as a prison psychologist, Carnes states that there is hope for recovery that involves a gentle path through a twelve-step process that was adapted from Alcoholic Anonymous (AA) groups (Carnes, 1993).

Carnes, Delmonico, Griffin, & Moriarity (2001) stipulates that sexual addiction (virtual or not) is based on the addict’s basic belief system. There are basic similarities between the belief system of a sexual addict and the substance addict. Both type of addicts hold beliefs that consciously or unconsciously say:” I am basically a bad and unworthy person”, “No one could love me”, “My needs are never going to be met”, and “Sex (or substances) is my most important need in life” (Carnes, Delmonico, Griffin, & Moriarity, 2001, p. 39).

The addict who holds these types of beliefs also experiences impaired thinking. This impaired thinking shows up as:

1. rationalizations
2. denial
3. arguments
4. excuses
5. justifications
6. circular reasoning
7. defending a lie that they believe to be true
   (e.g., “what he or she does not know won’t hurt him or her”)

Sexual addiction includes the cycles of addiction. These cycles are progressive and they intensify each time the individual experiences them. The cycles:

1. Preoccupation (e.g., trance like mood where thoughts are completely engrossed in subject of either sex or substance)
2. Ritualization (e.g., a special routine that intensifies the experience)
3. Compulsive sexual behavior or substance use (e.g., the end goal of the sexual act or the use of the substance)
4. Unmanageability and despair (e.g., guilt, shame, utter hopelessness about their lack of control over this behavior).

The cycle is repetitive and with each repetition it increases exponentially. By adding guilt and shame the cycle reaches higher and higher levels, increasing the levels of stress in every area of the addicts life (Carnes & Delmonico, et.al., 2001).

Cooper (2002) views online sexual interactions as “compulsions”, viewing this entire realm as Cyber Sexual Problems, with subcategories of cybe rromance, cyber affairs, cyber harassment, all stemming from online sexual compulsivity (Cooper, 2002, p. 4).

Quadland & Shattls (1987) also believe the reason for this sexual compulsivity stems from a base need to reduce anxiety that is related to personal issues of intense lonwliness, low self-esteem, fears of intimacy, and having poor interpersonal relationship skills Quadland & Shattls, 1987, p. 360).

Other professionals want to put sexual addiction into a category all its own, by labeling it cybersex addiction (Putnam, 2000), Cybersexual Internet Abuse (Griffith, 2000b, p. 213), or Cybersex Abusers (Schwartz & Southern, 2000, p. 135). They describe individuals who spend 20 hours or more weekly viewing, interacting, downloading, and purchasing pornographic items online. The time spent online may result in clinically significant impairment or distress, not only for the individual, but for his or her family, friends, occupation, or recreational endeavors (Putnam, 2000).

The magnetism of anonymity allows individuals to explore sexual realms that they may not have thought about without the availability of having this convenient resource in their own homes. These same individuals may find themselves exploring realms that may be illegal or dangerous (e.g., participating in activities such as sado-masochism and domination/bondage, bestiality, viewing child pornography, posing as opposite gender and seeking out homosexual sex, or sex with teens) (Joison, 1998).

Approximately 30% of cyberaddicts participated in sexual encounters outside of the Internet and 34% of online pornography users found that their sex lives, offline, decreased significantly (Schneider, 2000, p. 36).

Professionals seem to agree that there is a growing problem in the area of sexual addiction (Carnes, 1989; Colman, 1986; Cooper, 2002; DeLamater, 1981; Griffiths, 1996; Putnam, 2000; and Young, 2000). Despite this consensus of a growing problem, there seems to be equal disagreement on how to label this new phenomenon. Along with the controversy of naming this new phenomenon, there is equal controversy surrounding the clinical implications and interventions necessary to aid in the recovery of this phenomenon

Millions of people use the Internet every day, and do so with little or no adverse consequences at all. Yet, there is a clear subset of people who manifest sexually compulsive difficulties when faced with the myriad of sexual opportunities the Internet has to offer. This appears to be due in part to the power of the Triple A Engine (Cooper, 2002). Cooper believes that it is the triple A engine in the Internet that fuels the phenomenon of Internet Sexual Addiction. The triple A engine is (1) accessibility, (2) affordability, and (3) anonymity; these three elements contribute to the seriousness of the dilemma of this fast moving phenomena.

Conclusion

The Internet seems to be a place of virtual everything, a place to work, play, and a place to explore one’s darker side. There is no argument that the Internet is creeping into everyone’s lives; the argument is how the Internet is contributing to sexual addiction; and how to label this new phenomenon.

The Internet is yet another area for humans to explore. There is strong evidence that there is a phenomenon developing in the Internet, and that it is growing at an alarming rate. It is shifting our perceptions and reality, and giving us cause to redefine cultural and societal norms. Clinicians and professionals in the field are all being challenged daily with an increase of individuals who find themselves immersed in sexual addiction.

There are resources such as books or websites on the Internet that are available for the clinician, as well as for the addict. There are also resources available for those who are caught in codependent relationships with the addict. Listed in the appendix are some of the available resources.