“Excessive use”

“Craving and anticipation”

“Defensive reactions”

“Reality Substitution”

Overindulgence and time management issues including troubles in reducing time spent online and their negative life consequences.

Withdrawal-like symptoms when offline, including negative mood change, urgeto reconnect and anticipation of fulfillment associated with Internet use.

Situations that triggers certain defense mechanisms such as aggression and denial when one’s Internet use is inquired or disturbed by others.

Uses of the Internet to substitute real-life relationships or activities with virtual ones.

Q1. How often do you find that you stay or play longer online than you intended?

Q2. How often do you neglect household chores to spend more time on-line?

Q6. How often do your grades or school work suffer because of the amount of time you spend online?

Q7. How often do you check your e-mail before something else that you need to do?

Q8. How often does your academic performance or productivity suffer because of the Internet?

Q14. How often do you lose sleep due to late-night log-ins?

Q16. How often do you find yourself saying "just a few more minutes" when online?

Q17. How often do you try to cut down the amount of time you spend on-line and fail?

Q10. How often do you block out disturbing thoughts about your life with soothing thoughts of the Internet?

Q11. How often do you find yourself anticipating when you will go online again?

Q12. How often do you fear that life without the Internet would be boring, empty, and joyless?

Q15. How often do you feel preoccupied with the Internet when offline, or fantasize about being online?

Q20. How often do you feel depressed, moody or nervous when you are offline, which goes away once you are back online?

Q5. How often do others in your life complain to you about the amount of time you spend online?

Q9. How often do you become defensive or secretive when anyone asks you what you do online?

Q13. How often do you snap, yell, or act annoyed if someone bothers you while you are online?

Q18. How often do you try to hide how long you've been online?

Q3. How often do you prefer the excitement of the Internet to intimacy with your partner?

Q4. How often do you form new relationships with fellow online users?

Q19. How often do you choose to spend more time online over going out with others?

Table 1: Four categories of IAT items based on symptomatic manifestations of Internet overuse.