ABSTRACT
The following discussion of the parent's letters functions to demonstrate the disordered nature of the family nexus, thus calling into question the assumption that “internet addiction” is an individual pathology. We need to contextualize norm-violating behavior such as increased internet use after one or more of the following situations occurs: a) the death of a father; b) the divorce of parents; c) a child subjected to acts of violence, absence, and neglect by one or both parents; d) feelings of intense pressure due to examinations and schoolwork; and e) feelings of depersonalization and engulfment due to parental pressure and over-investment functioning under the pretext of “love.” This is because these factors are the common characteristics of the letters that, when taken together, constitute the parent's narrative. This contextualizes the lifeworld of the person labeled an internet addict, and when we filter this discussion through DSM-IV's definition of a mental disorder we ask if it is more appropriate to conceptualize their reactions as being closer to a normal — rather than abnormal — response to their stress environments?
