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PIU has much in common with substance addiction but is less studied.

• PIU is commonly defined by symptoms associated with addiction, including excessive and compulsive use, tolerance, withdrawal, and impairment.
• At this time, there is no consensus that PIU constitutes a distinct clinical diagnosis.
• The prevalence of PIU is difficult to gauge.

Official diagnosis or not, PIU is a mental health issue and can have serious consequences.

• It is unclear whether excessive Internet use results in the social and psychological issues associated with it or whether those issues make an individual vulnerable to PIU.
• PIU can be harmful to marriages, family relationships, finances, educations, careers, and even physical health.

Emerging prevention and treatment strategies are similar to those for substance abuse.

• Comprehensive prevention and treatment strategies include individuals at risk for PIU, their employers, and their clinicians.
• Self-regulation strategies are likely to be the front line of PIU prevention.
• Most employers already have Internet policies in place aimed at keeping workers productive, but these may be more focused on discipline and less geared toward acknowledgment and treatment of a larger mental health issue.
• Over the past 25 years, clinicians have developed treatments for PIU based on existing and proven treatments for depression, anxiety disorders, and substance use disorders, but their efficacy with PIU is untested.