Internet Addiction and New Dissociative Adolescent Phenomena

The aim of this study is to analyze the Internet Addiction Disorder: a new disorder, with a complex genesis, often multifactorial, which develops compulsive behavior, leading to a progressive social withdrawal. After a brief analysis of the transformations that the digital age has spawned in the way of experiencing time and space, and the description of the symptoms in adolescents result from the use of compulsive internet (especially in contexts such as interactive chat network , social networks, internet gambling , cybersex ), we focus our attention on the concept of dissociation that, according to the theory of Ferro and Riefolo (2006) and Tonioni (2011,2013), we consider the core foundation of most of the clinical manifestations internet related, with reference to its double function as a defense mechanism and organizer of the mind ( Riefolo , 2012; Ferro, 2007, Bromberg , 2007).