People who misuse the Internet would most likely cultivate their pathology in other ways if the medium were to disappear, she says. What's happening is not the fault of the Net. King asserts that part of the problem is media hype around the term Internet addiction, but that there's nothing inherently bad about the Internet. He suggests that most people will find their Internet experience fulfilling and will be able to adjust if it turns into a counter-productive habit. To date, researchers have had difficulty in determining the breadth and scope of Internet Enabled Pathology.
Online surveys are skewed, and existing studies have failed to provide an accurate analysis.
King says that none of the studies have been able to differentiate between newcomers and longtime users. According to King, the important question is whether or not one is able to modify his or her use of the Internet in the face of negative consequences. Some people may have a genuine online passion that results in heavy usage, but they still manage to maintain a healthy lifestyle. The group provides clinical intervention on the Web for people who cannot seem to pull themselves away from the computer screen. According to King, addicts will most likely never seek outside counseling, so a Web-based intervention might be the only way to capture their attention and make them reconsider their lifestyles.