Many anxious parents see their teenage sons and daughters spend endless amount of hours in front of the computer and wonder if they should get worried, if their teen is developing an internet addiction. The answer is: not necessarily. Some teenagers will not get addicted to the internet no matter how many hours a day they spend surfing the web.

An internet addict teenage boy reported feeling anxious whenever he went outside with his friends. Obsessive thoughts like "I must go online now" and "I must check my new messages" were constantly bothering him. This is not uncommon, as many internet addicts are teenagers. These teenagers, although spending many hours in social media sites like Facebook, are prone to feeling depressed and lonely. In fact, the internet usually helps teenagers escape real life and not deal with it.

But how can you know when your teenager isn't saying anything? There are some warning signs that shouldn't be taken lightly: If the teenager lies or denies that he or she are spending a lot of time in front of the computer, if they experience loss of appetite, are excessively tired, constantly have read eyes or neglect their school work or offline friends, then a confrontation might be in order. One way in which a parent can confront his child is by asking the simple question "what are you looking for?" This question might sound simplistic but one of the main differences between internet users and internet addicts is that the latter DON'T look for anything, most of the time. They are just online. There is no purpose.

A new study also found that hyperactive teenagers or teens that are displaying hostility and social phobia symptoms are more likely to develop internet addiction. In this case, the internet might be the only social outlet the teen feels available to him, which could indicate a problem of a larger scale.

If the teenager is unwilling to cut down his "internet time" or says he will and fails to do so, than seeking professional treatment is the best course of action.