Internet Addiction Test
A confidential self-check built on Young's Internet Addiction Test (IAT), the original and most widely used research instrument for problematic internet use. Get an instant, plain-language result with your severity band and a professional PDF report. No shame, just a clear picture of how your time online is affecting you.
How time online is shaping your life, in three lenses
A lot of hours online is not automatically a problem. What matters is whether being online is pulling you away from real life, becoming hard to control, and changing how you feel. The IAT looks at all of it.
IAT severity score
All 20 items of Young's Internet Addiction Test, each rated by frequency. This is the original validated instrument the field is built on.
Compulsive use
Staying online longer than intended, failed attempts to cut down, and losing track of time. The loss of control at the center of any behavioral addiction.
Life and relationships
Whether time online is affecting work, school, sleep, and the people around you, and whether you go online to escape difficult feelings.
| Feature | Typical free quiz | Psychology.com |
|---|---|---|
| Full validated IAT (20 items) | Rarely | Yes, faithful wording |
| Standard IAT severity bands | No | Yes (minimal to severe) |
| Compulsion vs life-impact breakdown | No | Yes, both shown |
| Non-judgmental, supportive tone | Often alarmist | Yes, throughout |
| Evidence-based next steps | Generic tips | Yes, specific and realistic |
| Downloadable PDF report | No | Yes, branded & shareable |
| Confidential (no data sent) | Often tracked | Runs in your browser |
Methodology & sources
The 20 questions reproduce the Internet Addiction Test (IAT) developed by Dr. Kimberly Young (1998), the first validated instrument for measuring problematic internet use and still the most widely cited. Each item is rated on a six-point frequency scale from never to always, for a maximum score of 100. The wording stays faithful to the validated instrument while reading clearly and without judgment.
This test is provided for education and self-reflection. We use the established IAT severity ranges to place your result in context: roughly minimal use, mild, moderate, and severe. Internet addiction is not a standalone diagnosis in the DSM-5-TR, though internet gaming disorder appears as a condition for further study. We report your result as a severity band rather than a label, and we focus on what is workable.
- Young KS. Internet addiction: the emergence of a new clinical disorder. Cyberpsychol Behav. 1998;1(3):237–244.
- Young KS. Caught in the Net: How to Recognize the Signs of Internet Addiction and a Winning Strategy for Recovery. New York: John Wiley & Sons; 1998.
- Widyanto L, McMurran M. The psychometric properties of the Internet Addiction Test. Cyberpsychol Behav. 2004;7(4):443–450.
- American Psychiatric Association. Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. 5th ed., Text Revision. Washington, DC: APA; 2022.
Internet Addiction Test FAQ
What is Young's Internet Addiction Test?
The Internet Addiction Test (IAT) is a 20-question, research-validated tool created by Dr. Kimberly Young in 1998. It measures how problematic internet use is across your life, including loss of control, neglected responsibilities, secrecy, and using the internet to escape feelings. It remains the most widely used screener for problematic internet use worldwide.
What IAT score means a problem?
On the IAT, higher totals indicate more severe problematic use. This screen sorts your result into minimal, mild, moderate, or severe based on the standard ranges. These bands are a guide for reflection, not a clinical diagnosis of you specifically.
Is internet addiction a real diagnosis?
Internet addiction is not a standalone diagnosis in the DSM-5-TR, though internet gaming disorder is listed as a condition for further study. Researchers treat problematic internet use as a behavioral pattern on a spectrum. The difficulty is real either way, and effective strategies exist.
Is the test really confidential?
Yes. It runs entirely in your browser. Your answers are never sent to a server, never stored, and never linked to you. No account is needed, and the optional PDF is generated on your own device.
What if my result is high?
It is workable. Structuring your time online, addressing the feelings that drive escape, and getting support all help. If internet use is tangled up with anxiety, depression, or loneliness, a therapist can help you treat the whole picture rather than just the symptom.