If you’re reading this now on and you don’t believe that internet addiction isn’t real, chances are you’re in denial. That doesn’t mean that you have it, but you likely know someone who spends more time online than they do in the “real” world. It’s okay. If it’s you that has it, you’re not alone.

The internet can be a wonderful place. It keeps us engaged and informed. It presents portions of the world that we would never have been able to see otherwise and lets us meet and interact with people who we never would have known. Communication, information sharing, expression of opinions, the speed of news, entertainment availability – all of these are things that are made possible through the internet and the internet alone. Even television, as groundbreaking of an innovation as it was, didn’t have the same type of impact that the internet has had on society.

It makes us smarter. It makes us dumber. It empowers us and enslaves us.

The truth is this: there are millions of people who cannot imagine life without internet access. For most, there’s nothing wrong with this. For others, it’s debilitating and harmful. Unfortunately, there’s not a whole lot that can be done. People can have interventions and try to get their loved ones help, but that’s extremely difficult. Like any addiction, most won’t admit it and fewer are willing to get help for it. They don’t want it. They feel like the internet has made them better, stronger, more intelligent, and more entertained.

It’s the way of the world today.

This exceptionally comprehensive infographic by Maps of World breaks down the realities, myths, and categories of internet addiction. It asks the question about whether or not internet addiction is real, but I think we all know the answer to that.