The Future of IA Assessment
"...No clear gold standard exists based on which the status and severity of Internet addiction symptoms can be evaluated."
Researchers and clinical experts agree that more research is needed in the field of IA and IA assessment. The research studies over the last decade employed various assessment tools because, as of now, there is little agreement in the field about the accuracy and effectiveness of these assessments. In a 2014 review of IA assessment tools, Kuss and her colleagues analyzed the most commonly employed assessments over the previous decade. They concluded that "no clear gold standard exists based on which the status and severity of Internet addiction symptoms can be evaluated, and neither is the usage of current tools standardised in such a way that cross-study comparisons are facilitated" (Kuss et al. 21-22).
Kuss also contends that there is a lack of consensus regarding the name and definition of IA. The term IA has become an umbrella under which multiple conditions fall: Internet-communication disorder, Internet-use disorder (Wegmann 34), Internet Addiction Disorder, pathological Internet use, problematic Internet use, Internet Gaming Disorder (Kuss 2), Fear of Missing Out ("Designing Social Networks…" 1), to name a few. In addition to a standardized assessment approach, Kuss and her colleagues argue that "nosological precision" is needed to accurately name, define, and ultimately treat patients with IA and related disorders.