Ever feel that need to continuously click the refresh button on your Internet browser to see if you’ve got mail? Ever show up late to class because you were writing an email and got distracted? Ever wake up at 4 a.m. and automatically check Facebook?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, you may be an Internet addict.

A new study from Stanford Medical School found that excessive Internet usage can be compared to alcoholism — and what may be labeled as merely bad habits could be signs of a compulsive disorder.

“Just think about the pandemic of email once you get to college,” said junior Jordan Moncharmont, a Resident Computer Coordinator in Cedro. “It’s expected of all students to check their email all the time. Those who don’t miss out on things like announcements over the dorm list saying ‘I’m going to Safeway in a few minutes, does anyone want to come along?’ or a teacher canceling class for the day.”

Add that to convenient social networking, gaming, problem sets due online and an endless flow of news and information, and it is no wonder that students spend hours online each day.

“I check email every five minutes,” said senior Ethan Townsend. “You like to feel that all the emails you’ve gotten are taken care of.”

But is this constant behavior a warning sign?

Dr. Elias Aboujaoude, director of Stanford’s Impulse Control Disorders Clinic, recently surveyed 2,500 people in a nationwide study of Internet usage.

The results showed 14 percent of the population found it hard to stay away from the Internet for several days at a time, while eight percent used the Internet as an escape from problems. Another six percent said their personal relationships suffered directly from too much time online.

A segment of the population — should they be called junkies? — is even seeking professional help for the addiction.

At the Stanford clinic, Aboujaoude has treated many patients, including University students, for problems related to the Internet.

“People come in because they’ve been disciplined or fired for spending too much time on the Internet,” Aboujaoude said. “They know they have a problem, but find it hard to stop.”

He compared excessive use to more serious behaviors.

“It’s too early to call it an addiction like we call alcohol an addiction,” he said. “But sometimes the cravings people feel can be similar, sometimes they need to gradually increase intake to get the same kind of satisfaction, and when they cut back, they might feel recklessness and withdraw.”

At the epicenter of the Silicon Valley, it can be difficult to draw the distinction between normal and compulsive use.

“There’s so much information on the Internet that you can read and watch,” said sophomore Kimberly Johnson. “You can basically do anything you want without getting up from the computer. It’s addictive because it’s hard to stop doing something so convenient.”

Moncharmont said there are finite levels of activity on the Net, some more addictive than others.

“There are definitely people who get lost in applications of the Internet,” he said. “Some people play World of Warcraft and never come out of their rooms.”

He expressed doubt that the problem stems from the technology itself.

“You can get addicted to any activity,” he said. “You can be addicted to the Internet but still have a social life and do well at school.”

From a clinical perspective, Aboujaoude agreed, but he also put out a note of optimism.

“The Internet can be a wonderful thing,” he said. “It’s not always bad. Some patients with social anxiety wouldn’t be able to ask people out on a date if they didn’t break the ice with a few emails first. When you feel your virtual life and virtual relationships are more important than those in your real life, that is when it becomes a problem.”