Effect of Conventional Exercise and Tai Chi Exercise in College Students With Internet Addiction: A Randomized Clinical Trial

Over the past decade, with the rapid growth and popularity of the Internet, Internet addiction (IA) has increased. Nowadays, Internet addiction disorder (IAD) has become a significant social problem, especially among teenagers and young adults. IAD is an impulse-control disorder of Internet behavior in the absence of addictive substances, its typical symptoms are involved, including tolerance, withdrawal symptoms, large amounts of time spent online, interruption of social relations, and disorder of the biological clock.

Western scholars have developed interventions for Internet addiction based on cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). Besides applying CBT treatment, Chinese psychologists also have developed trials to apply psychoanalytic group intervention, family therapy, sports exercise prescriptions, and Naikan therapy. Physical exercise (PE) interventions are known to facilitate cerebral blood and oxygen supply, enhance brain metabolism and neurotransmitter function and improve the balance of the nervous system, which in turn helps improve physical and mental adaptability. Active physical exercise is helpful to improve the symptoms of Internet addiction. Tai chi is a mind-body exercise that originated in China. It is a form of physical and mental training combining Chinese martial arts and meditative movements involving a series of slowly performed, continuous, and rhythmic movements that put a minimal impact on the joints of the body. This study aimed to validate the use of tai chi as an alternative approach to Internet addiction and compare the effectiveness of tai chi with conventional exercise. With both primary and secondary outcome measures, the effects of tai chi and exercise on Internet addiction can be more comprehensively analyzed, which will provide a basis for its future establishment as a non-pharmacological method for the treatment of Internet addiction.