There is a part of the brain which is stimulated when pleasure is felt. This is called the nucleus accumbens. It is responsible for producing and releasing the chemical called dopamine. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter and a precursor of other substances including adrenaline.

In scans when the pleasure center of the brain is light up, the individual is experiencing the same high that an addict gets from a fix. In an experiment conducted on rats a lever was given to them which would activate the nucleus accumbens resulting in pleasurable stimulation.

The rats became addicted to the sensation and kept pressing the lever till they dies of exhaustion and starvation. When an addict becomes focused on the next fix, he cares nothing about other things, including survival. The addictions to video games is real. It was proved by a man in South Korea who died after gaming non stop for fifty hours.

Where the internet is concerned, the brain scans have shown that the same pleasure center is stimulated when a person is using the internet. The brain activity displayed is similar to that of a drug addict. However there is no clear cut scientific study which can claim beyond a doubt that the internet is just as addictive as other drugs of choice.