The Internet makes shopping at home convenient. However, shopping can be addictive. Experts say online shopping addiction is a mental illness. Researchers from the Hannover Medical School called the illness "Buying Shopping Disorder" (BSD). They say the doctors should recognize it as an illness, not just as one of various "impulse control" disorders. Dr Astrid Müller said: "It really is time to...accumulate further knowledge about BSD on the Internet."
Dr Müller conducted research on 122 patients who had treatment for BSD. She said five per cent of people might suffer from it. Younger people are more likely to develop it, and be more anxious and depressed. People with BSD act unnaturally. They buy expensive things they don't need, keep and never use things they buy, buy things for instant gratification, and end up in debt. BSD can destroy marriages, relationships and mental health.