 Internet addiction
by Janani Amarasekera
Social Network Services have invaded the lives of the younger
generation today. They are connected to these sites all throughout the
day, and with the latest mobile technology, connection on the go is
secured too. Things like status updates, writing on the wall, or poking
a friend has become important tasks in their 'to-do' list for the day.
Not only these, nowadays search engines have become the 'Mr. Know
all' or if you want 'Ms. Know all' for many. They search anything and
everything in there. It can be the way to spell a simple word or a
recipe or may be how to build a house too! The Internet has become the
place where you can find anything whether it is good or bad. With this
popularity gained by the Internet, now we have a personal disorder
called 'Internet addiction'. Let us take a closer look to see what this
disorder is.
Internet addiction defined
Internet overuse, pathological computer use or the problematic use of
the computer that interferes with the day-to-day life is defined as the
Internet Addiction Disorder (IAD). The University of Texas has published
some tips to help a person to identify whether he/she is an Internet
addict. Read the list below and see if any of these statements actually
describes you.
1.You have mixed feelings of well-being and guilt while at the computer
2.You make unsuccessful efforts to quit or limit your computer use
3.You lose track of time while on the computer
4.You neglect friends, family, and/or responsibilities to be online
5.You find yourself lying to your boss and family about the amount of
time spent on the computer, also about what you do while on it
6 You feel anxious, depressed, or irritable when your computer time is
shortened or interrupted
7. You use the computer repeatedly as an outlet when sad, upset, or for
gratification.
8. You develop problems in school or on the job because of the time
spent and the type of activities accessed on the computer
9. When you are not on the computer, you think about it frequently and
anticipate when you will use it again
Cause of internet addiction
In many families, while parents are busy at work, neglected
youngsters tend to spend their lonely hours at the computer. Parents
also encourage this as a way of keeping their children occupied.
However, did they ever think that internet, the sweet nanny, could
also be a monster one day? A habit that started for the convenience of
the parents can go to the extent of a personal disorder due to many
causes.
Depression - Teenagers tend to face many problems more than the
children of other ages. Physical changes, changes in their feelings, and
friends can lead to depression.
If there is nobody they can talk to, naturally, they will turn to the
internet monster that is disguised as a sweet nanny. Even, the children
who are low esteemed or having a history of addictions are also in
danger of being internet addicts.
Hunger for information - People, who are always on the lookout for
knowledge, will spend hours reading articles related to their favourite
subjects. At the end of the day, it may lead to an unorganised life.
 Loneliness - The lonely souls will meet their friends, relatives, and
lovers online. It provides a way of connecting to people much faster and
cheaper. With the latest technology paying only the internet charge, you
can talk and see people who live across the globe. With the increase of
dating sites, internet also enables virtual relationships with added
privacy to the user.
Social disorder - Some people find it difficult to interact with
others in the real world. They don't the attention or the respect they
want from the others. Then as a result, they turn to the internet to
live in their fantasy life online. They build up their own image in this
'internet world'. This affects real life relationships a lot. What if,
one-day people stop meeting each other in real life, and then start
seeing them online? All shops and cafes will be closed, and then the
world will be a boring place to live.
Tips to help
While reading this if you felt this article describes you, do not
worry! You are not alone. Many people are addicted to the internet
nowadays. Let us give you steps to overcome this addiction. It is not
hard to get over this addiction. If you could identify that there is a
problem like this, you have solved the problem 50%.
* Try to identify the reasons for the addiction. Go through the
causes of addiction again. See if any of those apply to you. If so,
treat that first. If you have depression, see a psychiatrist. They will
treat you to get you out of the depression.
* Learn how to handle stress. May be stress in school, or work may
make you stay on the internet for long hours. Even the angry feelings,
those you cannot control, may keep you out of the real world. Learn how
to manage those feelings.
* Do you find it difficult to get on with people? Feeling excessively
shy or the feeling that you never can understand people may keep you out
of real life and enter the virtual world through the internet. Talk to
your elders such as parents, grandparents, aunts, or uncles who are
close to you. They have experienced life more than you. They will tell
you what needs to be done.
* Spend more time with your classmates and neighbours. Engage in
sports activities or join a volunteering mission, where you can spend
time helping people. This may reduce the time you have to spend on the
internet
Most of these tips are given here are to try out yourself, but you
can also get some outside support as well. Remember, internet addiction
is not a crime it is just a disorder. With a little help, you can get
over it. If someone you know is an internet addict, help them to find
their way out of it. They need your help. |
