Internet addiction disorder, the name of the disorder itself explains that the main culprit of abnormal or dysfunctional behavior and emotion is the internet. There are other media that a person can be addicted to like TV, radio, newspapers etc. but at this time, in terms of technological advancement, internet has boomed and is taking a place as the central medium in the media . Addiction basically means when an individual becomes addicted to a particular substance and that substance relieves them of stress or relaxes them when they are worried about something else. An addict may calm down after consuming this substance and feel like they are being fought. The internet is like a substance for many addicts to feel good about. Simply answer these questions to understand where you stand on the scale of being an internet addict: Do you feel strong urges to be online on social media platforms (one or more) so you don’t miss a thing? Do you spend the majority of the day playing video games? Do you find that your other aspect of life (like relationships, family, friends, work, etc.) is taken away from you due to your social media involvement? Answering yes to such a question indicates that it’s time to talk to a mental health professional. Talking to a mental health professional does not mean that we are sick, we can talk to them to be more productive in life or to adapt better in life
Psychologs Magazine in its latest edition launched an awareness campaign on internet addictions by publishing articles from prominent psychologists in the country. In the last 3 days, about 20 psychologists in the country have expressed their concern on this issue and they have also spoken about the solution to this problem during an event entitled “Internet: a new challenge for well-being in mental health” organized by Psychologs.
Gopa Bhardwaj, who served as Dean of Arts and Head of Department of Psychology at Delhi University, said that children, especially teenagers, are increasingly affected, but the problem is also increasing among the adults.
Uday Sinha, Head of Department of Clinical Psychology, IHBAS, Delhi, said it is time to take internet addiction seriously, due to the change in routine in the time of Covid, the problem has increased dramatically.
The magazine’s editor, Arvind Otta, said the problem is bigger than it looks. Parents should be vigilant as it affects teenagers more. If you notice any negative changes in the teen’s behavior, a mental health professional should be contacted.
There are different forms of Internet addiction. Psychologists mentioned in their opening remark that there are various reasons why people go online and surf various sites, but there are dominant and primary reasons for surfing the internet when we talk about internet addiction. People who spend most of their time on the internet to nurture internet relationships or friendships are usually trying to achieve some far-fetched goal of making “real connections or relationships”, without actually spending time with real people around them. ‘they. Many people feel the need to achieve a goal in a game on an online platform or to get points in their games or to have a higher level in online games. They spend most of their time playing online rather than pursuing an outdoor game goal and being physically active. There is also a type of internet user who spends hours and hours acquiring information through various online sites and is obsessed and engrossed in it. Many people are also addicted to online games and sometimes this addiction can be the cause of serious financial losses.
Renowned clinical psychologist and former HOD of NIMHANS, CR Mukundan appreciates the initiative taken by Psychologs Magazine and mentions that in addition to many psychological symptoms, there are several physical signs of internet addiction, such as headaches, insomnia, neck and back pain, dealing with vision or sight problems and having weight issues. There are also several emotional signs of Internet addiction, such as feeling guilty, anxious and/or depressed, dishonest, defensive, in a bad mood, feeling isolated or lonely, delaying or avoiding work responsibilities, feeling restless and feeling euphoria when using the Internet. , losing track of time when online, feeling bored with normal routine and unable to keep to schedule on time.
The experts also talked about the solutions and mainly focused on the therapeutic treatment procedures that can help reduce the symptoms like behavior therapy, dialectical behavior therapy, cognitive therapy, etc. All the experts have concluded that if there is a problem, then there is also a solution, but acknowledging the problem is the first step.
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