Bane of Internet Addiction Growing Globally, India too a Victim
Today’s modern life cannot even be imagined without the internet. Indeed, internet has become an extremely important thing for us.
This is a ready answer for practically everything. You can search anything under the sun by resorting to the Goole. You don’t have to take any tension of telephoning to your friends and relatives or making any enquiry. Every solution is found with the movement of the fingers on the computer keyboard.
World has become very small today, thanks to the internet. However, internet is not an unmixed blessing for the mankind. It has resulted in creating several problems. If it has given us something, it has also snatched many more things from us. When we come to know about the drawbacks of internet, really it is a matter to be shocked. Internet has taken us from our family and pushed us in isolation.
That means we have a huge worldwide family, but we are cut from our own family in different rooms of the house. Every member of the family is travelling the whole world through internet in his or her own room neglecting the pains and sighs of the other family members in the adjacent rooms.
Let us know the poisonous and dangerous fevers caused by the internet.
Table of Contents
In brief we must know:
- At least 8 children are daily becoming victims of physical harassment because of internet addiction in London. This has been revealed by British NSPCC (National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children) recently.
- The symptoms of Internet Addiction Disorders can be seen by the MRI Technique. These symptoms are visible at the early age of 18. This is as per the report of the Chinese Academy of Science.
- 15% mental diseases occur due to internet addiction. This problem is expanding its feet in the cosmopolitan cities of India. This has been revealed in a study conducted by the Bangalore-based Institute for Psychiatry.
These recent facts reveal how internet addiction is making children to senior citizens victims of various health-related problems. The youth are becoming greater victims of internet-related diseases because they are in this tight grip of this modern invention. Globally about 6% of the populations have fallen victims to the internet addiction. According to London based AT Global Prospective Management Consulting Firm, 53% of Indians are getting connected with internet every hour which is 51% more than the global average.
According to the report internet addiction has become a serious and chronic disease which is more severe in India compared to any country of the world. In China about 36% people are addicted to internet whereas in Japan, the figure goes up to 39%. The research done in 10 countries say that this is the main cause of mental diseases. The scientists are now making research on the brains connection to internet-use. In America, Internet Abuse Disorder is accepted as a serious mental disease.
Beginning of Mental Dieses:
According to the records, nearly 97% of the internet users have facebook account and about 77% users login to their social networking sites daily. About 94% of users say that they login on the social sites because they get motivations. About 47 years back when the internet had started in America perhaps no one would have dreamt that due to this the world will be in the grip of a new mental disease. The founders of internet now has accepted that it’s overuse causes mental and other physical diseases. American Medical Association has added Internet Abuse Disorder in the list of severe mental diseases.
Terror Around the World
It is not the fact that Internet Abuse disorder is the problem of America only. This has become common with every country of the world. China and South Korea is preparing to fight with this problem on the governmental level. A decade before psychologist David Greenfield had surprised the world to by saying that it as an addiction. During the past decade, more studies have been done for the mental risks through this medium compared to the efforts made to update the internet.
Recently, the psychologists have come to a conclusion after the brain mapping study that the internet addition has affected our youth more than cocaine and wine.
The internet addicted person losses his senses as the gambler does. As far as the question of India is concerned, internet and facebook is new. So till now only the symptoms are visible. But it is true that in the coming years, here also the situations will be like America and other countries.
Symptoms:
- When the internet becomes overpowering on life and its related things.
- Due to this if the coordination between other aspects becomes difficult.
- If feel relaxed after working on internet as compared to before.
- To make the mood better, if wish to work more on internet.
- Feeling uneasy to be away from internet. Feeling something lost in life.
- If sleeping disorder increases. If after going to bed, thinking of the surfing friends on social sites or thinking about porn sites.
Worried More Than US:
Addiction Centres:
China has considered internet addiction as health related problem. In China, 250 Internet D-Addiction Centres have been opened to fight this problem.
National Policy:
In South Korea to save the children from the Technology Addiction risks, National Policy is being framed.
Health Issues:
America has added internet addiction in the list of severe and chronic disease in May, 2013.
How the Problem Increased?
The increased and regular use of internet has changed from the ordinary use to a regular addiction. Let us have a look at the following to understand it better:
Fantasy World:
According to the psychologists, the results of this addiction are very dangerous. The youngsters most of the time live in the imaginary world of the internet community due to which their connection with the real world looses and they live in a superfluous world of fantasy.
Status Symbol:
In India, activeness on internet has become a status symbol. The persons who use facebook, twitter and other social sites are considered upgraded and of high standard. The person who has smart phone considers him smarter than others.
Feel-good Chemical:
According to the American psychiatrist Dr. David Greenfield, with the use of internet feel-good chemical to the brain namely dopamine is released only after taking the drugs.
Facts & Figures:
- 42,00,00,000 people across the world are internet addicted.
- 39% of global population uses internet for one or the way.
- 10% of Web Surfers are serious internet addicted. (According to Howard University study)
- 25% internet users are included in addiction criteria within six months.
- 17% of the Chinese youngsters are in the grip of internet addiction (According to the Communist League of China)
- 39% Indian internet users regularly write the blog. In America and Britain, it is only 14%.
- 52% of the Indians agree that after using internet they became self confident within themselves. In China this number is 42% whereas in France and Germany it is only 12%.
Computer Headache:
When we see the drawbacks of internet addiction, we must take care because for internet you have to sit on computer. Sitting on computer calls so many physical and mental illnesses. One of these is computer headache. It is caused due to long sitting before the computer.
The main reason for the headache is:
1. Eye Strain
2. Wrong pasture
Always give a break after every one hour of computer sitting. Try to wash the face. Have proper light on the screen of the computer. For right posture, always choose right kind of chair and table. Do not use any other table because it can harm your back, arms and legs.
SOURCE: Cyber Psychology, Behaviour and Social Networking Magazine
COMPILED BY MADHU SIDHWANI
