Recently, my friend, often buried in her Smartphone, was standing at the edge of the road, and texting a friend (not me thankfully) on whatsapp when she was hit by a car that had drifted to the edge of the road, ostensibly to avoid oncoming traffic. She was unaware of the oncoming traffic until she was hit. Luckily she only broke her hand and it was soon repaired. Later, police investigation through street cctv footage, revealed that the driver of the car too was ironically checking his texts as he drove.
Often when I visit a restaurant, I have to wait for the ordered meal to arrive. I look around (before I look down at my smart phone) and I find most heads bowed, either over their plates or their smart phones, I pads or tabs.
I don’t find it in the least bit amusing, because I too am drawn to my phone and until the meal arrives, I hardly converse with my family at the same table, nor they with me as we are all staring at our phone screens, chatting with virtual friends, playing candy crush or just browsing….
Are we addicted? I certainly don’t think so. After all it’s not as if we smoke, or consume alcohol or indulge in inappropriate behavior. But is going incommunicado in the real world not a symptom of a disease? I wanted to find out…
What is Internet addiction?
Internet addiction is an impulse disorder that is similar to gambling. It does not involve use of an intoxicating drug but does cause inappropriate and often anti social behavior.
Relationships with real people are not wholly sacrificed, but conducted virtually. Even the emotional relationships are with the virtual persona and not the real, creating a very confused human being.
The addicted are good researchers and communicators – on the web, through web logs or blogs as they are commonly known but not in the real world.
Are we internet addicted?
I was curious to find out whether I am addicted to the internet and asked myself the questions that Dr. Kimberly Young developed to check for the addiction. It’s called the IADQ – the Internet Addiction Diagnostic Questionnaire (IADQ). I answered in the affirmative to four of them.
It has eight questions and if you answer yes to five of them it does indicate that you are addicted. Try it now.
1.Do you feel preoccupied with the Internet (think about previous online activity or anticipate next online session)?
2.Do you feel the need to use the Internet with increasing amounts of time in order to achieve satisfaction?
3.Have you repeatedly made unsuccessful efforts to control, cut back, or stop Internet use?
4.Do you feel restless, moody, depressed, or irritable when attempting to cut down or stop Internet use?
5.Do you stay online longer than originally intended?
6.Have you jeopardized or risked the loss of significant relationship, job, educational or career opportunity because of the Internet?
7.Have you lied to family members, therapist, or others to conceal the extent of involvement with the Internet?
8.Do you use the Internet as a way of escaping from problems or of relieving a dysphoric mood (e.g., feelings of helplessness, guilt, anxiety, depression)?
Other Symptoms identified by Dr. Young include:
Failed attempts to control behavior
Heightened sense of euphoria while involved in computer and Internet activities
Neglecting friends and family
Neglecting sleep to stay online
Being dishonest with others
Feeling guilty, ashamed, anxious, or depressed as a result of online behavior
Physical changes such as weight gain or loss, backaches, headaches, carpal tunnel syndrome
Withdrawing from other pleasurable activities
Internet Addiction – its growing around the world:
Often when I visit a restaurant, I have to wait for the ordered meal to arrive. I look around (before I look down at my smart phone) and I find most heads bowed, either over their plates or their smart phones, I pads or tabs. I don’t find it in the least bit amusing, because I too am drawn to my phone and until the meal arrives, I hardly converse with my family at the same table, nor they with me as we are all staring at our phone screens, chatting with virtual friends, playing candy crush or just browsing….
Are we addicted? I certainly don’t think so. After all it’s not as if we smoke, or consume alcohol or indulge in inappropriate behavior. But is going incommunicado in the real world not a symptom of a disease? I wanted to find out…
What is Internet addiction?
Internet addiction is an impulse disorder that is similar to gambling. It does not involve use of an intoxicating drug but does cause inappropriate and often anti social behavior.
Relationships with real people are not wholly sacrificed, but conducted virtually. Even the emotional relationships are with the virtual persona and not the real, creating a very confused human being.
The addicted are good researchers and communicators – on the web, through web logs or blogs as they are commonly known but not in the real world.
Are we internet addicted?
I was curious to find out whether I am addicted to the internet and asked myself the questions that Dr. Kimberly Young developed to check for the addiction. It’s called the IADQ – the Internet Addiction Diagnostic Questionnaire (IADQ). I answered in the affirmative to four of them.
It has eight questions and if you answer yes to five of them it does indicate that you are addicted. Try it now.
1.Do you feel preoccupied with the Internet (think about previous online activity or anticipate next online session)?
2.Do you feel the need to use the Internet with increasing amounts of time in order to achieve satisfaction?
3.Have you repeatedly made unsuccessful efforts to control, cut back, or stop Internet use?
4.Do you feel restless, moody, depressed, or irritable when attempting to cut down or stop Internet use?
5.Do you stay online longer than originally intended?
6.Have you jeopardized or risked the loss of significant relationship, job, educational or career opportunity because of the Internet?
7.Have you lied to family members, therapist, or others to conceal the extent of involvement with the Internet?
8.Do you use the Internet as a way of escaping from problems or of relieving a dysphoric mood (e.g., feelings of helplessness, guilt, anxiety, depression)?
Other Symptoms identified by Dr. Young include:
Failed attempts to control behavior
Heightened sense of euphoria while involved in computer and Internet activities
Neglecting friends and family
Neglecting sleep to stay online
Being dishonest with others
Feeling guilty, ashamed, anxious, or depressed as a result of online behavior
Physical changes such as weight gain or loss, backaches, headaches, carpal tunnel syndrome
Withdrawing from other pleasurable activities
Internet Addiction – its growing around the world:
Dr. Kimberly Young in 1966 presented the first ever paper on the subject “Internet Addiction: The Emergence of a New Disorder”. At the American Psychological Association’s annual conference held in Toronto. 
Studies have documented it as a growing disease in Australia, Italy, Pakistan, Iran, Germany, and the Czech Republic and studies indicate that it has reached epidemic proportions in China, Korea, and Taiwan.
That internet addiction is now a clinical disorder is evidenced by the fact, that this year in March, Milan In Italy, hosted the first International Congress on Internet Addiction Disorders. It came up with several insights into the disorder from many perspectives - developmental, clinical, social, cultural, and familial. It also discussed onset age, types of addiction, and prognosis. It concluded that it was an emerging field and the subject needed be debated and researched to develop a more effective framework for providing resources, prevention, education, and treatment of internet addiction.
Korea is at the forefront of the addiction fight. It has established the first comprehensive, national prevention and re-education program for Screen Addictions and other countries mentioned above fight the addiction, each in their own way, using early education and inpatient treatment centers to fight the menace that cannot be wished away. Inmates of these inpatient centers around the world, both adolescents and adults often describe themselves as prisoners, much like those in a psychiatric ward where they subjected to internet abstinence, discipline, medication and psychological therapy to help them get rid of their addiction.
Shosh Shlam and Hilla Medalia, have made a documentary called Web Junkie that depicts the efforts that China is making to deal with it, both as an individual affliction and a social disorder. According to the documentary, China is the first country to classify the addiction as a clinical disorder and the film describes the treatment process at the Daxing Boot Camp, a center in Beijing that offers treatment to young addicts, most of them teenage boys. It also describe the anxious moments that parents go through while there.
Internet addiction in India:
A study by Nimhans in April this year revealed 73% of teenagers in Bangalore suffered from psychiatric distress. Children in the age group of 13-15 years were hooked to video games. And those in the age-group of 15-17 years were addicted to Facebook.
They exhibited physical problems like eye strain, a dysfunction in academics and social life, and were losing out on recreational activities. “Enchantment with gadgets is a big challenge for all and more so with children and teenagers and young adults too.
Gadget have become substitutes for emotional ties in the family,” says Tulsi Patel, professor , sociology, Delhi School of Economics.
Psychiatrists say, Internet addiction which has emerged as a serious problem could lead to a range of psychological and behavioral problems such as insomnia, lack of concentration and constant irritation. “I see at least 10 children with severe internet addiction every week,” says Jitendra Nagpal, a Delhi-based psychiatrist.
An Indian Case Study and a new de addiction center:
Alka (name changed) is a 14 year old in Delhi, who ate, slept and played with her smart phone. She preferred the company of her phone to that of her relatives and if her face book posts did not receive the desired likes, she would get agitated or depressed, much like a news portal that watches its likes to guess viewership trends.
Luckily for her, Delhi has its own first - Centre for Children in Internet and Technology Distress, Delhi’s first internet de-addiction centre.
The centre, provides her with counseling on the harmful effects of being online for long hours. It also ensures an enforced abstinence from the internet during which time she is encouraged to play both indoor and outdoor games and practice yoga.
Delhi’s centre is the second in the country after the National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences (Nimhans) started a de-addiction clinic in Bangalore called Shut (Service for Healthy Use of Technology) this April.
How can you stay at home and still avoid internet addiction?
How do you balance usage of your internet device and your sanity? Check if you have five of the symptoms of internet addiction, in which case you might need therapy combined with abstinence, else follow these tips and manage the affliction from the comfort of your home:
1.Admit you have an addiction and you want to get rid of it.
An admission is the first step to change. Make a list of reasons why you will be happier when you use the internet less. Believe that you can do it.
Studies have documented it as a growing disease in Australia, Italy, Pakistan, Iran, Germany, and the Czech Republic and studies indicate that it has reached epidemic proportions in China, Korea, and Taiwan.
That internet addiction is now a clinical disorder is evidenced by the fact, that this year in March, Milan In Italy, hosted the first International Congress on Internet Addiction Disorders. It came up with several insights into the disorder from many perspectives - developmental, clinical, social, cultural, and familial. It also discussed onset age, types of addiction, and prognosis. It concluded that it was an emerging field and the subject needed be debated and researched to develop a more effective framework for providing resources, prevention, education, and treatment of internet addiction.
Korea is at the forefront of the addiction fight. It has established the first comprehensive, national prevention and re-education program for Screen Addictions and other countries mentioned above fight the addiction, each in their own way, using early education and inpatient treatment centers to fight the menace that cannot be wished away. Inmates of these inpatient centers around the world, both adolescents and adults often describe themselves as prisoners, much like those in a psychiatric ward where they subjected to internet abstinence, discipline, medication and psychological therapy to help them get rid of their addiction.
Shosh Shlam and Hilla Medalia, have made a documentary called Web Junkie that depicts the efforts that China is making to deal with it, both as an individual affliction and a social disorder. According to the documentary, China is the first country to classify the addiction as a clinical disorder and the film describes the treatment process at the Daxing Boot Camp, a center in Beijing that offers treatment to young addicts, most of them teenage boys. It also describe the anxious moments that parents go through while there.
Internet addiction in India:
A study by Nimhans in April this year revealed 73% of teenagers in Bangalore suffered from psychiatric distress. Children in the age group of 13-15 years were hooked to video games. And those in the age-group of 15-17 years were addicted to Facebook.
They exhibited physical problems like eye strain, a dysfunction in academics and social life, and were losing out on recreational activities. “Enchantment with gadgets is a big challenge for all and more so with children and teenagers and young adults too.
Gadget have become substitutes for emotional ties in the family,” says Tulsi Patel, professor , sociology, Delhi School of Economics.
Psychiatrists say, Internet addiction which has emerged as a serious problem could lead to a range of psychological and behavioral problems such as insomnia, lack of concentration and constant irritation. “I see at least 10 children with severe internet addiction every week,” says Jitendra Nagpal, a Delhi-based psychiatrist.
An Indian Case Study and a new de addiction center:
Alka (name changed) is a 14 year old in Delhi, who ate, slept and played with her smart phone. She preferred the company of her phone to that of her relatives and if her face book posts did not receive the desired likes, she would get agitated or depressed, much like a news portal that watches its likes to guess viewership trends.
Luckily for her, Delhi has its own first - Centre for Children in Internet and Technology Distress, Delhi’s first internet de-addiction centre.
The centre, provides her with counseling on the harmful effects of being online for long hours. It also ensures an enforced abstinence from the internet during which time she is encouraged to play both indoor and outdoor games and practice yoga.
Delhi’s centre is the second in the country after the National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences (Nimhans) started a de-addiction clinic in Bangalore called Shut (Service for Healthy Use of Technology) this April.
How can you stay at home and still avoid internet addiction?
How do you balance usage of your internet device and your sanity? Check if you have five of the symptoms of internet addiction, in which case you might need therapy combined with abstinence, else follow these tips and manage the affliction from the comfort of your home:
1.Admit you have an addiction and you want to get rid of it.
An admission is the first step to change. Make a list of reasons why you will be happier when you use the internet less. Believe that you can do it.
2.Realize that you are not alone.
More and more people around the country and indeed the world are getting addicted and you can help one another – but not through online forums
More and more people around the country and indeed the world are getting addicted and you can help one another – but not through online forums
3.Get a hobby or an interest that keeps you offline.
Find something that interests you and do it. Go out to the park or the beach and expose yourself to nature.
Find something that interests you and do it. Go out to the park or the beach and expose yourself to nature.
4.Complete your homework / house work / office work
Once you reach home, don’t reach for the device, do your assigned work first. It will help keep you away from the internet.
Be conscious of and regulate your sleeping pattern
Once you reach home, don’t reach for the device, do your assigned work first. It will help keep you away from the internet.
Be conscious of and regulate your sleeping pattern
5.Hang out with real friends in real places in the real world
Play games, go out, walk around and generally don’t carry your internet device
Play games, go out, walk around and generally don’t carry your internet device
6.Limit your time with internet devices.
Write down a net time limit for the day and generally stick to it – by hook or by crook.
Use a public computer; you won’t be tempted to browse sites that are inappropriate as also will be able to limit your time on the net.
Try to stay off websites that are addictive like gaming and porn.
Write down a net time limit for the day and generally stick to it – by hook or by crook.
Use a public computer; you won’t be tempted to browse sites that are inappropriate as also will be able to limit your time on the net.
Try to stay off websites that are addictive like gaming and porn.
7.Call people instead of messaging them
This is the best way to avoid getting addicted. Phones are meant to call not to message – use them for what they are meant.
I urge you to check if you or your children are addicted to the internet today and initiate steps to prevent them from falling prey to the fastest growing clinical disorder in the world – Internet Addiction. Indeed life was good when apple and blackberry were fruits and the galaxy meant the milky way.
This is the best way to avoid getting addicted. Phones are meant to call not to message – use them for what they are meant.
I urge you to check if you or your children are addicted to the internet today and initiate steps to prevent them from falling prey to the fastest growing clinical disorder in the world – Internet Addiction. Indeed life was good when apple and blackberry were fruits and the galaxy meant the milky way.
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