Internet obsession is a real deal with us, millenials. It hampers with our daily activities and responsibilities with an overpowering desire to ditch everything in order to ‘Netflix and chill’ all the time.
According to an alarming AIIMS report, patients coming in with the complaint of “internet addiction” has almost doubled, over the time span of past two years.
Turns out, instead of being a made-up concept by our family, internet addition is a real thing. And experts at AIIMS claim that increasing number of young minds are developing “severe behavioural and psychiatric problems”.
AIIMS professionals claim that unsupervised use of the internet by children and “lack of parental monitoring and inconsistencies in discipline” could be the possible reasons behind this alarming hike in the number of people complaining about internet addiction.
Acoording to Rachna Bhargava, a clinical psychologist at AIIMS, parents should encourage their child to spend more time interacting with people in real life, rather than being glued to TV screens.
Source – NDTV
In another insightful observation, the report claims this addiction might have something to do with depression and anxiety disorders.
The causality might work two-ways – with depression or anxiety triggered because of poor academic performances which might be a result of internet addiction.
People suffering from depression might find internet, an alternative form of indulgence and entertainment as opposed to social engagement.
Folks, that craving for ‘just one more episode’ might be a signal of something serious.
The problem is reportedly even more serious for Indians. According to a survey, Indian viewers spend 8 hours 29 minutes watching online video content, where as the global average is six hours and 45 minutes each week in 2018.
Only recently, for the first time an Indian man suffering from Netflix addiction was admitted in Service for Healthy Use of Technology (SHUT) clinic at the National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (Nimhans) in Bengaluru.
According to Professor R. K. Chadda, HOD of the Department of Psychiatry and National Drug Dependence Treatment Centre (NDDTC) 20 to 25 per cent of youth in India suffer from one or another form of mental disorder including mood disorders and even substance abuse.
Source – NDTV
We all like to binge-watch TV shows. How do we know when it’s turning into an addiction?
According to DNA, spending 8-9 hours being glued to electronic screens, getting annoyed if a family member or a friend tries to interject, being angry for no apparent reason and procrastination could be signifiers of an underlying issue related to internet addiction.