Introduction
Do you use smartphones?
Do you like to idly spend time unhindered by the useless orders given by your dad and mom?
I know you can not resist giving it a first thought, aren’t you?
If you are affirmative of this, though…I fear you are addicted to the Internet!!
Regardless of age group, millions of people are seen getting repulsed from worldly affairs and find their abode in Facebook and Instagram’s virtual world and the surreal world of Video Games.
According to an exciting figure, around 77% of American people go online every day.
The study takes a dip into the reasons that propel the young generation to go mad after the Digital world. In addition, the factors that are held accountable for the perceived degradation of people will be discussed in the study.
Although rehabs take care of people undergoing drug and alcohol addiction, not many rehabs treat patients with digital addiction problems. For example, Infinite Recovery provides drug and alcohol addiction treatment in Houston.
Digital Addiction: An overview
Digital Addiction emanates from impulsive and uncontrollable obsession and is perceived among people across ages. Digital Addiction acts to carry away people from the real world to the virtual world.
According to experts on human psychology, digital Addiction is an emerging domain of cyberpsychology.
Digital Addiction explores the problem faced by people exposed to the excessive use of digital platforms, mainly social media platforms and video games. People being preoccupied go mad after digital gadgets and mobile devices ignoring all practical scenarios of socio-economic constraints.
Digital (Internet) Addiction And Its Typology
Digital Addiction could be broadly classified into five types. They include Net Compulsions, Cybersex Addiction, Cyber Relational Addiction, Compulsive Information Seeking, and Computer Games.
Net Compulsions
Under this, people resort to the habit of involving themselves in stock Trading, Gambling, online auctions, online buying, and selling. All above could negatively affect the financial situation of the individual.
Cybersex Addiction
Individuals lose their sense of decency and find themselves involved in pornography, adult websites, sexual chat rooms.
Cyber Relational Addiction
Here people involve themselves in establishing relationships in the virtual platform that has no social registration and is hence considered unethical.
Consequently, it harbors unnecessary expectations among people. People, therefore people turn socially alienated. Here the person neglects its closed ones.
Compulsive Information Seeking
Information seeking through different sources goes on to reach a point of obsession wherefrom a return turns out to be complicated. Constantly seeking information turns an individual passive and unproductive.
Computer Games
Under this, the age group comprising Gen Z and Millennials get affected by video games that transport themes in the imaginary fairy tale land.
Why Technology And Addiction Work In Collusion?
It is needless to say that technology orchestrated terrible consequences in collusion with inquisitive human nature. Games like Minesweeper, Solitaire, and Tetris continuously incite the combativeness of the people. They challenge them to use their energy insensibly. Consequently, they are drawn by the challenge and meet dire consequences.
Above all, long-term Addiction consequently drags people into the land of uncertainty, where they find themselves jeopardizing their academics and professional careers.
This acts to invite far-reaching consequences so far as the individual is considered. It could also be mentioned that internet users cannot come out from the negative influences without being repeatedly made aware of the negativities.
Technology has immense potential, and people need to extract its benefits rather than swaying its emotion with the flow. It makes an entire generation lead astray ultimately.
Factors That Negatively Influence Digital Addiction Among Masses
Several factors negatively impact an individual. Factors like Interpersonal relationships, loneliness, excessive expectations from life, and self-control lower self Esteem are prominent.
Interpersonal Relation
Supposing an individual is not having compatibility with their partner. In that case, he can turn back from the ordinary course of life and move into depression.
Loneliness
Excessive Addiction to video games could make oneself dissociated from worldly affairs. So, you better hurry up and be busy with your mates instead of playing video games sitting alone in your room.
Excessive expectations
If an individual expects too much from life and the expectations get thwarted, it might move entirely into the digital world. This sojourn offers temporary relief but creates troubles in the long run.
Apart from the factors mentioned above, there are other factors like Academic Stagnation and Compulsive actions. This acts to invite a negative influence on an individual.
Facts And Figures On Digital Addiction
To vindicate the negative influence of Internet influence, let’s supply some facts and figures on this.
- According to a study conducted in the USA, it is found out that around 77% of Americans use the Internet to serve their personal as well as professional needs.
- Around 26% of the people are using online platforms constantly.
- The figures on Child involvement in Digital technology emits grave concerns.
- It is found out that the children aged between 8 and 10 spend an average of 8 hours a day in electronic media. Children aged between 10-18 spend around 11 hours on the Internet.
The positive side to the study is that around 11% of the people don’t use the Internet.
The vast data produced negative repercussions in different diseases by which people get afflicted. For example, according to a study –
- 14% of the Digitally Addicted people grapple with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder.
- 15% for Social Anxiety Disorder.
- 14% for Borderline Personality Disorder.
- 57% for Depressive Disorder.
So, nay-sayers on digitization could establish their claims vehemently.
But, it can never be refuted that the digital world’s influence on the progress of society is immense.
The digital world has enabled people to explore different fields of study and improve upon knowledge, and the Internet has constantly become a tool to serve the needs of curious human minds.
Conclusion
Therefore it could be concluded that Digital addiction has only hurled us into the pit of different kinds of disorders.
The scenario is detrimental to health and invites far-reaching consequences and repercussions so far as the economy of the society of a nation is concerned.
Hence it could be understood that excessive tendency towards digital media, as well as games, work to dismantle the psychological aspects of the youth.
Notwithstanding the harm caused by excessive use of the Internet, it could not be denied that digital prowess has armed people and motivated them to explore new areas of knowledge and learning incessantly.
