What is Internet Addiction?
Internet addiction is the overuse of the internet by a person to the extent that it affects his day to day life, his internet addiction relationships, his behavior, his social life, his school work or even his career.
This addiction includes online games, social websites, electronic mail and other aspects of internet related technology.
Internet addiction has not yet been classified as a mental disorder, but it is recognized as a disorder all over the world.
There has been the rare instance of a youth spending more than 2 days continuously on the internet and losing his life.
Causes of internet addiction
In many cases, internet addiction or disorder occurs in those people who are addicted to a certain kind of activity, like gambling, shopping or sex related activity.
It all begins quite simply, with just a casual use of the internet and then achieves monstrous proportions. These kind of process addictions have the potential to alter the mood and behavior of the person.
It is also possible that the gene structure of a person has a say in him being more susceptible to a particular kind of addiction.
Sometimes, stress, depression, isolation, anxiety can also be responsible for internet addiction.
Remedy for internet addiction
A proper remedy for internet addiction has yet to be devised. The support of family members, friends or colleagues is absolutely essential.
The internet addict must be brought out of his shell and should be encouraged to lead an active social life.
Outdoor activities like games can help a lot. Self-regulation is the most effective way to come out of internet addiction.
The addicted person can avoid internet activities at least for some time. The person can be made to go out to do real time shopping and actual day to day activities instead of online shopping and gaming.
Very rarely, medication like anti-depressants or anti-anxiety drugs may help a person suffering from internet addiction. Professional counseling can also be sought.
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