Can you stay away from your phone and internet for, say, an hour? No? Do you keep checking your phone for the latest update? Then you are not alone.

These are the classic signs of Internet Addiction, a condition affecting Indian youths and children. Although it is not considered a mental disorder yet, it is affecting nearly 7-8% of the population. The dangerous thing is that the graph is exponentially growing. It must be noted that not all people have access to the internet, only 45%.

What is Internet Addiction?

In this condition, a person compulsively checks the internet all the time, disregarding his personal and social life. So, his work, his education, or his life, in general, may suffer. According to a study, these are the common forms of internet addiction:

• Information overload (continuous surfing)
• Compulsive behavior
• Gaming
• Compulsive exposure to adult sites
• Addiction to virtual relationships

How can internet addiction affect your life?

Relationships & internet addiction:

Internet-addicted people will always prefer the virtual world over the real one. They will spend a lot of time in virtual chat rooms, rather than with their family. There is a reason for this happening; a lot of people are socially awkward and may find solace in the online world. Through these virtual relationships, they can get instant gratification, which is nearly impossible in the physical world.

How are mental health & physical health affected by internet addiction?

If a person spends 24/7/365 on smartphones, they will not do anything else. He may start to binge-watch and not leave his room/ house for days. This will hamper his daily routine, including his eating and sleeping cycle. Some of the medical conditions it can give rise to are as follows:

• ADHD (13-15% of cases)
• Hypomania (8-10% of cases)
• Generalised anxiety disorder (15%)
• Social anxiety disorder (15%)
• Obsessive-compulsive disorder (7%)
• Borderline personality disorder (14%)
• Binge eating disorder (2%)
• Depression (15%)
• Antisocial personality disorder (10%)
• Social phobia (20%)
• Various addictions (gambling) (15%)

From a medical standpoint, it may affect a person’s creativity and concentration, two skills needed to survive in this world. Online activities can make a person feel lonelier, more depressed, and more anxious. The person can spend time with himself as well, due to this addiction.

For internet addicts, the fear of missing out (on a trend, a rumour, or news) is quite huge. That’s why they are always online, and this fear adds stress to their lives unknowingly. It messes with the sleep cycle, which can affect your memory, metabolism, energy, and diminish cognitive and comprehension skills.

If you try to get rid of this addiction, then you may experience withdrawal symptoms at first. But you can overcome it with proper help.

Other conditions that are linked with internet addiction:

A person’s work-life can be severely affected because their attention will be elsewhere. If his performance gradually declines, he will have problems with his colleagues, team members, and employers. He would lose track of his time, how much he is spending online or not.

Financial status

If a person gets addicted to online shopping, they may overspend their money on items that they may not even need. Similarly, if he gets addicted to gambling, he may spend money on it without acknowledging the necessity for his family.

Causes

For some of us, the internet happens to be an escape from the daily hustle and bustle of our lives. While there is nothing wrong with that, over-dependency on something is not good. People with mental disorders like anxiety and depression (diagnosed or not) are more prone to addiction. What people look for is emotional support, and they may find that in the virtual world.

How to know if you are addicted? 

If you have the following symptoms, maybe you need help:

• Depression and anxiety
• Guilt
• Feeling euphoric (when in front of the computer)
• Incapable of meeting schedules
• Isolation
• Lack of time since
• Defensiveness
• Tendency to avoid work
• Agitation
• Mood swings
• Fear
• Feeling alone and bored
• Procrastination
• Backache, neck pain, and headache
• Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
• Binge eating and poor hygiene
• Insomnia
• Dry eyes
• Weight gain or loss

How to take control of your life?

The first step is to admit that you are, in fact, addicted. Now, in today’s world, we cannot cut down the internet from our lives. But we can manage it to fit our requirements, health, and wealth.

Second, you can schedule your internet usage time just as you would with a child.

Third, stop using your smartphones while you are going to bed. This can seriously hamper your sleep cycle. And if you have free time, then you need to utilise that accordingly.

You need to delete unnecessary apps from your mobile; you don’t need to have every one of them. Some smartphones are also coming up with innovative ideas to prevent this addiction; you can use them too.

You must understand one thing: it is always normal to miss some random gossip or news. Maybe you are out working, or doing other stuff, or even resting. If it is that important, you will get the notification again, maybe then you can follow it.

Conclusion:

If all else fails, it is necessary to consult mental health professionals. According to them, internet addiction may stem from other hidden problems; if those are treated, this addiction may cure itself.

If you need help to maintain a healthy lifestyle or figure out your medical condition, Nirnayan is always there for you. We have a comprehensive test menu for doing tests and a world-class infrastructure to provide accurate reports on time.