Are You An Internet Addict?

Technology has quickened pretty much everything in a past few years. The internet has consolidated itself into a powerful platform that has changed the face of entertainment, business, education and communication. It has become a globalized platform for sharing and communicating information for millions of people, at home, school or office. People no longer wait for conventional resource to get updates on the latest information, news, movies, current affairs, etc. They will get almost everything on their laptop, PC or mobile via internet.

The Internet has emerged as a powerful communicable tool. With the increasing impact of information and communication technologies, one in three people are connecting to the internet. The time spent on the internet can be highly productive for any one, until and unless it turns out to be an addiction.

The term “internet addiction disorder” was first coined by Dr. Ivan Goldberg in 1994. It is yet not officially listed as a mental disorder in the mental health professional’s handbook i.e. Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM). But it is off the record documented as a disorder.

The dramatic rise in internet usage has brought with it, a line of problematic internet behaviour in a person. At the forefront of internet attraction and addiction are:
• Internet games
• Online gambling
• Cybersex relationships & pornography
• Social networking websites

Symptoms of Internet addiction

Symptoms of internet addiction differ from one person to other. There is no exact scaling meter or device to measure the level of internet addiction in a person. Therefore, below mentioned are some general Symptoms of Internet addictions by which one can get to know about his addiction:

• Excessive use of internet on regular basis
• Losing track of time
• Home sickness
• No time for your family member or friends
• No time for outing
• complains regarding your net usage
• check your mailbox repeatedly
• concern about your popularity on web
• Dying to give people your website URL
• Logging onto the Net while already busy at work.
• using internet for escaping from your problems or for changing your mood
• Feeling guilty or depressed due to your online behaviour
• Sneaking online when spouse or family members not at home, with a sense of relief.
• Pain and numbness in hand
• Dry eyes
• Sleep disturbances
• Pronounced weight gain or loss
One can’t find any specific treatment or remedy for internet addiction. The best treatment when dealing with it is to identify the reason behind the problematic use of internet. One needs to set his goal for reducing its regular usage by diverting his mind in some other fashion such as a planned outing with family or friends or other extracurricular activities.
One can also get various Internet addiction support groups on web. These online websites and group help you in orienting and pointing your problem in right direction. They provide various blog article, quizzes that will definitely help in identifying the reason behind your addiction.