Internet addiction: what is this disease and how to cope with it

For a modern person, Internet addiction has become something familiar and not reprehensible. The use of mobile phones to access the network and a constantly turned on computer is no longer surprising anyone, although psychologists are sounding the alarm. Why Internet addiction can be dangerous, and how can we get rid of it?

The main hazards of a strange disease

What could be wrong in communicating online and in getting acquainted with interesting information through a computer? Psychologists are sure that there are even too many dangers lurking in the network. Here are just some of them:

due to the lack of the need for direct contact, a modern person loses interest in communication with real friends and acquaintances, preferring virtual interlocutors to them;
addiction to computer games can develop both cruelty in a child and an adult along with distorted ideas about the world;
the constant sitting on the Internet negatively affects the physiological activity, making it difficult for a person to develop intellectually;
the tendency to addiction to the Internet leads to the fact that a person loses an incentive to study, work, being interested only in communication in the network and local opportunities;
because of the vacillations on websites and forums, a person loses his sense of time, forgetting about everything else in this world except a computer.

This disease develops on a psychological level, affecting the physiological state of a person. Vision problems, posture, pain in the joints of the fingers, early signs of hemorrhoids - all these problems overtake the person accustomed to lead a low-active lifestyle at the monitor.

Psychologists believe that the most dangerous thing is that internet dependence is quite normal for a modern person. This is rarely treated, the problem is difficult to diagnose, and it is difficult to notice, because almost every inhabitant of the modern world does not part with the telephone.

Symptoms of a developing problem

It is because of the difficulty in diagnosing that psychologists advise to pay attention to the symptoms of Internet addiction. Which of them are considered the most common?

a person is under stress if he cannot go online and chat with someone online;
his contacts with the outside world are reduced, real communication with friends and relatives is fading;
suffering from this type of dependence is not able to spend hours without having to not refresh the page on social networks;
such a person is under severe psychological pressure due to criticism on the Internet.

The development of Internet addiction psychologists have long been associated with the hidden complex of a person. Wanting to prove to the world that he achieved success, such a patient throws social networks with his photos and reacts very violently to any criticism related to his personal views and status in society.

Parting with the phone for him is the most serious ordeal in life, which is impossible under any circumstances. Often a person does not part with the source of the Internet, even at work, causing the anger of the authorities.

The sooner the Internet dependence is found, the worse, because the kids are almost impossible to wean from the love of the information web. That is why, at the first warning signs, it is necessary to tackle the problem. Let's find out how to get rid of internet addiction.

Treatment methods

Treatment of Internet addiction is not an easy task, since there are no antibiotics for this problem, and one cannot stop at trips to a psychologist. A person will have to resort to a set of measures, including:

regular consultations with a specialist;
giving up the phone for at least a couple of hours while awake;
restriction of your stay in the network;
awareness of their dependence and gradual withdrawal from it.

The essence of the problem is that people often do not even realize it: they believe that everything is absolutely normal, and they have no dependence. Meanwhile, doing without constant communication with the Internet world is becoming increasingly difficult. Against this background, psychologists advise to minimize contacts with the network. To do this, you need to turn off the phone and all computer devices once a day for 2-3 hours. This time can be devoted to walking, chatting with friends, playing sports. Gradually, this time should be increased.

It is also necessary to regularly set a goal before turning on the computer. According to psychologists, as soon as a person starts wandering aimlessly through the expanses of the Internet, he loses touch with the world. That is why before visiting the world wide web one should always know the goal and follow it.

Getting rid of addiction can take place on its own, but it is better to consult a psychologist on this issue. The fact is that a specialist will help determine the reason why the problem once arose. Complexes, fears of the outside world, internal isolation or excessive love for modern technologies - each case is unique, and here it is important to choose your own method of dealing with the problem.

Also, psychologists sometimes recommend leaving the phone at home as a therapy. At first, it will be difficult for a person without a means of communication, but gradually he will learn to enjoy life without a worldwide network and online communication. On vacation, it’s better to do without communication on forums and websites.

It is important that others do not give a dependent a bad example. That is why friends and family should jointly abandon the constant peering into phones and computers. For example, you can arrange days or whole weekends, free from online communication, when you can devote time to going to the cinema and other interesting leisure in the real world.

Of course, the cases are different, and sometimes the work of a person is so tightly connected with modern technologies that he does not notice the development of dependence. However, psychologists advise a serious approach to this problem, since every year it becomes more relevant.