Internet Addiction - Research Paper Example

? Internet Addiction Introduction Nowadays the world is not a great expanse as it sounds, and every corner of it is interconnected exclusively with the aid of technological wonder called Internet. The World Wide Web connection has changed the face of human interaction and compressed the world on a smaller platform. From children to adults are deeply engaged with Internet usage so much in their daily lives that it would not be wrong to term Internet as a basic necessity of day to day life. The benefits of Internet are enjoyed by everyone and it undoubtedly holds a prominent place in our daily activities. It is an indispensable tool that comes in aid in every field like education, communications and work. Spending time on Internet is a productive activity, but if the same is carried out excessively can lead to obstacles in the normal living pattern of the people. Internet can bestow various beneficial services to human kind but when the use of this technology gets out of hand and becomes an obsession, and then a person can destroy his life. It can have so much negative impact on one’s life that one hardly notices unless it gets too late. When people chat with friends who are on line and play games on net or gamble on line they get unknowingly involved in the act so deeply that they forget it’s negative consequences .This kind of acts turn into a compulsive action that the Internet user never realizes it for long time The Internet addicted person can many a times face difficulty in remaining aloof from Internet and soon get victimized to Internet addiction disorder. How Internet Addiction Occur Among People In today’s world, everyone engages with Internet despite of age, sex and location. Internet has become such a part of people’s life that whenever a person is depressed or stressed they approach Internet to uplift their mood. The Internet give access to various types of communicative options and entertainment sources which makes people alleviated in less time with minimum effort. Each person use Internet for various reasons and it is mostly the social networking sites which make the person addicted to Internet. The various chat sites like yahoo, Msn and Google have made the lives of people easy in communicating with each other and finding new friends and starting new relationships. Internet addiction is also known in the name of computer addiction and different types of impulses are connected to it. People are able to use Internet to entertain themselves with the help of many websites which specialize in games, movies, social networking and gambling. Using g Internet for necessity is not objectionable, but if this activity consume more time of people’s life then it can be said that person is addicted to Internet. “The rationale why people become addicted to the Internet is vast. Some theories to explain addiction disorders are rooted with behavioral explanations, psychodynamic and personality explanations, socio -cultural explanations, and biomedical explanations”. (Duran).When people get too much involved with computer and ignore work, relationship and themselves then he is to be considered as an Internet addicted. If people feel they cannot live without Internet and finds no time for other activities of their life then he is addicted to the Internet completely. When people are driven by unpleasant feelings and stressful situation they are less likely to know whom to approach to make their situation better and resort to computer. In such a situation they find computer as their best friend and start indulging in entertaining sites provided by web world. When people use Internet they get relieved from stressful problems faced by them and get a soothing and comforting pleasure from it. Negative feelings like loneliness, depression, anxiety and despair are relieved when people get connected to Internet. Another important factor is that computer is an easily accessible electronic gadget and people can operate it without much difficulty. They hardly think of any other option when computer is nearby which deliver them with all the entertainment they are asking for. People can operate Internet in the comfort of office or home and this aspect has made it easier for it to enter into the life of people full- fledged. Always people forget that there are other choices like meditation, exercises and other sensory strategies to overcome stress and despair which they face in day to day life. Moreover when people can encounter many people in chatting sites and social networking sites they get attracted to opposite sex and unknowingly spent more than needed time communicating with them. They repeat their action on everyday basis and gradually fall into a habitual action pattern which later leads into compulsive disorder. “ Addiction counselors recognize this psychological dependency as it applies to compulsive gambling and overeating”(Young 9). Even youngsters who are addicted to pornography are attached to computer so much to fulfill their desires and needs that they get addicted to Internet intensely. Teenagers and middle aged people are consistently in association with Internet that they completely ignore other important activities which are normally performed by people in the absence of computer. Different Types of Internet Addiction The Internet addiction disorder has different kinds of impulse control complication involved in it which can be classified as below: a) Cybersex Addiction: This kind of addiction is mainly seen among men who are obsessed with sex and women and constantly are in look out to satisfy their sexual desires. Since there are abundant websites which deal with pornography , people who are sexual addicts find resort in them .They spend most of their time in surfing through these websites and also communicating in adult chat rooms .In chat rooms they indulge in fantasy role play and such acts impact negatively on their personal relationship . B) Relationship Addiction on Cyber sites:This happen when people are constantly engaging in communication through chat rooms, social networking sites with people and form intimate relationships .For these people, virtual online friends take such an important place that family, relatives and friends in real life get a back seat. c) Net Compulsion: Activities like gambling, gaming on Internet, stock trading, and repetitive indulgence with auction websites can be classified as net compulsion action. The people who are under net compulsion disorder ultimately suffer job, financial or relationship loss. d) Overloading of information: Accessing many websites and performing various data searches create problem in the working hours and its quality among employees. There can be low productivity among employees and less communicative interaction with friends and family. e) Addiction to Computer : People playing computer games offline like minesweeper and solitaire are addicted too much to the game that they forget other important chores of life. Risk factors for internet addiction disorder Anxiety and stress: If people suffer from anxiety and stress then they can use Internet to get away from fears and worries. Depression: Internet can be a medium for people to escape from depression but spending excessive time online can create many problems. Other addictions: When people are addicted to other things like alcohol, drugs gambling and sex they can indulge with Internet and become addictive to it. Problem with social support: Many Internet addicts access Internet to establish new relationship with the help social networking sites and instant messaging sites. Teenager with problems: Depressed teenagers usually have problem with real life friends and resort to Internet often. Less mobility: People who are less mobile get associated with Internet easily and get addicted to it. Symptoms of Internet addiction disorder The Losing track of time: When people use Internet more than intended then they are addicted to the use of it. Also the Internet addicts feel irritated and cranky when they are interrupted while on-line. Not completing work on time: If people have many pending works at home like piled up clothes and kitchen or office work and are busy online then they are addicted to Internet. Isolated from friends and family: If people have relationship problems due to excessive online interaction then there are chances that they have Internet addiction Euphoric feeling while on Internet: If people use Internet because of stress, sadness or sexual desires then they might be addicted to Internet. Conclusion Internet addiction in totality is excessive usage of Internet to such an extent that the person greatly jeopardizes their health, work and relationships. The Internet interferes so much with the life of a person that they lose control of themselves and get distracted from the real world. People ignore the phone and face to face conversation and get diverted to the virtual world of chatting and instant messaging. In case of children, less engagement in sports activities can give negative impact on physical and mental well being and can spoil them future. Such children can grow on to face psychological disorder and give way tension to parents and family members. In reality, ample amount of people around the world are interacting excessively on Internet. It is not easy for parents or family to know whether children or adults are excessively addicted to Internet. Parents need to carefully monitor the activities of their children to understand whether they carry out a health interaction with computer or not. Also care should be taken by parents and spouses to watch out for the amount of time spend by their children and partners on computer. “Some say the internet is an environment; therefore it cannot invoke addiction , and that addiction can be only attributed to substances” (Johnson,5). Internet is not an enemy to human beings but using it in an excessive way can lead to complication in life of the addicted person. Even government should advise its citizens to regulate the usage of Internet in order to safeguard the health and social life of public, in today’s world it is impossible to live without Internet and if utilized in proper way it can be a boon for our progression and prosperity. Work Cited Duran, M.G. "Internet Addiction Disorder." website for information. Allpsych Journal, 14 December 2003. Web. 9 Jul 2011. . Johnson, N.F. The multiplicities of Internet addiction: the misrecognition of leisure and Learning. 1sted.,. Surrey: Ashgate Publishing Company, 2009. 5. Print. Young, K.S. Caught in the net: how to recognize the signsof Internet addiction . 1st ed.,. Canada: John Wiley & Sons Inc., 1998. 9. Print Read More