What is Internet addiction disorder? How can it be dealt with?

The term Internet addiction disorder is not something that has not been heard before. But what exactly is this condition?

Internet addiction disorder is a syndrome in which a person spends hours scrolling on the Internet without taking cognizance of their surroundings. This person may spend at least 3-4 hours on multiple web platforms on average, so much so that other aspects of their life get hampered.

People who are addicted to the Internet may ignore daily tasks just to add another hour to their web scrolling routine. As a result of it, their work, relationships, and health tend to suffer a setback.

What is worse is that most people who suffer from this disorder do not even seem to realize that there is a problem. However, when other people do point it out, they seldom consider it.

Besides this, some people know about their condition but are unable to do anything about it owing to their massive dependency on the platform.

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What are the different types of Internet addiction?

Some people may face shopping addiction where they want to constantly purchase items from the Internet (Image via freepik)

The Internet or the World Wide Web is a mesh of interconnected platforms, each one serving as a source of information on a varied range of topics. Therefore, it is quite natural that one would very easily be seeped into this unknown maze. Having said that, there are several types of Internet addiction based on the platform that one uses the most. Some of these are:

Social media addiction: This involves scrolling through social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for hours at a stretch. The moment you stop scrolling, the fear of missing out starts to kick in. And then, you are just back to the same routine of going through innumerable content and you do so almost mindlessly. This constant pattern can negatively impact your mental health in the long run.

Gaming addiction: People who are addicted to gaming may spend hours in front of their desktops trying to figure out which game to play next. They spend a considerable period of their time trying to strategize and implement ways of going forward in the game of their choice. This may sometimes get in the way of their daily responsibilities thereby creating a hindrance.

Purchasing addiction: Sometimes people may develop an obsessive condition of continuously purchasing items from shopping sites. This may happen to such an extent that people are unable to exercise control over their purchasing patterns despite the financial burden attached to it.

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How you can deal with Internet addiction?

If you are someone who needs help with Internet addiction you can always seek professional help (Image via freepik)

For a person who is addicted to the Internet, the real world does not seem as appealing as the world of the unknown. Therefore, even when they are engaged in activities about real life, they are constantly thinking of ways of getting back to their Internet browsers.

This constant dissociation gets in the way of other activities that you are expected to perform during the day. It also affects the relationships you share with other people.

It is an issue that needs to be dealt with at the earliest. Several agencies provide therapy and counseling for Internet addiction. Programs are set in place to offer rehabilitation to those who need help. If you think you have Internet addiction you can get in touch with the nearest agency and seek help.

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Although you can always seek professional help, there are also ways in which you can try to control your Internet addiction by yourself.

One of how you can do that is by limiting internet usage over some time by exercising control. This won't happen in a day, however, with constant efforts it can easily be achieved.