Phone Applications

The internet plays a big part in our everyday lives. It is now a modern necessity. We need the internet for information, work, to connect with family and friends, or to just be entertained. A lot of people cannot even function without the internet. We rely heavily on the internet, we are always online. The internet has significantly impacted our society. It has changed how everyday life works. But with every great invention or innovation, there’s still a downside. One of the harmful effects of the internet is internet addiction.

Internet addiction harms one’s psychological functioning, mental health, and general well-being. While scrolling through your social media and browsing adorable pet videos on Youtube on your downtime may seem like a harmless act, some people spend so much time on the internet that it already interferes with their daily lives. There was a study done in 2017, where it shows that there is enough evidence that the excessive use of the internet has a serious impact on one’s mental health. This problem needs serious attention from mental health communities.

guy on laptop

Researchers now have enumerated five types of Internet Addiction:

Gaming

This is very common. There are a lot of games that come out now and then, and it’s easy to get addicted to it. This can be serious, as this can ruin someone’s life. It can interfere with school, work, or social life. You will hear stories that some people don’t even come out of their rooms to play their video games.

Pornography

The internet has made it very easy to access pornography. It can start from downloading materials such as photos and videos to fully engaging in cybersex. Sometimes the result of this is a person can be detached from the real world, and they can neglect their real-world sex life.

Online Relationships

The internet has made it easy to connect with people virtually. Whether we know them or not. Some people tend to be deeply involved in meeting people online that they tend to neglect their real-world social life. Meeting strangers online can also pose a lot of danger than good. This is one of the easiest ways for you to get hacked or scammed. You will hear a lot of stories about online fraud and identity theft.

Information Seeker

You can gather so much information on the internet, and some people develop an addiction to seeking information online. This is sometimes a manifestation of a pre-existing diagnosis of OCD tendencies. This can be harmful if it interferes with your daily life.

Gambling and Online Shopping

There are a lot of interactive activities online that can be harmful. You have your online gambling, online auctions, online shopping. This can significantly impact your financial stability if you’re not able to control these habits.

online shopping

There is no specific treatment yet for internet addiction. If you know someone who’s been suffering from these, you can plan an intervention and express your concern to this person, and try to help them.