Are you addicted to the Internet? | Mental health professionals are becoming increasingly concerned about Internet addiction, writes DIVYA KUMAR |
PHOTO: S.R.RAGHUNATHAN
CITIZEN OF THE CYBERSPACE? Not a healthy option "You know you're addicted to the Internet when... — Your dreams are in HTML — You turn off the computer and get this awful, empty feeling like you pulled the plug on a loved one — Your dog has its own web page — You name your children Google, Friendster and Blogger — Your wife drapes a wig over the monitor to remind you of what she looks like — You check your mail. It says, "No new messages." So you check it again. — You sign off and the screen says you were logged on for 3 days and 45 minutes — You can immediately think of 10 people you want to send this list to." You've probably seen such jokes in your email inbox. They've been doing the rounds in cyberspace since... well, since 'cyberspace' has existed. But some mental health professionals are beginning to take Internet addiction seriously. They consider it an addiction comparable to pathological gambling or alcoholism, and worry that it is increasingly on the rise. For example, a recent study from Stanford University estimates that one in eight adults in the U.S. are addicted to the Internet. China opened its first Internet Addiction Clinic in Beijing last year to help wean addicts off the Internet. And mental health professionals in Chennai are among those growing concerned at this trend. "I'm seeing far too many people having some sort of Internet addiction for comfort these days," says Dr. Vijay Nagaswami, psychiatrist and marriage therapist.
Addictive behaviour Internet addiction can refer to a range of behaviours. You have the online gaming or gambling addict, the po*nography addict, or the 'information junkie' who surfs the Internet for random information, often trivia. There are those who are addicted to chatting online or those who engage in compulsive cybersex. But in all these behaviours, Dr. Nagaswami is careful to draw a distinction between the casual or recreational user, and the addict. "Addicts are not defined only by the number of hours they spend online, but by the impact it has on their personal and professional life," he says. These effects could include work or school performance being hurt by late nights spent online, or social networks and marriages suffering due to the addict eschewing all sorts of social activities in favour of spending time on the Internet. Real-world responsibilities get postponed or neglected as addicts become so involved in their online activities that they dream about them at night, and fantasise about them during the day. "When you're aware that you spend too much time online but can't stop, you've crossed the line into addiction," says Dr. Lata Nithyanand, a clinical psychologist. "You've lost control, and the Net is dictating how long you're staying online." The profile of those who get addicted is varied. There is the housewife who doesn't cook as she spends the day downloading recipes online. Or the middle-aged man who searches online for po*n to galvanise his sex-life only to get addicted to the actual act of surfing for po*n. Or the boy who is so obsessed with online gaming that he refuses to go to school and threatens suicide when his parents say they'll cut him off from the Internet. Or the IT employee who gets hooked to surfing for trivia online simply because of the extent of access he has to the Internet. Underlying causes often dictate who gets addicted and who does not. "Frequently, these people fit the profile of addictive personalities," says Dr. Nagaswami. "Or there could be issues such as clinical depression, disturbances in social life, or even childhood trauma." Although concern over Internet addiction has been around since as early as 1995, the question of whether it is a distinct disorder or simply an expression of such underlying causes is one that continues to plague researchers. In fact, Internet Addiction Disorder is not yet included in the official listing of mental disorders, the DSM-IV. This controversy is confounded by the multifaceted nature of the Internet. "Unlike gambling or alcoholism which are almost entirely negative behaviours, using the Internet has several positive aspects to it such as enabling communication and enhancing knowledge," says Dr. Nithyanand. "That's one of the reasons why people are not certain whether to label it as a disorder." However, evidence for the existence of Internet addiction has been mounting in the West from various studies, and mental health professionals in India are feeling the need for such insight into Internet use here. "Often what we find in the Western literature doesn't relate to India because of cultural differences," says Dr. S. Parvathi, former head, Department of Psychology, Madras University. "We need empirical evidence to identify what the psycho-social and physical impacts of excessive Internet use are as more and more Indians go online." With 37 million online users in India as of September 2006 according to Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI) and IMRB International, and around 38 per cent of them identified as 'heavy users,' there's no doubt that India is now experiencing an Internet boom, and this makes it all the more important that we become more aware of the potential hazards of too much time spent online.
Meanwhile, the next time you find it hard to tear yourself away from the Internet and head outside, do yourself a favour and unplug the modem. Just think of all the money you could save in therapist's fees down the line!
https://www.hindu.com/mp/2006/11/15/stories/2006111500160100. htm
Mr And Mrs Parshuram
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