From minute-by-minute status updates to staying connected through the mobile web, youngsters in our tech savvy city are fast becoming victims of Internet addiction disorder, claim psychiatrists.
From minute-by-minute status updates to staying connected through the mobile web, youngsters in our tech savvy city are fast becoming victims of Internet addiction disorder, claim psychiatrists.
“Whether excessive usage of the Internet is a disorder or not has been debated. However, if excessive Internet usage leads to a change in the normal day-to-day behaviour and affects work, sleep and social relationships adversely, it is definitely a concern,” said Dr Shyam Bhat, consultant psychiatrist, Manipal Hospital. People with other addictions like gambling, drug abuse or overeating, are especially prone to Internet addiction.
“Sometimes people suffering from depression get hooked to social networking sites, as it gives them momentary pleasure to know about someone else’s life. However, in most cases, social networking worsens depression,” said Dr Bhat.
There is also concern at the quality of ‘friendships’ fostered by social networking. Robin Dunbar, the British anthropologist, proposed that human physiology imposes a limit to the number of people that one could include in a cohesive social group.
Dunbar’s Number is between 100 and 230; that is considered the upper limit of the number of people with whom a person can maintain stable social relationships. However, in today’s social networking sites, it is common for people to have a friend list double that figure.
“The members in one’s friends list are not friends in reality. However, the member does not mind getting information about these people,” explained Dr Bhat.
In Bangalore, psychiatrists are getting cases of Internet addiction disorder in those ranging in age from 15 to 35 years. For many, interaction even with parents or siblings has become dependent on networking sites.
“While my 28-year-old elder son has created a Facebook profile for even his newborn, my younger son, 22, studying his MBA, stays hooked to the social networking sites till late night. Both my children are so addicted to these sites that they have made my profile too here and now prefer me chatting with them or pinging them here from office, rather than calling them up,” said Chetana Ramanujam, a banker.
“This networking is harmful for teenagers who are not mature. The Internet is also being used to deal with real-life problems, and the abnormality that it represents is fast becoming the norm,” said Fr Roshan Lobo SJ, principal, St Joseph’s Pre University College.
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