Research has shown that most of us are gradually relying more on our alter-egos online than actually going into the world and meeting real people
It came as no surprise when Cisco’s Connected World Technology Report 2011 found that more than half of the study’s respondents could not live without the Internet and cites it as an “integral part of their lives” — in some cases more integral than cars, dating, and partying.
Incidentally, one among three college students and professionals surveyed globally said that the Internet was as important as air, water, food and shelter. About half (49% of college students and 47% of employees) believe it is “pretty close” to that level of importance.
In fact, two of five college students surveyed globally (40%) said the Internet is more important to them than dating, going out with friends, or listening to music. And more than one in four college students globally (27%) said staying updated on Facebook was more important than partying, dating, listening to music, or hanging out with friends. Within certain countries, including India, updating Facebook was ranked as the highest priority, even more than hanging out with friends.
Millions of people face a serious addiction. An addiction that is just as bad as any other sort of addiction. The advent of Facebook and a smattering of other social networking sites, into the lives of millions of people, have caused a major mental setback.
People ranging from 18 to 25 years of age are hooked onto various social networking websites. They prefer keeping in touch with their friends online rather than meeting them personally. Many reasons are attributed to such behaviour and some of them seem to be a serious danger to the mental growth of a person.
“It is so much more convenient and easy to meet friends this way,” says Rohit Harindra, an engineering student in Bangalore. The lack of time and other expenditures involved in physically meeting the person is what makes him use these social networking websites.
Many people go through their friends’ photo albums just to know what’s new in their lives because they do not have the time to meet their friends personally.
Dr B R Madhukar, a senior psychiatrist at St Martha’s Hospital, Bangalore, says, “People have this craving to be connected and feel the need to tell people what they are doing constantly and this is one of the main reasons why they find themselves online all the time.”
A 19-year-old college going girl proudly says that she has over 700 friends on her Facebook account. But when asked if she knew all those 700 odd friends, she admitted to not knowing more than 600 friends on her list; she met them either on Facebook or some other social networking website.
DNA also discovered that in many cases, restrictions by parents force kids to get online to increase their social circle. “The reason why people accept friend requests from unknown people is because most parents don’t allow kids to stay out late or go anywhere where they might meet new people,” says 21-year-old college student, Nikita Nagesh.
Dr Madhukar doesn’t dismiss the benefits of social networking sites and admits that people who have busy lives can stay connected with friends through online mediums. However, “Online addiction is just as bad as any other kind of addiction and one really needs to be self regulating,” he adds.
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