The advent of social media was to forge a connection between people despite the physical distance and to create a virtual platform where everyone can come together to share their views, know about global happenings and befriend like minded people. But as they say, too much of a good thing is also bad and that's what exactly happened. Social media for many became a way of life. How many of us are in the habit of checking their WhatsApp status the first thing in the morning. Internet addiction among youth is growing at a steep rate and every few hours at work most of us find ourselves checking our Facebook account from time to time. We consider this to be a daily habit and not pay too much attention to it but sadly this daily habit often takes on an ugly shape.say too much of a good thing is also bad and that's what exactly happened. Social media for many became a way of life. How many of us are in the habit of checking their WhatsApp status the first thing in the morning. Internet addiction among youth is growing at a steep rate and every few hours at work most of us find ourselves checking our Facebook account from time to time. We consider this to be a daily habit and not pay too much attention to it but sadly this daily habit often takes on an ugly shape.
Addiction is not a term that is solely restricted to alcohol and drugs. It can be of any kind and all addictions are harmful for a person.They make you crave for something to the point that you become a slave to it.Internet addiction is just as harmful as any other addiction. The compulsive need to sit in front a computer or to keep checking your phone is nothing less than a disease and even though it might not display any physical harm but it emotionally and mentally damages you. So, are you really addicted to social media? If you are displaying any such internet addiction symptoms, then chances are that you suffer from internet addiction
Symptoms Of Internet Addiction Among Youth
#1. Lack Of Social Interaction
A major symptom of internet addiction among college students is that they would rather be glued to their computers than actually interact with people around. The people around could be family whom you would disregard and rather be more focused on your Facebook chats or to see the likes that you got on your post. Being around friends would not deter a social media addict from spending more time checking their social media account and continuing a virtual conversation rather than talking to a person who is physically present. This is also lack of basic etiquettes and disrespect towards people in your life. An addict in their obsession with social media does not realize that the other people around him or her need their time and attention be it parents, friends or siblings. Denying them that would constrain their relationship with those who matter the most.
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#2. Isolation And Depression
Another very prevalent symptom of internet addiction is the feeling of depression. Those addicted to social media end up spending a lot of time alone and are fixated on the computer screen. They lose out on any interpersonal relationship and this ends up making them feel isolated and depressed.They become more and more inclined to go into their shell and not face the world. They tend to grow all the more irritable and their outlook towards people change. internet addiction and depression go hand in hand.
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#3.No Regulation Of Self
Lack of control on yourself is a symptom of all addictions and internet addiction is not any different. A person suffering from this sort of problem will not be able to draw boundaries and regulate their online behavior. They will find that they are falling behind in all spheres of life and are unable to progress as all their time is spent keeping up with what's on social media. Even if they decide to spend just a few hours on social media, they end up breaking their own rules and logging on. This lack of self-control starts to show an effect in all spheres of life, one might have an exam coming yet they would prefer to spend their hours in front of the computer than study. The lurking fear of failure and not doing well in studies and future career will not be able to stop them from such a detrimental behavior. This attitude of self-deception is prevalent in adults too as a person would prefer to spend time in front a computer than with their kids.
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#4. Leading A Fake Life
The world of social media as we all know it is overly glamorized. People try to show their best self on this platform and most often that best self-has a grim picture of it. We see our friends and their friends on expensive vacations splashed all over on social media and none of us see the loans that are taken in order to make that holiday happen. Though people addicted to social media are not able to take this fabricated reality, they start comparing their life with those of others. This not only makes them depressed but many times the misguided youth takes a turn towards wrong things in order to live that fantasy life. A very prevalent and yet not focused upon symptom of social media addiction is the lavish spending that people do in order to mold their lifestyle to that of their social media friends. They spend money without any reservations to show the world a false side
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#5. Unhealthy Lifestyle
Those addicted to social media just cannot live without it, their lifestyle becomes robotic and extremely social media driven. They will stay up late into the wee morning hours and end up either going without sleep or sleeping in the morning. Their daily schedule becomes completely topsy turvy and the signs begin to show in the form of increasing dark circles, hazy mind, and a crumbling health. Also spending unlimited hours in front of computer surfing internet and checking social media sites means an unhealthy consumption of junk food and not giving the body enough exercise. The combination of these two cannot be a road to anything good. A bad health along with mental strain and a constant attack on the emotional state of a person is bound to make them a wreck.
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#6. Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
Another physical manifestation of social media addiction is carpal tunnel syndrome that occurs right on the median nerve which runs from the forearm right to the palm of the hands.This happens when the median nerve gets squeezed at the wrist. This problem causes numbing, tingling or weakness in your wrist.
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Internet Addiction Treatment
Every ailment has a treatment and addiction is no different. Once you know that you are addicted to social media then you have to take steps to curb that problem. Here are steps you can take to manage the issue:
#1. Get your friends and family involved and have an open discussion with them that you have a problem and get them involved. If possible ask them to change your social media password and not give them to you for a certain amount of time.
#2. If the case is extreme than you can even go to a professional and talk to them about the issue. More often the reason behind such addiction is more emotional and mental and a psychologist can help with that.
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#3. It is very useful to get yourself involved in a certain activity such as yoga, gymming or anything which is not just good for your physical health but also very good for your mental health. Such activities keep a person engaged and is a healthy outlet for all suppressed energies. They keep a person away from any such unhealthy habits and keep their body absolutely fit. Being involved in physical exercises will also ease you into sleeping and cure a person of insomnia. Sleeping on time takes away the chunk of a problem as far as addiction to social media is concerned.
#4. If possible take a vacation and make sure to not use your internet there. Relax in a different environment and give your mind a chance to think clearly. In a place with less of sensory overload, your mind would be able to calm itself and not get too involved with anything.
#5. There are other methods for recreation and it is best to only use the computer for work purposes. There are apps available that can actually help you control your social media usage and you can use those if you have a problem controlling yourself. Go for other methods of recreation and hang out with your friends and family all the while keeping your phone in your pocket instead of your hand. The more you will enjoy the outside world, the less you will be inclined to be online all the time.
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#6. If nothing else, track your time online and see to it that you only spent a certain number of hours on social media and spend the rest of the day in other activities. If your allotted time is somewhat around 8 hours per week then make sure you stick to it. Take help of others if you have trouble constraining yourself.
The Internet is certainly a great tool if it is used well but an addiction can turn it into something immensely dangerous and destructive. Are you or someone whom you know suffering from an internet addiction and how has it impacted your life. Share your views using the comment box below.
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