society
Web of addiction
With the Internet becoming a drug of choice, it is not a surprise that India's first technology de-addiction clinic was launched by National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences (NIMHANS), Bengaluru
Mehak Uppal

"Hi! I'm Sameera (name changed). Every morning, the first thing I do is to check my smart phone kept right next to my bed. It's a bit difficult to get up and drag myself for a bath, as I never seem to get enough of sleep. I am so tempted to miss my school or, at least, go a little late though I am not sure if my Mom will permit as my grades have been falling lately. Oh! I hope she agrees as my head feels so heavy. Now, that I am home, I might as well check Facebook for updates. There aren't many, since my last login was clocked at three in the morning."

If Sameera's story sounds like your own, then it's time that the "Request Timeout" error message blinked in your mind's browser because chances are that you're an Internet addict or inching towards it. If not addiction, then it could be its softer version - Problematic Internet Usage as they call it. The point remains that www is increasingly being observed as the new choice of drug. So, it does not come as a surprise that India's first technology de-addiction clinic was launched by National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences (NIMHANS) in Bengaluru this year to help the netizens in the risk zone logout.

Coming back to Sameera's case, the good news is that she was taken to a psychiatrist by her parents who treated her in total confidentiality, took a few counselling sessions, and ensured that she showed signs of improvement within six weeks.

Internet addiction: Terms of use

Internet addiction is when one feels an irresistible desire and; therefore, indulges in repetitive behaviour of going online - be it for gaming, social networking, chatting or pornography.

"Normally, people don't take it seriously but addiction of Internet is like any other, say that of alcohol. The withdrawal symptoms also mimic chemical addiction and impact the person physically, psychologically as well as socially.", shares Dr Parmod Kumar, Consultant Psychiatrist , Silver Oak Hospital, Mohali.

The problem is that the person is also prone to ethical and moral compromises as "likes" and "retweets" start giving a new high because one tends to work against the inner instincts in case of addictions. "What is more worrying is the fact that adolescents are getting impacted by it.", adds Dr Parmod.

The alert message

There are certain changes that point towards someone losing track of the right path. One needs to be alert and open to communication to understand the reason behind those changes and the extent of the problem.

Normally, it begins with irregular patterns of sleep and appetite along with decline in grades. With time, one can see mood swings, irritability and anger. This could also lead to lesser interest in offline interactions as your social status gets more and more defined by the clever message you update online. Eventually, nothing clicks as one experiences increased stress levels and hormonal imbalances.

Positive peer pressure

"How do I stop my school going son from using sites like Facebook and apps like Whatsapp when all his friends are doing the same? He thinks I am being too strict as all his friends boast about having made a certain score in games like Candy Crush Saga or Temple Run.", frets Amrita Kaur, who is concerned about the incessant downloading and the multiple web profiles operated by her 13-year old son. "I'm really concerned about the trend of updating new selfies every other day in this race of maintaining a cool online image," she adds.

One of the solutions that is often discussed in this case is for the parents to get together and decide on common rules for their children. This would ensure that the child does not feel peer pressure from his friend circle and "online only for a reason" becomes the new cool.

Tips for caregivers

• Initiate a clear discussion with the child and decide on what kind of behaviour will be considered acceptable e.g. half an hour of usage per day and, that too, not during late in the night.

• Keep the desktop in the common area of the house and ensure that other devices are used in a place where the screen can easily be seen by others.

• Get your machines firewalled and use checks to restrict access to objectionable material on the internet.

• Create positive peer pressure on the child by interacting with the parents of the child's friends and deciding on mutual rules to be followed.

• If you feel a gap in communication, do not hesitate to seek professional help.

Video games the big culprit
Shubhadeep Choudhury

Since its inception in April this year, the Technology De-addiction Centre at NIMHANS (National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences) in Bangalore has managed to evoke a good response. "We are open only on Saturday afternoons. But on each Saturday we have been getting two to three patients", says Dr Manoj Kumar Sharma, Assistant Professor, who is looking after the centre. Sharma said most cases that are being treated at the centre pertain to video game addiction. This is followed by compulsive texting on mobile phone and browsing pornography on the Internet.

"People are also getting in touch with us through email. We are also doing counselling telephonically", he informs. He said patients at the centre are mostly between 14 years and 18 years. Generally, they are being brought by parents who see a sudden drop in their children's academic performance or aloofness from other members of the family and so on. Sharma maintains, "Since it is not a psychiatric disorder, we do not prescribe any medication in such cases. We have been focusing on counselling and getting good results." Sharma said that like drugs, technology addicts also experiences "euphoria" from their addiction and show "withdrawal symptoms," when it was denied to him/her. According to the doctor, many "addicts" take recourse to Internet when in distress. There is a tendency to express feelings to the virtual world rather than the real world.

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