On an average day, most people spend around 8.5 hours looking at a computer screen compared to only 20 minutes reading a printed page. So, it’s easy to say most everything nowadays is done via computer and the Internet. With any other activity that can be fun, addiction is quick to follow. What we are looking at in society today is an issue of Internet Addiction Disorder (IAD).
Here recently China, Korea, and Taiwan have accepted IAD as a psychological diagnosis. But the epidemic is spreading; in 2013, the United States will mark Internet addiction as a ‘real’ disorder as well. This disorder is being treated as “a grave national health crisis’ and has been linked to ADHD and hostility to Internet addiction in children. Researchers in Taiwan have also found depression and social phobia to be predictive indicators of Internet addiction in girls.
With Facebook being king of the social networking world, it’s no surprise the website has sucked people in and caused an ‘addiction’. With every notification received it could mean a new social, sexual, or professional opportunity. When answering the ding of a notification it results in a hit of dopamine. And also, each hit recharges our addictive compulsion, which is similar to crack, heroin, meth, and other abusive substances.
Internet is too much a part of business, society, and education to quit cold turkey for most people. However, if you find yourself becoming addicted to the Internet and social sites such as Facebook, it is best to abstain from problematic applications, retain controlled use of the computer for legitimate purposes, and to engage yourself in off-line activities. Don’t let yourself become a statistic of Internet addiction, become aware today.
Check out the infographic below presented by Best Master’s in Psychology to learn more.
Source: Facebook Psychology