Internet addiction a disorder, stimulates brain reward pathway, gradual withdrawal a solution: HOD Psychiatry GMC
Srinagar, Dec 16: Mobile phones, which were originally designed for communication purposes are currently being abused for a variety of ways. Playing internet games has become a frequent tendency among the kids in this digital era.
Experts believe that rather than seeing technological advancements as a blessing for improving one’s intellectual ability, young people have come to regard cell phones as nothing more than a game play gadget.
They said youth in Kashmir are spending most of their time on phones playing PUBG games which they regard as mood lifters but spending more time on social media is becoming internet addiction which is causing more harm than the momentary respite.
Dr Rizwan a social activist from south Kashmir told news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO) that Kashmiri kids are addicted to online games like PUBG besides spending time on fantasy sports manager application Dream 11 and in last two years on excuse of online classes they spend more time on phones.
“I have seen young kids on daily basis asking their parents to provide them Rs 50 to 100 for internet pack for online classes. But they spent the money on online games,” he said.
Rizwan said that internet addiction mainly includes playing online games which has become a threat to our society and it might damage our young generation if not addressed quickly.
Parents from different areas of Kashmir also told KNO that their children were good at studies and were using their spare time in playing outdoor games but after Covid-19 restrictions, online classes have made our children smartphone addicts.
“My son hardly goes out for outdoor games since Covid-19 lockdown last year and he spends most of his time on the phone on excuse of giving online classes and sometimes downloading material,” Haseena, a parent from Anantnag said.
“Since he started spending more time on smartphone, he has become lazy and of violent behavior, besides that he sleeps for just a few hours at night,” She said. “I always pray for the opening of schools so that offline classes will start so that the phone addiction habit will go away.”
Dr Mohammed Maqbool Head of Department (Psychiatry) at GMC Srinagar while talking with KNO said that internet addiction causes psychiatric problems as internet addiction is a disorder itself.
“There is a pathway in the brain known as the reward pathway and if we give any drug to any person, it stimulates the reward pathway and the same is the case with internet addiction,” Maqbool said.
“It is the same like if anyone wants to leave drugs there are withdrawal symptoms. Anyone who wants to leave internet addiction can suffer from symptoms like palpitation, anxiety, depression and less sleep,” he said.
“If a person is spending 10 hours on the phone, they should decrease it by 30 minutes after every two or three days, it will help the person in leaving the addiction and symptoms will be less,” Maqbool said.
Experts believe that persistent counseling, making youth aware about the ill effects of internet addiction and asking them to spend time in outdoor games can help them in leaving this addiction—(KNO)