“The hardest button to press nowadays is the logout button,” said Indian Psychiatric Society president G Prasad Rao at an event in Madhya Pradesh in January this year. It seems some people, especially a section of youngsters, have become internet addicts. To address this alarming trend, the All India Institute of Medical Sciences, the country’s premier institution, has started a special psychiatric out-patient department for people addicted to the internet. Doctors claim “internet addiction is a major cause of academic failure and poor work performance.” Orissa POST records the opinions of psychiatrists and tech-savvy youngsters on growing net addiction and its adverse fallouts
Dr J Russell | psychiatrist
There are two types of addiction. One is substance addiction, like alcohol dependence and cannabis addiction. The second variant is behavioural addiction. The latter is a major emerging problem in society. Behavioural addiction is related to excessive use of electronic gadgets and social networking.
Dr Sonalin Mohapatra | doctor
Some internet users may develop an emotional attachment with online friends and the activities they indulge in on their computer. They may enjoy aspects of the internet that allow them to meet, socialise and exchange ideas through the use of chat, social networking or virtual communities. Other internet users spend endless hours researching topics of interest online or blogging. Similar to other addictions, those suffering from internet addiction use the virtual fantasy world to connect with real people through the internet, as a substitution for real life human connection, which they are unable to achieve normally. In this way when they reach a threatening stage, they need medication.
Nikita Jaiswal | student
Cyber addiction is an impulse control disorder, which does not involve use of an intoxicating drug but it still hampers normalcy. I have a friend (I can’t reveal her name) who always topped her class till last year. Now, she has become an avid internet user. Whenever I visit her I find her doing something on her cell phone. This year her rank fell to the 11th position. If I am not wrong it is cyber addiction which is behind the deterioration in her performance. I too am addicted to the internet. It is in fact tough to skip the excitement of checking comments on social media sites. But often I visit Google to dig out elements for my studies. So I think I don’t need a doctor right now.
Aditya Kejriwal | entrepreneur
Cell phone addiction is a dangerous trend. Doctors say it leads to short attention span, poor tolerance and decreased interpersonal communication. An unfortunate incident took place in my friend’s house right at the time when I visited him. I saw him talking angrily to his elder brother. He is a shy guy. I intervened and his elder brother asked me to take care of my friend. Actually his elder brother had snatched away my friend’s phone since he was hooked to it all day. I know that he is a net addict.
Himanshu Khamari | activist
Many people these days think there is no life beyond the internet. They love to network all the time. Interestingly, I have seen many who love to chat on Facebook but when we meet in real life many of them behave as if they don’t recognise me. I know about the opening of a cyber addiction OPD at AIIMS in New Delhi. I didn’t know the problem had become so serious. I am an avid video game player. I download the games from the internet every day. Earlier, they were meant only for kids. However, I have discovered that I have become a video game addict.
Compiled by: Himanshu Guru
