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What Is Internet Addiction and How to Fight It?

To begin with, we believe that there is nothing wrong with using gadgets and the Internet - it's a natural part of modern life. It gives us quick access to almost any educational resource, allows us to communicate with people all over the world and to express ourselves. The problem arises when the Internet becomes a person's one and only desire. How do you know when a hobby has become an addiction? What can be done to help or avoid this problem? Let's find out together.

What Is Internet Addiction and How It Affects a Person?

Literally, it is excessive use of the Internet. But "excessive" is a relative term, so it is important to realize that addiction involves a loss of control over time, which further affects other aspects of life.

Mental Health. Internet addicts have higher levels of anxiety, increased risk of depression, lower self-esteem and concentration problems.

Physical Health. This can include sleep disturbances, nutritional problems, reduced level of activity, and spinal problems.

Relationships. When a person spends all their time on the Internet, it affects their professional and personal life. Relationships with friends and family may get worse, or there may arise problems at the workplace.

Security and Privacy. People who spend a lot of time on the Internet may have a false sense of complete safety in the online space. They have greater trust in online users and online activities, which increases the risk of cyberbullying and online attacks.

What Types of Internet Addiction Exist?

Mindless Surfing. This means constantly clicking on links, scrolling through social media feeds, watching online videos - and not being able to stop.
Addiction to Online Communication and Dating. Characterized by excessive amounts of emails and messages, constant presence in chats and comments. That is, when interest in online communication and online users outweighs interest in the real world.
Game Addiction. Obsessive passion for online games, inability to stop. Often causes problems with sleep.
Compulsive Online Shopping Addiction. This includes addiction to online gambling, online casinos and compulsive shopping on marketplaces.

How to Fight Internet Addiction?

External Constraints. You can set an alarm clock to go off when you need to stop surfing the Internet or download any convenient time tracker. If it is difficult to control your online time on your own, use a time tracker that blocks access to a selected application or the entire Network after a certain time. Some smartphones have this feature built in. Parents can use parental control functions.
Prioritizing Tasks. Internet time can be controlled if you think about it as a part of your daily to-do list. Write down all things you want or need to do offline and compare them to those online in order of importance. That way you'll know what's more important to you - reading a book you've been putting off, or spending an hour shopping for things you don't really need.
Quality of Online Activities. Time online can be spent productively or wasted. Try to keep track of how much time you spend researching new resources or tasks for work, and how much time you spend scrolling through your feed or watching videos. If the latter figure is much higher than the former, feel free to set a limit on your social media use.
Offline Before Online. Introduce more offline activities to your daily routine. For example, instead of scrolling before going to bed, take a walk around the house or jump rope. Instead of streaming or calling your friends online, arrange to meet them in person.
Schedule. During the day schedule important or urgent tasks at the time slots when you most often aimlessly surf the Net. For example, take your dog for a walk after work instead of curling up on the couch with YouTube.
Rest. Take a day off from social media or your favorite game. The best way to start is to delete the app from your phone, because it's not as convenient to log into your account through your browser. Little by little, increase the time without online. Make up an offline challenge with your friends or colleagues and try to stick to it for a month - together it is going to be easier and not so sad.
Professional Support. If online has begun to seriously affect the quality of offline life, it is better to consult a relevant therapist working with adults or children, or teenagers. Internet addiction is not yet recognized as a psychological disorder, but medical professionals discuss the possibility.
Support Camps. If a child or teenager has this problem, you can look for special therapy groups that practice giving up electronic devices, or suggest that the child may go to a camp or hiking trip where gadgets are simply difficult to use. Perhaps this will bring back interest in offline activities.

The most important thing is to be mindful of your habits, not go to extremes, and maintain a balance between offline and online.