The current generation’s addiction to social media like Facebook, WhatsApp, Twitter and online gaming is not just becoming a psychological condition for the children but is also taking a toll on their parents as they get anxious over their children’s wellbeing. Though they cite various reasons like – need to maintain relationships with their peers, for studies, or staying updated on happenings around them, it is pertinent to note that many of them suffer from intrapsychic conflict due to excessive usage of gadgets and online stuffs. With the lockdown period, the amount of time spent online by children has only has further increased posing several challenges to both children and their parents.
Today’s society has different expectations for all types of relationships. Social media is a web-based technology that transforms how people communicate by enhancing interactive conversations. Even though the user feels he is clear and defined in choosing what kind of relationship one wants, it is not always the case and is totally unsafe. The amount of cybercrimes that has increased in the recent past gives us a shock and an alarming signal to look at what is happening around our kids.
Social networking and excessive use of the platform interferes with other aspects of daily life, disrupts regular routines and disturbs interpersonal relationships. Internet Addiction Disorder (IAD) also known as problematic internet use or pathological internet use is generally defined as problematic, compulsive use of the internet, that results in significant impairment in an individual’s function in various life domains over a prolonged period of time. The internet can foster various addictions including addiction to pornography, game-playing, auction sites, social networking sites, and surfing of the web.
Excessive Internet use has not been recognised as a disorder by the World Health Organization or the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5). However, the related diagnosis of gaming disorder has been included in the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11). As a mental health professional I see an increasing proportion of clients with problems related to internet addiction – where internet gaming is an inevitable condition in a quarter of the children whom I encounter.
The first step to identifying internet addiction is to see where the emotional and mental attachments lie. Many reasons have come out from the users that usage of these platforms helps them boost their identity, motivation, companionship, and entertainment.
The changes in relationships are exceptionally present in teens that use instant messaging as a substitute for face-to-face conversation with friends. Also the anonymity of social network profiles allows adolescents to create an identity and find social acceptability without having to directly face scrutiny.
College students are exposed to a higher risk of Internet addiction because of their vulnerability. They in particular, are adjusting to massive amounts of developmental and life changes.
A lot of us understand how people become addicted to substances/chemicals, like nicotine, alcohol, prescription and illegal drugs. A common question being asked to me is “are non-substance addictions like gambling really addictions at all? And always my response is “Yes, behavioural addictions can be just as serious as substance addictions.”
Even though there are numerous benefits of social media, it is an undeniable fact that it affects users’ psychological status in multiple ways. The pattern of one-to-many communication which allows users to share information about their lives, including social activities and photographs has the dimension of bigger cyber risks. Beyond cyber risks, the frequent use of any of such social media messaging, socializing or gaming platform is threatens the mental health as well. The very common challenges we mental health professionals see (not limiting to) among children and college goers are – cultural and behavioural changes, comparison & low self-esteem, negative relationships, social isolation and ostracism, depression, fear of missing out (FOMO), sleep deprivation, addictive behaviour, eating disorders, ADHD.
So, when it comes down to ensuring children’s mental health, parental monitoring is crucial. Parental monitoring isn’t about privacy but about safety. If one can understand the threats, every parent will start monitoring his or her child’s internet activity. It is important for parents to notice indicators of change in behaviour, protect them from cyber predators by ensuring privacy settings, covering webcams and setting secure browser settings.
Beyond all it is important for parent to talk to their children about what they do online and spend quality time with children.