How can you tell you are addicted to internet?

Did you know that if you have at least two children one of them may be an internet addict? In fact 50% of teens admitted they feel addicted to their phones. However, adults can also be touched by this : 27% of parents can’t put their devices down  (Joyce). You or even your children or your parents can be addicted without even knowing it. Here’s 3 signs of internet addiction : your relationships keep getting worse and worse, loss of interest in other things than your phone or computer, and some physical symptoms like insomnia and fatigue.

Impact on the relationships

A sign of internet addiction can be the worsening of the interactions with others. Studies reveal that 77% of parents feel like their teens are not giving attention to them when they’re around their mobile phones. Also 41% of teenagers admitted the same about their parents. (Joyce) Phones can become the number one priority and isolate a person from other people and even their families. Some people become aggressive and have few interactions with others. Reports suggest that children have more difficulties than before to have face-to-face conversation and feel empathy for others caused by the display of devices since a young age from parents and brother or sisters. (Joyce)  The loss of close friends or frequent arguments because of the lack of time and attention given to family should be alarming. (Conrad)

Loss of interest

Internet addiction is a real disease. It can make people lose attentiveness about their real life : school work or grades, job, university etc…Teenagers affected start to get more bad grades but however don’t react. For adults they will may be late more often to their job or work not as well as before. (Young) 61% of teenagers feel that their use of devices impacts their grades. (Mazzola) When these people are confronted with the negative effects of their behavior and questioned about their internet use they tend to lie or be defensive. They sometimes blame others for the time they spend online (Conrad).

Physical signs : insomnia and fatigue

Finally, insomnia and fatigue are two common sign of internet addiction. Studies show that 55.3% of peoplequestioned reveal that they use their phones before going to sleep and 65.7% say that it impacts their sleep. (Mazzola) Vincent DeBari, Director of Research at Seton Hall's School of Health and Medical Sciences reveals that many teenagers use their phones at night when they should be sleeping which impacts of course “the quality and amount of sleep teenagers are getting.”  In addition, the light emitted by smartphones reduces the secretion of melatonin in the brain created to help sleeping. (Mazzola) This leads to fatigue, insomnia, red eyes and irritability. If you are sleeping less and feel tired in the day because of the oppressing need of being on your phone at night you should start asking yourself some questions and change your habits.

Nowadays internet addiction is a really important matter that affects more and more people. We are constantly exposed to tones of different devices all connected to internet : phones, computers, tablets, digital watches … These 3 major signs of internet addictions are really important to recognize to help the person suffering from it or yourself so you can get help and get your life back again ! :)

WORKS CITED :

Conrad, Ben “Internet Addiction – Symptoms, Signs, Treatment, and FAQS”techaddiction.ca. TechAddiction.Web.16 Mar 2019.

Joyce, Amy “Teens say they’re addicted to technology. Here how’s the parents can help.” thewashingtonpost.com. The Washington Post

( WP Company LLC ). 3 May 2016.Web.10 Mar 2019.

Mazzola, Jessica “Nighttime texting linked to bad grades, N.J. Study Finds”nj.com.NJ True Jersey.8 Oct 2015.web.11 Mar 2019..

Young, Kimberly “ What you need to know about internet addiction. TEDxBuffalo” Youtube, 5 Jan 2015, https://youtu.be/vOSYmLER664