Treatment For Cyber Addiction
Typically, addiction is related to alcohol or drug, but in our technology-driven era, people can also be addicted to the internet. Teenagers are the most susceptible to cyber addiction because the online world is very enticing to them.
Cyber addiction occurs when a teenager becomes very dependent on online devices for playing video games, watching porn, online gambling, or simply social media surfing. It is commonly used as a way for them to cope with their stressors.
Cyber addiction may be difficult to diagnose since the internet is a part of our daily lives, but these are the signs that help us differentiate a healthy user from an unhealthy user:
- Neglect his/her friends or avoid social activities because he/she wants to stay online?
- Feel irritable or empty when he/she is not around the internet?
- Has stayed online longer than originally intended
- Spend so much time on the internet that he/she ignores daily routine and personal hygiene?
- Has made unsuccessful efforts to control, cut back, or stop internet use
If you noticed someone has shown more than two signs above, he/she needs to seek help to better manage his/her cyber addiction issues. A therapist will identify the factors that contribute to this problem and come out with an action plan to help them gradually spend less time on the internet.
