NEUROBEHAVIORAL EFFECTS OF INTERNET ADDICTION ON YOUTH

New evidence shows that heavy users suffer cognitive, affective, headache and vision problems.

Agitated? Tensed? Angry? Can’t stop being online? Internet addiction is currently a serious public health issue.In the recent years, there has been a rapid growth in the usage of internet in India as well as worldwide, it is a technology which has influenced the world providing advantages on the other hand, it has also emerged as a potential problem in young people today. Internet addiction has the ability to cause neurological problems, psychological disturbances, social problems and loss of educational/occupational distress. 

According to studies, Internet addiction disorder-related structural differences in the brain resemble, to some extent, those changes observed in substance addiction (Fuchun Lin et al, 2016). Experts say, any mental health issue is characterised by impact on neurobehavior. To explore the effect of Internet addiction on neurobehavioral aspects such as Somatosensory, Affective, Cognitive and Vestibular functions a study was conducted. The study comprised of 102 participants with the age range from 15 to 24 years.

It was found that there was a significant effect of internet addiction with reference to neurobehavioral effects among youth when the two groups of high internet addiction and low internet addiction were compared high internet addiction showed more neurobehavioral symptoms whereas, low internet addiction group exhibited lesser or on a mild level of neurobehavioral symptoms.

Youth with moderate-severe IA exhibited cognitive problems such as poor concentration, forgetfulness, difficultly making decisions, slowed thinking, difficulty getting organized. Moreover, irritability, anxious and depressed feeling have also been frequently reported. In somatosensory symptoms, Vision problems and headaches were reported in majority.

Limited researches pertaining to internet addiction and neurobehavioral effects have been performed. But, there is a substantial amount of research documenting that internet addiction brings abnormalities in brain’s structure and functions. (Hong S.B, et al. 2013; Zhou Y. et al. 2011).

Internet addiction disorder (IAD) is a growing psychosocial issue which is being debated worldwide. The study was helpful in highlighting the neurobehavioral effects of internet addiction among youth which is becoming a menace day by day in the society.

It is the hour of need to make our youth aware of the adverse consequences of Internet, its preventive measures and ways to cope with it as it is very well said by Albert Einstein “I fear the day that technology will surpass our human interaction. The world will have the generation of idiots”. That day seems to have arrived! The problematic internet usage results in neurobehavioural symptoms, depression, loneliness, academic problems etc. So in the end I would like to add few tips to manage internet addiction for the people who find themselves stuck in internet most of the time. One can learn and practice more self- control, think before doing, maximize focus by concentrating on single tasks, engage in more balanced using of Internet and find new and healthy ways of coping with stress. So it’s a wakeup call for you…. As the best investment you can ever make is your own health.

By: Prakriti Gupta

Intern, BBRFI