IMPACT OF INTERNET ADDICTION ON PAKISTAN YOUTH
INTRODUCTION:
The internet has become the most convenient source of information and entertainment. In Pakistan more than 200,000 people out of 14 billion are paying for internet. Pakistan belongs to a Muslim society much conservative society , internet addiction is significant in youth. These addictions take a 360’ rotation in Pakistanis youth life styles. In Pakistan most people use to consume their spare time by watching obscene material [A-1]
Youth can be identified by the age of 15 years to 30 years and in this age range, inter-net addiction is significant. According to survey addiction is 21.4 % of 15-20 years, 13.3% of 21-25 years and 17.5% of 26-29 years (A-3). We can see that higher ratio is teenagers. All this addiction is causing physical , social and physiological problems. Most of youth tends to westernised their lifestyle through internet usage, which lead to a sedentary lifestyle. Sedentary lifestyle includes lack of physical activity, causing obesity, violent behaviors and other problems [A-2]. Such lifestyle is destroying their culture and their traditional living styles. Their attitudes, values and communication skills are also affection. This virtual life is totally killing their inner-self confidence [A-5]
This internet addiction is affection six major aspects of a youth’s life.
1. Pakistan youth is less cultural, This generation X is more advanced than their predecessor [A-4]
2. The internet is affection
Today’s teens mental and physical health has declined in recent years due to internet use. A study conducted by Pew Research Center in 2015 found that 92% of teens go online daily and 24% of them almost constantly. This amount of internet usage results
Internet addiction has become a huge problem in today’s society. In Greg Beato’s article, he discusses the growing phenomena of internet addiction disorder. The writer explains that more and more people are becoming addicted to the internet. For example, he tells of a teenager in Ohio, who shot and killed his mom and injured his dad because they took away his Xbox. He tells how it is stated that five to ten percent of the 52 million internet users were addicted. The author is telling us that the internet has become very addictive in our everyday society.
For example, the London Times reported on a twenty-six year-old Chinese man who played online videogames at local cyber cafés. Xu Yan, a teacher, played online games for nearly fifteen straight days, which ultimately resulted in sleep deprivation induced cardiac arrest. [6] Xu is not the only one in who is addicted to online games; According to an Annals journal on internet addiction, over 2.6 million, or 14 percent, of Chinese youth are clinically addicted to the Internet.[8] Several measures have been proposed to combat this addiction, such as banning teenagers from cyber café and limiting Internet sessions, but the issue is far from a solution.
As technological advances are being made every day, the average adult has begun to increase their screen time daily. More people are spending time on their devices, than going out and interacting with others and their community. People also tend According to a study by David Greenfield, this addiction occurs to individuals who are unable to interact with others in real life and tend to be “socially reclusive” (Greenfield 1). This highlights how some individuals feel uncomfortable connecting in person, so they go to social media to assist them in mingling with other people who share similar problems. Unlike past generations, millenials have been using the internet much more as a platform to interact and this has caused several individuals to become addicted to their personal devices. This real life fear also causes many who attempt to withdraw from this addiction to have long term side effects. Some of these effects consist of “experience withdrawal including: anger, depression, relief, mood swings, anxiety, fear, irritability, sadness, loneliness, boredom, and restlessness” (Greenfield 1). As shown by the symptoms, internet addiction is a growing problem that current adolescents face. This fear is far more than justified as hundreds of studies have sampled and diagnosed individuals combatting this addiction. Another negative impact of internet addiction is that it can isolate one from the rest of the world and cause them to neglect things that are happening around them. Although everything may seem normal at first, as one grows older this can have long term effects on their social life. Internet addiction is one of many technological fears faced by the world
This article will guide me through my research because it gives a vast perspective into the addictive world. It explains the issues of internet addiction, how it's emerging as a global concern, also how and why the internet has been integrated in our everyday lives.
Addiction online has become very common in this day and age. With 88.8% of Americans having access to a device with internet there are plenty of individuals who have started drifting away from from their friends and family because of internet addiction. Internet addiction can become very dangerous for youths who are beginning to develop core learning skills which become essential later on in their adult life. It can cause students grades to take a harsh dip. This type of addiction can even cause cause financial problems. It can cause financial problems because of online gambling where a person would end up losing their sense of time and continuously spend their hard earned money on a risky decision that can lead to depression and and has the potential to strain family
Behaviour is something we acquire and shape it to fit our requirements. Behaviour is shaped by an individual’s interaction with culture and environment. This behavioural report will focus on the undesired behaviour, which is the heavy internet usage. The report will aim to establish baseline, monitor the behaviour and execute treatments to reduce and control the undesired behaviour. Internet addiction is defined as the indulgent or overuse of the internet. Extreme internet use occurs daily in my life, regardless during anytime of the day. The undesired behaviour that is the internet addiction has to reduce the usage in order to have a positive impact on the life. The heavy internet usage has to be reduced, and in its place introduce hobbies and time for study. Boredom is the main cause for the need to use internet. In the internet there are comics, television shows and other activities that could help elevate boredom. Due to the heavy internet use, socializing with family and friends have been significantly reduced. The repeated heavy internet usage has an impact on the physical burden and mental stressors on my life. The internet usage has been a repeated behaviour since I was twelve years old. The internet usage has been my repeated behaviour for a long time
The field of psychology is steadily expanding due to the progression in technology, which is being driven by the advancement of civilization. More and more time is spent on the internet, which has gradually altered the method in which primary communication takes place. Previously face-to-face interaction was touted as the primary method of interfacing with one another, now communication via the internet is almost mandatory to establish and maintain healthy relationships (Greenfield and Yan, 2006). This is especially true amongst children, adolescents and teenagers. The need for psychologists have never been greater in order to assess how individuals are able to acclimate to this societal change. Traditionally, there are two methods in which children, adolescents and teenagers communicate via the internet, through social media and video games. Each primary method presents their own unique social challenge. In response to the issues in of teenagers over use of the internet, psychologists are providing assistance for internet addictions at a greater rate. The first method utilized by mental health professionals is traditionally counseling and if those efforts fail, then the potential exists for adolescents to be placed on medications.
The Internet is a worldwide system of computer networks. Today, it is a public, cooperative and self-sustaining facility accessible to millions of people. This global access to a new world has its shortcomings. One of many that might be considered the most important is addiction; I can easily confess that I see myself as a cell phone addicted person. After reading the article “Half of Teens Think They” by Kelly Wallace, I came to a conclusion that I am not the only one who faces this impasse. However, the article also says that it is difficult to say how many teens are truly addicted to their devices and the Internet. Also it is found a problem, because parents feel their teens spend too much time on their mobile devices. Trying to solve this difficulty, some parents came up with solutions.
A new epidemic has fallen over America and is spreading like wild fire across the states as more and more fall victim to its claws. That epidemic is known as internet addiction which many of today’s youths are prone to due to the widespread usage of technology. Excessive use of the internet has proven hazardous to the generation because it decreases cognitive ability, impairs social development, and increases health problems. Since the current American society relies heavily on technology and web searches through google, the internet has become a necessary essential and making addiction almost inevitable.
Not only has the Internet led to a breakdown in our communal spirit but also the internet has raised a major concern in our health wellbeing. Web has become such a strong addiction for some people that it is literally ruining their lives .With the Internet performing so many tasks for us we have become lazy; we have virtually switched from being active to being passive participants in the performance of our activities of daily living. We Google for answers rather than go to the library and shop online rather that walk to the mall; not to mention students who have no limitations but choose to ignore the classroom experience and sign up for online classes. Moreover many people unconsciously consume large amounts of unhealthy snacks as they surf the internet. Consequently, this Internet generated lazy attitude coupled with unhealthy eating habits has led to obesity in some people. Moreover, Internet addiction has been found to cause serious psychological problems; on April 26, 2010, CNN carried a story titled New Addictions: Internet by Campbell Brown. A young man named Ben Alexander became so obsessed with the online game “Star Wars” that he dropped out of college. His compulsive playing habit turned him into an extremely depressed and anti-social person characterized by a dissociative disorder when he started assuming the character of the fictitious entities of the game.
In the article, “The Bad, the Ugly, and the Good of kids Use of Social Media,” Jim Taylor gives us a definition of the phrase internet addiction. He states, “Internet addiction is commonly characterized as excessive use of internet that interferes with daily functioning and that can lead to distress or harm,”. The addiction from the internet surely has a price to pay. Internet addiction is harmful psychologically, addictions to the internet shouldn’t be our only concern when it comes to social media, and internet addiction has no age limit.
The Internet is a global network of vast information. With a few clicks, an individual can have access to up to 200 million web-sites filled with educational and recreational information. The Internet is not regulated in anyway (Carnegie Library 1). It is accessible throughout the entire world from the North to the South, to the early morning sunrise and dark sunsets. Different ethnicity and backgrounds come together linked upon this network resembling a connection of one body in unity. Sadly, issues arise creating concern for users, focusing particularly on minors. Pornography is one of the inappropriate materials on the Internet for minors. This material is harmful to young impressionable minds. Pornography is tearing and
Internet gaming is one of the most common problem of which many people around the globe are facing in their daily lives. Addiction, one of the serious problems with internet gaming have caused severe changes to their behavior and attitude to life. Majority of teenagers and
There is not a clear stated definition of digital addiction however Shaw and Black (2008) characterize Internet addiction by excessive or poorly preoccupations, urges or behaviours regarding computer use and internet access that lead to impairment or distress. However as the term addict is a strong description DA is seen as a general misuse of the internet in various forms, as no formal definition exists the author sees the disorder as problematic computer usage resulting in negative consequences. According to Young et al DA is a broad term covering a wide variety of behaviours and impulse control problems. K.Young (1999) also categorised DA into five subtypes of DA, they are cybersexual addiction, cyberrelationship addiction; net compulsion (e.g. gambling or shopping on the internet); information overload (e.g. compulsive database searching); and computer addiction (excessive game-playing). This project highlights social network addiction which falls into the category of cyberrelationship addiction but also contemplates all other types.