For 19-year-old mass communication student Anshu Sharma, it is common to wake up suddenly in the night to check if there is any new mail or to see the latest update of her other social networking partners. Sharma, according to psychiatrists, is among a growing number of Indians aged between 15 and 30 years who suffer from ‘techno-anxiety’.
The increase in the number of social networking websites and growing instances of its overuse have led to habits in many young people, which are causing neurological disorders, restlessness, hostility, irritation and distancing from family members.
‘‘Yes, it happens to me. Be it in the classroom or at home, I am always online, either through the computer or on my phone. There is always an anxiety to know what others are doing. I update my facebook status and tweet almost every few minutes and wait for others to comment on them. When people do not comment, I feel restless,’’ said Gaurav Saxena, who studies at a private engineering college in Delhi.
He says that the anxiety is more when he is alone. Software professional Vivek Trikha says that he spends most of his free time in office in checking mails and other social networking sites.
According to psychiatrist Jitender Nagpal, even nine-year-old children come to him with parents. They feel restless if they are not able to check their mails constantly or if their parents try to monitor their use of internet. ‘‘They get irritated and often this techno-anxiety leads to aggressive behaviour. It causes mood swings and leads to lack of concentration in studies or work,’’ said Nagpal. He said many children find communicating through social networking websites easier than having personal interaction.
He added, ‘‘There is every possibility that such children may become introverts when they grow up. They may not perform well in seminars, recitations and group discussions.’’
India has more than 50 million internet users and the number is increasing fast. A major section of internet users (85%) are between the age-group of 19-40 years.
Five to six years ago, there were mails, then came the option to chat and now there is a flurry of social networking sites Psychiatrists say they receive more than five to six cases of psychological problems caused by the overuse of internet almost every day.
The problems include lack of attention or focus, difficulty in processing real time information, anxiety and mood swings.
It leads to irregular sleeping habits, which can cause other health problems. ‘‘Parents should monitor the use of internet by children and help them communicate real time as much as possible. For grown-ups, there is a need to first identify the problem and accept it. Self-assessment can help and in extreme cases counselling may be required,’’ said another expert.
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