Do You’ve a Digital Addiction Problem?
Internet Addiction / Screen Dependency Disorders can be broadly divided into two types: Compulsive and Problematic.
Find out HERE if you do.
Compulsive Work Addictions
Compulsive information seekers are constantly gathering and organizing data. We’re all becoming autodidactic these days, learning how to learn for ourselves. But these kind of compulsive addicts are curating data incessantly. They bookmark everything, they mark everything as watch later on their video lists, they have long reading lists that they keep adding to.
As far as work is concerned, workaholics are unable to create a balance between their personal and professional lives. Because of the unlimited access to their emails and messages on their phones and laptops, they are answering emails on vacations, responding to late night messages all because they are paranoid about their work related success.
They are putting in long hours even when it is not needed. Some of them are doing this to avoid dealing with personal crises at home like death, divorce and other pressing health issues.
Internet Gaming Addiction
When we were kids, we took a break from life and played video games. These days, kids take a break from video games to dabble, once in a while, in real life. If something is not required to be done, they would rather not do it at all. That is the state of affairs. Children are turning to video games as an escape to the boredom of real life. They’re using their need to interact and talk to others by chatting with strangers and virtual friends.
Children, particularly 3 through 5th graders, who have access to chat features while playing games like Fortnite: Battle Royale, Minecraft, Roblox and others face aggression and bullying towards them from strangers and other children they might never ever meet.
There are 7-year-olds talking to each other like, “Go, kill yourself.” “You’re so bad.” “You can’t even play a game.” How can we blame the rise of epidemics like loneliness, discontentment and suicide if we live in a world of connection but with hate and no particular deep positive meaning? Read more HERE.
Gaming Disorder is a clinically diagnosed mental health disorder.
Read more HERE.
Cyber Sex / Porn Addiction
What: Porn is addictive and its shown to light up the same parts of the reward systems in the brain as cocaine addiction.
Stats: Nearly one in twelve 13 year olds are afraid that they’re addicted to porn. Why? Because they can’t stop thinking about it. They can’t stop thinking about searching for a new video, watching a new experience, seeing something that they haven’t seen before. They’re looking for more and they’re looking for different. They can’t help it, because that’s how brains work. ~ On porn addiction in teens by Ben Halpert
Risks: Traumatic emotional responses, increased sexual compulsions
YouTube: Loaded with porn: 333,000 videos were counted in 2009. (Covenent Eyes Porn Stats 2018)
Read more HERE.
Online Shopping Addiction
Anything on the internet where money is traded for goods or services can be categorized as online shopping. Online shopping turns into BSD – Buying Shopping Disorder, when the nature of our gambling, trading stocks, attending online auctions, unlimited online shopping exceed what is deemed necessary.
It should come as no surprise that those who enjoy a wide range find delight in internet purchasing. Online shops also are never “closed.” They are available when we can’t sleep and are at the most vulnerable to find and buy something to make us feel better. This may result in increased appetites for shopping.
Read more on BSD (Buying Shopping Disorder) HERE.
Social Media Addiction
Why Is Social Media So Addictive:
• It feels empowering and participatory.
• It feels like it enhances our expression of individuality.
• While TV makes us inert, social media makes us form our own opinions.
• It lets us speak our mind via opining on our (Facebook) walls.
• We can signal goods to show our standing in society. Just look at Kylie Jenner’s Instagram feed if you want to know what I mean.
• It meets the unsatisfying need of the endless scroll, unlike books that have a last page. Its designed to be addictive in the same way Netflix and YouTube have autoplay functionality in them. And how Snapchats have streaks to make people keep posting stories daily to maintain their streak.
• Young adults post sexually arousing selfies, making them part of the thirst trap excitement.
Read more HERE.
Picture Source: broadbandsearch.net
Picture Courtesy: https://www.broadbandsearch.net/blog/average-daily-time-on-social-media
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Relationship Addiction
Dating apps alter our behaviors. They erode our self-esteem because of the rejection we experience. We are constantly second guessing ourselves to understand if we are making the right choice. Too many options erode our decision-making muscle.
When we engage with others on these apps, we start to internalize rejection and lower our self worth in front of ourselves and others. As a result we curate our photos and profile incessantly.
The emotionally weak and the easily tricked are the ones that are the most vulnerable. Instead of looking for a mate, our desire becomes to put our best self forward, become something we are not to ultimate please strangers that we might even meet beyond a first date.
Even if you are not on the dating scene and connect with strangers on the internet, you could be a victim of catfishing. Catfishing is the activity of luring someone into contact with you online by means of using a fake online persona. The problem is the victim gets set up with unrealistic expectations concerning interactions with the fake person.
Read more on how dating has evolved HERE.
Online Gambling Addiction
Soon enough, however, he preferred online gambling. The casinos, he came to believe, were less efficient – “too much non-gambling time,” he said and led to questions about where he had been. By comparison, his phone allowed him to be “100 percent plugged in” from anywhere, without people asking questions.
“I could do everything you could do at a casino on my phone,” he said. But, he added, “I didn’t have to explain where I was or anything like that. I didn’t have to answer to anybody.”
“Being able to just sit in bed and go on my phone and gamble made it almost impossible to stop.”
Cited Work From Vice.com: The Above Excerpt Has Been Taken From HERE.
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About The Article Author:
Hi, I’m Rachana. Its been my dream for years to do something to consciously create a better future where every one of us is excited about our own potential. My challenge to everyone is that they aspire for their personal best and leave a legacy of their work through their contributions to mankind.
One more thing. In December of 2044, I hope to win the Nobel.
Will you join me on this journey of growth and transformation?
Namasté.
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