Computer Addiction

With the introduction of computer and the Internet, a new world has opened to its users. People can not only do their work using the resources of the computer, but also entertain themselves. It is also a great way of socializing as one can meet new people and make friends through online networking sites and chat rooms. Moreover, people do not need to refer to books and newspapers to gain information as all they want to know is just a click away because the Internet is loaded with information. However, like all good things, even the computer has certain disadvantages that can affect the users negatively. As the popularity of computers and Internet increased, a new type of addiction also began to emerge which is called computer addiction. This term also includes Internet addiction and includes other types of computer addiction hence, there are many experts who call it the Internet Addiction Disorder.

The Addiction of Computers
There can be of different types which include addiction to games, chatting, emailing, social networking, Internet browsing, online gambling, online shopping, online pornography, etc. Spending too much time in front of the computer can not only affect the person who does it, but also the people around him. For instance, a person who neglects work and other household duties to spend time in front of the computer may get dismissed from his job and this may also cause rift between him and his family. This problem is so severe that it is no longer restricted to adults, but is seen in young children and teenagers too. Children tend to ignore their studies and this can cause poor performance at school. As this addiction can lead to a whole lot of problems, it is important to gather information about it to recognize as well as treat this disorder.

Common Symptoms
The first crucial step to stop this problem is to know its signs. However, this can be a difficult task as computer addicts tend to lie to other people about the time they spend in front of the computer. Nevertheless, if you doubt that your friend or partner is becoming a computer addict, here are some of the signs that you may observe in him.

• It has been observed that people who are addicted to computers often do not realize the amount of time they have spent on the computer. There have been cases where people started using the computer just for one hour, before sleeping and got carried away so much that they did not realize it was already morning.
• Though computer addicts experience a feeling of euphoria or well-being while on the computer doing what they are addicted too, they are also said to feel a sense of guilt for wasting time on it. Due to this reason, they lie to their employers, family and friends about the time they spent on the Internet.
• As computer addicts realize that what they are doing is not healthy, they try to restrict the time spent on it. However, most of the time they are not able to control themselves and tend to spend more time on the computer than they had thought.
• Another symptom of this addiction is neglect towards family and friends. The addict has so many friends on the networking sites, that they tend to avoid the relationships in their real life. They may forget to attend meetings with friends or may be even to go for family functions. They are also likely to ignore their partner or spouse which may lead to breakup or divorce.
• Computer addicts start craving for time to be in front of the computer. They may be thinking and planning as to what they would do at the next session which would affect the work and other family as well as social responsibilities.
• Apart from the above given ones, there are also some physical symptoms that the person who is a computer addict may experience. These physical symptoms include carpal tunnel syndrome which is caused due to the excessive use of keyboard, back and neck pain, dry eyes and migraine headaches. He may skip meals and may also suffer from sleep deprivation.

Treatment
If you know that one of your friend or a family member is a computer addict, you would definitely want to know, how to stop the addiction. The most important step towards this is making the person understand that he has a problem. Most of the time, it occurs because the person is tensed, anxious, depressed or lonely. In such a situation, the computer seems to be a haven which takes him away from his problems. So, the first thing one should do is to get professional help. The psychologist, through the help of various therapies and counseling sessions will help the addict to understand his problem and help to recover from it.

Apart from the counseling sessions, it is important for the addict to help himself to come out of his addiction completely. This he can do by indulging in activities like learning a new hobby, developing skills that is needed to relieve one's stress, meeting his family and friends regularly, etc. Another factor that will help the person to come out of his addiction quickly is the strong support of his family and friends. So, if your loved one is a computer addict, understand him and support him mentally as well as emotionally to get rid of his problem.