The
new year of 2013 will be bringing about many changes for the world. New
technologies will be unveiled, history will be made, and addiction to the
internet will be classified as a mental disorder. Over the years, humans all
over the world have been sucked more and more into the world of the internet.
It’s easy to see why. Sites such as Google make learning new information just a
few clicks away. While social media platforms like Facebook ad Twitter make
talking to others easy and accessible from anywhere. And as new technologies
and advances are made, our love affair with the internet will only get
stronger.
China, Taiwan and South Korea have all already classified
internet addiction as a mental disorder, while approximately 4.6% of Germans
are classified as addicted to the internet, which is equal to the number of pot
addicts in the country. And in 2013 America will be adding it to its fifth
addition of Diagnostic and Statistical
Manual of Mental Disorders. It has been proven receiving something such as
a retweet or a “like” on a blog post or status results in the release of
dopamine in the brain, which is also what happens while taking illegal
substances, which is what makes it so addicting. There re many other side
effects to having an internet addiction, which is why it has been classified as
a mental disorder.
Internet addicts have 10 to 20% smaller brain areas that
are responsible for speech, memory, motor control, emotion and sensory. People
that use the internet significantly more also have “fundamentally altered”
prefrontal cortexes, which controls conflicting thoughts such as the difference
between good and bad, working toward a defined goal, and resisting urges.
Within the past ten years as technology and internet have become bigger parts
of everyday life, the average attention span has decreased from 12 seconds to
8. While the average amount of time spent on the computer has risen from 3.43
hours a day to seven.
Many treatments have been created and recommended for
those diagnosed with internet addiction. The number one treatment recommended
for those with a strong addiction is complete abstinence from the internet and
only use the computer when it is needed for legitimate purposes. Also, engage
in more off-line activities, which will improve social relationships and
increase motivation.
