Spending too much time on the Internet can cause a variety of physical and emotional problems, harm personal relationships, and impair performance at work or school. Internet addiction (also called retomania or cyber addiction) is a growing problem. If you are having a hard time dealing with this problem, you can overcome it by trying to limit network use, spending your time doing something different, and seeking support.
Steps
Part 1 of 3: Check Internet Usage
Step 1. Make a personal inventory of the things the Internet prevents you from doing
Make a list of the activities that you were interested in or that you need to complete, but that you can no longer do because you spend too much time online. The aim is not to feel bad, but rather to find the motivation to limit the use of the Internet.
Step 2. Set yourself time goals
Unlike some addictions, total abstinence is not the best solution to your problem, as the internet is a useful medium in many aspects of daily life. However, you can and should choose how much time to spend for personal use of the network.
- Disregard times when you are forced to use the Internet for work, business, or school.
- List any other duties and uses you want to make of your time, such as sleeping, being with friends and / or family, exercising, going out and back home, working or studying, and so on.
- Determine how much time per week you should theoretically dedicate to these needs.
- Consider how much free time you have per week and decide how many hours you want to dedicate to relaxation or your personal needs. Of the time you have left, set aside an adequate number of hours for personal Internet use, and then you can apply this information to other methods to reduce the time you spend online.
Step 3. Develop a new plan
If you are taking too long to use the internet, you can mitigate the problem by putting other activities on your agenda. Fill it with any kind of commitment to get rid of previous habits. For example, if you find yourself compulsively browsing from home every afternoon, change your habits by going grocery shopping, doing housework, or doing whatever else might keep you away from your computer.
Step 4. Get outside help
Your efforts can pay off better if there is someone or something to distract you from using the network. Since this is outside help, it will take some of the pressure off you and can also fill your time with alternative activities.
- You may want to schedule an alarm at the time you think you need to disconnect. It won't be that easy at first, but don't give up.
- Schedule an activity or event that prevents you from connecting to the Internet. For example, if you know that you start surfing in the afternoon for no reason, set up important meetings or appointments at that time of day.
- There are various applications you can use to reduce internet usage. For example, some of them get to block the connection for a set period of time.
Step 5. Set priorities
Internet addiction can be reduced by scaling virtual activity in relation to the rest of life. List all the non-virtual things you want or need to do and rank them in order of importance in relation to the time you spend browsing.
- For example, you may decide that it is better to browse a book that you feel like reading, rather than spending another hour online looking for things you don't care about or don't need.
- Prioritize real life over virtual life. For example, make it a point to spend more time with friends in person instead of interacting with them through social media.
- You can also decide to do more important tasks before surfing the Internet. For example, you might consider spending the weekend cleaning the garage before logging in.
Step 6. Avoid using particular applications, visit certain sites and acquire certain habits
If you know that you will be spending a lot of time on a particular use of the network, make a firm decision to abstain. Online gaming, social networking, gambling and online shopping are often blamed, but Internet use can become problematic in any form.
Step 7. Use post-its
By creating reminders that remind you of your cyber addiction and how determined you are to defeat it, you will have an effective means of spending less time connected. Get some post-it notes on which to write sentences and leave them in the most visible places (on or near the computer, on the refrigerator, on the desk, and so on) or anywhere else. You could write:
- "Game X takes away from me time I could spend with friends."
- "I'm not happy when I spend all night sailing".
- "I don't want to take the laptop to bed tonight."
Step 8. Train
Physical activity offers many benefits. If practiced regularly it helps you stay healthy, improves your mood, makes you a more self-confident person, allows you to sleep better and much more. If you're struggling with internet addiction, it's also a great way to keep busy.
Part 2 of 3: Getting Help
Step 1. Find a support group
More and more people are beginning to become aware of Internet addiction, and today assistance for this type of disorder is widespread almost everywhere. Support groups for people with cyber addiction offer insight, strategies for effectively overcoming this problem, and information on other ways you can get help. Talk to a counseling center or someone you trust, such as a family member or doctor, to find a support group near you.
Step 2. Consult a psychologist
The assistance of a professional who specializes in treating Internet addiction is helpful in many cases. The psychologist can help you create an action plan to reduce the time you spend online, stimulate your involvement in other activities, and understand the habits or reasons that led to this addiction. Support groups or your doctor can advise you on who you might turn to.
The motivational interview and reality reorientation therapy are techniques used by psychologists to treat cyber addiction. These are methods by which the therapist asks open-ended questions, applies reflective listening and other techniques to help the patient better understand their problem
Step 3. Get into family therapy
Internet addiction can have negative effects on those affected and their families, depending on the situation. In this case, family therapy can help both parties understand and cope with the problem. Family members can also offer practical and emotional support to help the patient overcome their addiction. The therapist can allow you to develop a family therapy strategy or recommend a specialist in this area.
Step 4. Go to a detox center
As awareness of this problem has increased, centers that specialize in addiction treatment have begun to develop specific programs to help those affected by this disorder. In addition, 'digital detox' centers have sprung up in some places, providing Internet-free spaces to reflect and learn how to overcome network addiction.
Step 5. Try drug treatments
Specialists are still studying the causes and treatment methods of cyber addiction. There is still no universally accepted drug therapy for this problem. However, certain drugs, such as escitalopram, bupropion SR, methylphenidate, and naltrexone, have been used to treat Internet addiction in some studies. If you are interested in trying drug therapy to treat your addiction, consult your doctor.
Part 3 of 3: Identify the Problem
Step 1. Estimate how much time you spend online
It is normal to spend time on the Internet. However, addiction occurs when the time spent surfing is longer than the time you spend at work, school, or your personal life. You can begin to understand if you are addicted to the Internet by keeping track of how many hours a week you spend connected to the network and the consequences that virtual activity has in other areas of your life. If you spend too much time online, you might:
- Surf more than expected. For example, a simple e-mail check risks turning into long hours of surfing.
- Thinking that you are connected even when you are doing something else.
- Feeling the need to increase Internet use just to maintain the same satisfaction or pleasure effect.
Step 2. Look for signs that the time you spend browsing is negatively affecting your mood or mental health
Excessive virtual activity can cause a variety of emotional problems. If you notice any of the following symptoms, you may be suffering from cyber addiction:
- Restlessness, anger, irritability when you spend little time online or try to limit it.
- Using the time you spend browsing to escape or alleviate an emotional problem.
- Connect instead of doing what you have to or what once piqued your interest.
- Sense of guilt, shame, or disgust for hours spent on the Internet.
- Inability to reduce the time after repeated attempts.
Step 3. Be on the lookout for signs that Internet use is compromising your health
Cyber addiction can cause a variety of physical problems. However, it is not certain that the symptoms appear suddenly or that they seem to have an obvious link with the use of the network. Among the most important problems caused by this addiction can be included:
- Weight gain.
- Weight loss.
- Headache.
- Backache.
- Carpal tunnel syndrome.
- Neglecting sleep to connect.
Step 4. Recognize when Internet use harms your relationships
In addition to hurting you emotionally and / or physically, Internet addiction can have negative effects on personal and professional relationships. Symptoms that can indicate this problem are:
- Loss of job or poor job performance due to time spent on the Internet.
- Poor academic performance.
- Problems in your personal relationships (for example, quarrels about the time you spend browsing).
- Breakup of a relationship due to time spent online.
- Lying to others (partners, family, colleagues, etc.) about using the network.
- Neglecting time to share with family or friends to browse.
Step 5. Recognize the symptoms of cyber addiction in children
Since the Internet is a resource that can be used in many places and at any age, any category of people can develop this addiction, including children. Parents, or whoever takes their place, have the ability to control the use of the Internet by young children. However, it is possible to cure this problem, especially by consulting a specialist. Symptoms of cyber addiction in a child include:
- Escape the attention of parents to browse.
- Lying about how much time you spend on the Internet.
- Anger or irritability when the use of electronic devices or the network is prohibited.
- Strong desire to connect again as soon as possible.
- Stay up all night to surf.
- Refusing or forgetting to do housework, homework, or other activities.
- Making new virtual bonds (especially when relationships are ruined in real life).
- Loss of interest in everything that once thrilled him.
