According to research conducted by scientists,up to 15% of personal computer and Internet users worldwide suffer from various types of computer addiction. And in countries such as North Korea and China, the problem of computer addiction is so great that it has been taken under government control as a matter of national importance. And the conclusions of scientists regarding the further development of human computer addiction are disappointing: an increasing number of teenagers and young people under 30 spend more than 5-7 hours a day on the Internet, in social networks and chats or playing computer games; the older population of the planet has also been increasingly drawn to the computer. People are becoming slaves to modern technology, which provides them with a connection with the outside world. How can you avoid computer addiction? How can you protect your family and friends from its dangers? To do this, you must first know the causes of this disease (and this is a psychological illness that disrupts a person's connection with the real world and society). It is not for nothing that they say: forewarned is forearmed.

How is the dependence formed?

The roots of the formation of computer addiction arethe same as other types of addiction. There is a pleasure center in the human brain, and if it is constantly stimulated, the person stops thinking about anything else except how to get pleasure. Scientists who conducted experiments to stimulate the pleasure center in the brain of rats noticed that these animals refused food and water for the sake of pleasure and eventually died of exhaustion. Approximately the same thing happens to humans: addiction develops gradually, capturing them more and more. And if a gamer or netaholic is restricted in access to a computer for more than 2 hours, they begin to experience “withdrawal”: irritability, increased excitability or, conversely, depression, they even begin to experience physical discomfort. Usually, 2 main types of computer addiction are distinguished:

• sektogolizm, or dependence on the Internet;
• cyberradication, or dependence on computer games.

Setaholism Setaholics are people whoare on the Internet from 12 to 16 hours a day. They download music there, communicate in chats and on forums, make virtual acquaintances and even play virtual weddings. For them, their whole life is concentrated in the World Wide Web: they have no time to do household chores, sometimes they don’t even have time to eat, they have no time to take care of their appearance, so they often look sloppy and untidy. These are sure signs of netaholics, as well as a look exhausted by insomnia and paleness. Other pronounced signs of netaholics are the following:

• the desire to constantly check your mail;
• increase the time spent in the network;
• waiting for the next session on-line.

Cyberaddiction Cyberaddiction comes in two types depending on the type of games a person is addicted to:

• dependence on non-role computer games (arcades,puzzles, games for quick reaction, roulette, card games), when a person enjoys the fact that he passed the game or scored the most points;
• dependence on role-playing games (when a person plays for a character). In this case, it completely disappears into virtual reality, losing its connection with real life.

Signs of computer dependence

It is easy to determine that a person is developing computer addiction by knowing its main signs:

• the inability to plan the time of work or play at the computer and the reluctance to get out of it;
• manifestation of irritation or even aggression, if you tear the patient from the computer;
• improved mood from the anticipation of working at the computer;
• neglecting household chores and duties in favor of the computer;
• switching communication to talk about computer games or computer topics;
• neglect of personal hygiene due to employment at the computer;
• refusal to meet with friends and visit sports sections or any clubs, entertainment events for the sake of spending time at the computer.

Physical signs of computer addiction Physical signs of computer addiction usually occur when a person spends a lot of time at the computer. These include:

• deterioration of vision;
• dry eye syndrome;
• display syndrome;
• violation of posture;
• rachiocampsis;
• disorders of the digestive system;
• constipation;
• hemorrhoids;
• headache;
• decreased immunity;
• tunnel syndrome (pain in the wrist).

Diagnosis of computer dependence

Computer addiction is a mental disorderdisease. And, as with most diseases of this kind, it is the people around you who notice changes in the behavior and character of the patient. But it is almost impossible to convince a person of his computer addiction, just as it is impossible to convince a drunkard that he is an alcoholic. He will always say that he can stop playing at any moment and disappear on the Internet. It is also useless to act with force and prohibitions: in response, you will receive aggression, irritation and deception. It is best to undergo diagnostics with a professional psychotherapist under the pretext of a psychological test or career guidance.

The impact of computer addiction on humans

The most negative thing about this type of dependence isaffects such social qualities of a person as friendliness, desire for communication, openness, and compassion. Computer addiction is characterized by a deterioration in the social connections of an individual and the so-called social maladjustment of a person. In this case, the degradation of social connections develops due to the displacement of objective reality by a virtual one created with the help of a computer. Against the background of maladjustment and withdrawal into the world of virtual reality, excessive cruelty, aggressiveness, and other types of antisocial behavior often appear. A person who suffers from computer addiction pays less attention to the performance of various social functions and work. This, in turn, often becomes the cause of serious problems in the professional sphere and in family life. The sloppy and unkempt appearance and obvious alienation of "computer geeks" from reality makes them unattractive to other members of society, and this intensifies the conflict between society and a person who suffers from computer addiction.

The possibility of treating computer addiction

Cure a person from computer addictionis very difficult. This requires the coordinated work of specialists from various fields of medicine. The main role in the treatment of computer addiction, of course, is played by the social readaptation of the patient, which can only be properly organized by qualified specialists - psychologists and psychotherapists. Psychotherapy is the main method of treating various types of addictions. The goal of psychotherapy is to eliminate the psychological conflict (which is present in almost all cases), which served as the basis for the emergence of computer addiction, and the social reintegration of the patient. Treatment sessions are conducted by specialist doctors in specially equipped offices or at home. For effective treatment, the patient's consent to the sessions and the patient's desire to cooperate with the doctor are necessary. Psychotherapy conducted against the will of the patient will not have any positive effect and, most likely, will only aggravate the problem. In the process of psychotherapeutic treatment, the psychotherapist helps the patient to realize the pathological basis of his attachment to the computer, the Internet or games. The main goal of the doctor is awakening a healthy critical attitude of the patient to his pathological addiction and eliminating the feeling of guilt for the emergence of this addiction. Social readaptation of the patient involves finding out the reasons for the disruption of the patient's connections with society and taking measures to eliminate these reasons. If psychotherapeutic treatment has not yielded the expected results or there is no possibility of carrying it out, hypnosis can be used to treat computer addiction. Psychotherapy can be supplemented by the use of various medications, which, moreover, will help to consolidate the achieved results. Various drugs of alternative medicine are successfully used to treat various types of addictions, including computer addiction. The main function of these drugs is the ability to eliminate metabolic disorders in the body and restore balance between different systems of the body. Herbal preparations can be successfully used in the treatment of computer addiction. These include, for example, ginseng extract, preparations of Rhodiola rosea, oregano, which help to reduce the excitability of the nervous system and have a stimulating effect on the work of the brain. When taking herbal preparations, sleep is normalized, self-esteem is increased, and the patient becomes interested in social problems. In addition, some herbal preparations have an immunostimulating and adaptogenic effect, and improve the functioning of internal organs. However, it should be remembered that taking any medications must be agreed upon with a doctor and carried out under the supervision of the attending physician.

Tips for parents to avoid the development of computer addiction in children

The cause of computer addictionteenagers and children often experience self-doubt, dissatisfaction with peers and lack of opportunity for self-expression. In such situations, parents need to support the child and participate, help him to deal with the problems that have arisen. Criticizing a child who spends too much time on the computer is strictly prohibited. This can only aggravate the problem and alienate the child from the parents, forcing him to withdraw into his inner world. If the child suffers from game envy, try to understand him and to some extent support his interest in computer games. This will not only bring you closer to the child, but also increase his trust, and the child will be more willing to follow the advice of parents and share his experiences with them. Criticism is felt by the child as the unwillingness of parents to understand his interests and therefore causes isolation, in some cases even aggression. Proper upbringing of the child is the main measure to prevent the emergence of addictions of any type in children. It is important not to use a categorical system of prohibitions, for example, on certain games, but to explain why a certain hobby or activity is undesirable for a child. Psychologists recommend limiting children's access to games and films that are based on violence. But if a child has encountered such information, you need to try to explain to him in an accessible form why this information is dangerous for him and why he should not strive to understand it. A categorical ban without any explanation will only increase the child's interest in the prohibited information, and the existence of a ban will become an obstacle, making it impossible for the child to discuss the problem with his parents. Children and adolescents are in dire need of self-expression. And often, due to the lack of other means of expressing their thoughts and realizing their needs for communication or leadership, they use a computer and computer games, which create the illusion of unlimited possibilities and a reality in which they are not responsible for the antisocial actions and deeds they have committed. Such an illusion has a destructive effect on the child's psyche and disrupts his connection with peers and parents. In order to avoid the emergence of an irresistible attachment of the child to the computer, it is necessary to diversify the range of his interests and activities as much as possible. Communicate with your child more often, go with him on hikes, to the theater, enroll him in a sports section or in some club, find a hobby that will be interesting to both you and him, and then your child will value communication with you more than the computer.

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