Hyderabad: The recurring theme in the jokes of many sitcoms about modern couples is the man preferring to spend time with his beloved gadgets than his better half, and if experts are to be believed, this particular scene has been coming to life in several city homes and the ensuing reality is far from funny.
With internet addiction disorder fast gaining global acknowledgment as a serious psychiatric condition and the American Psychiatric Association (APA) calling it a “mental condition warranting further research” in a draft report to be published globally next week, Hyderabad doctors said the city too has not been spared of this dangerous trend.
Doctors said an increasing number of couples seeking counseling due to internet addiction are something to be worried about. “Young people in the 20-30 age group seeking help to get rid of net addiction has become a common trend now,” said Dr M Phani Prashant, consultant psychiatrist at Care Hospital.
“The problem results in one not being able to provide physical and emotional support to the other.” One such case is of 25-year-old Pooja Ramesh, a finance professional who was all set to tie the knot this month with her fiancé of six months, till she realized that his virtual networking addiction was becoming too difficult to handle.Internet obsession puts careers on the line
Hyderabad: “Initially, it didn’t bother me much and I let it go thinking that it was a stress buster for him. However, when it reached a point that most of his waking hours were spent gaming or chatting on Facebook or even compulsively tweeting, I realized that there was aserious problem,” says Pooja.
Pooja has now put the wedding on hold for the next couple of months, till her ‘would-be’ is freed of his addiction.
In another such case from the city, Ashirwad M, an architect, had a bad experience with one of her friends because of the latter’s obsession with the internet. “For the past few months, every time I met my friend, she was constantly on her phone posting on social networking sites. Even after my persuasion, she could not manage to keep her hands off her phone. I have been avoiding making plans with her since then,” Ashirwad said.
The APA paper, Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) says that people with this condition endanger their academic pursuits or careers because of their obsession with online, specifically in gaming activities, and much of this literature stems from addiction from Asian countries and centres on young males.
City psychiatrists also warned against this addiction among children. “Often underlying anxiety and depression can push a child to the virtual world, thus alienating himself further from his family and friends,” says Dr Ashok Alimchandani, senior consultant psychiatrist at Apollo Hospital, Jubilee Hills. In such cases, he said parents should monitor the child’s internet activities and unusually long hours must call for counselling.
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