Internet addiction: types, signs, solutions!

Internet addiction is a global problem of our time, which millions of people have come face to face with. Internet addiction is not officially recognized as a mental disorder, but it is only a matter of time, some experts predict. The Internet does not provide full communication and does not satisfy the fundamental needs of the individual for self-affirmation and self-expression. It offers surrogates that seem very attractive and harmless. But the price for their use is high: a person addicted to the Internet does not have the energy and time for real life. This means that he misses opportunities to change her for the better. Alexey Tukmakov, a psychologist, author of books on psychology, and creator of the Libertonika system, spoke to the sb.by portal about why Internet addiction forms, who most often becomes its victim, and what steps are necessary to free oneself from it.

Signs of Internet addiction

The main sign of Internet addiction is that the Internet becomes a source of emotions. “Normally, a person receives stimuli that evoke emotions in interaction with real living people, and uses the Internet as a technical means of communication: for exchanging messages, searching for information, including operational information,”
explains the psychologist.

Signs of Internet addiction also include:
• a subjective feeling of craving for the Internet.

Anyone who is free from Internet addiction acts according to the following scheme: “there is an information request - open the necessary resource - receive the necessary information - close it.” The victim of addiction has an inner urge to open, look, read, and the process itself is addictive.

• virtual communication exceeds real one.

A person with an addiction communicates mainly on the Internet. Let’s say he chats with virtual interlocutors for at least an hour every day and, in total, only talks with real people for an hour and a half a week.

• significant time spent on the Internet, not related to work and searching for truly necessary information.

Having received an answer to a pressing question (weather forecasts for the coming days), a person continues to hang out on the Internet, absorbing absolutely useless information (scandals in show business).

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Causes of Internet addiction

Internet addiction develops among those who cannot satisfy important psychological needs in the real world.
According to the psychologist, people go to the Internet mainly for: • communication

(chat on social networks, dating sites);

• self-affirmation

(multiplayer games);

• self-expression

(keeping a blog “about nothing”, posting mediocre quality photos on your account, etc.).

On the Internet you can pretend to be anyone, but in real communication a person shows himself as he is. “If you are insecure, narrow-minded and uninteresting, childish and pretentious, all this will come to light. And on the Internet, it’s easy to hide your shortcomings and dark sides – if not completely, then to a large extent. Nobody sees the real person. Such communication does not satisfy because it does not provide full recognition,”

– says Alexey Tukmakov.

Self-affirmation on the Internet is also a bad idea. In the real world, asserting yourself comes with challenges. For example, I went to the boxing section and got hit in the face with a glove and was knocked out. Unpleasant. You’re thinking about conquering Everest, but you could break your arms and legs, or even die. And on the Internet you conquer galaxies like you’re gnawing on seeds, you deal with virtual enemies with the help of virtual weapons - and you feel cool. Without effort, difficulty and risk.

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In the real world, success in self-expression requires a lot of effort. “To paint a picture, write a book, implement a social project, you have to try. Invent, do something really valuable, show results. And it’s not a fact that you will receive recognition. What about the Internet? I posted the photo on Instagram, got likes, and was happy. Only this photo has no value, your friends will forget it as soon as they like it (because you like their posts). Likes mean nothing and give no real satisfaction. They cannot be compared, for example, with the applause that a soloist hears after performing on stage,”

- says the psychologist.

Prevention

Prevention of Internet addiction in children

Often we ourselves are to blame for the formation of addiction in a small child. As soon as the child begins to sit, he is given a phone or tablet. This leads to failure of the personality development program, disruption of methods of cognition of the surrounding world and the formation of Internet addiction.

In early preschool age, the best prevention would be the complete exclusion of electronic gadgets from the child’s life. At this age, children experience enormous dependence and need to communicate with their parents. Communication should never be replaced by watching cartoons or playing games on the computer.

If you have turned on an educational cartoon for your child, watch it together and comment on what is happening, ask questions. Such conscious viewing of the material several times a week will give much more than constantly hanging out with educational toys on the tablet, but completely alone.

In elementary school, when the child partially gains freedom and leaves the complete control of his parents, it is worth limiting the use of the computer.

However, it cannot be completely ruled out. The Internet is a treasure trove of information. It is necessary to teach a child to use the network to gain knowledge and skills. Parents should monitor the content their child views and set up parental controls on the computer.

Prevention of Internet addiction in adolescents

The main danger for teenagers lies in social networks. In adolescence, there is a huge desire to communicate. The main thing is that the teenager’s priorities remain in the real world and communication does not go only to the virtual plane.

Girls at this age are less likely to develop addiction than boys. They have little interest in online games. Boys can immerse themselves in “tanks” and other shooters, forgetting about everything in the world.

We recommend that you read the article: How to stop putting off important things until later and get everything done

Social networks can develop narcissism in a teenager. His personal page, on which information only about him can lead you to believe that the whole world revolves around him. Constantly comparing your life and the lives of your friends can develop feelings of envy and self-doubt.

Adolescence is a very specific age and simple prohibitions are not enough.

First, analyze your behavior. Children often copy the behavior of adults. If you yourself spend a lot of time on the computer, maintaining a page on social networks or playing online games, then what do you want from your child?

Secondly, the computer should not become a subject of encouragement. By punishing your teenager and depriving him of access to gadgets, you make the problem worse. The Internet is just a way to obtain information, not a prize.

And finally, it is necessary to teach a teenager to keep himself busy, to help him discover new horizons and hobbies.

What is the disadvantage of virtual communication?

Many fans of virtual communication say: “There are no interesting people around me, but the Internet is full of them. I read their posts, leave comments, get acquainted with other people’s opinions and express my own, receive feedback and support from those with whom I will never cross paths in real life. In short, I gain my mind and clear my soul. What harm?! One continuous benefit!

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Psychologist Alexey Tukmakov points out the weaknesses of this position: “Internet communication is a fiction, it is impossible to get enough of it. When people communicate directly, they smell each other. For the brain, it is smell that is a signal and indicator that communication is real. Reality smells, but the picture (on a monitor, TV, or in a movie theater) does not. A person can “communicate” on the Internet for dozens of hours, but still will not feel full, because there is no smell. And when a person actually meets his interlocutor and spends a couple of hours talking, this communication will be enough for him for a week.”

At the same time, the expert draws attention to the fact that supporters of Internet communication usually firmly defend their point of view: “If a person tells himself that he is “interested” and “takes his mind off”, he will continue to do this. There is no need for him to try other options. An alcoholic relaxes with the help of alcohol and does not look for other methods. It’s the same with virtual communication: if a person wants to surf the Internet, well, let him sit, this is his life and his destiny.”

Have you come to the conclusion that there is too much virtual communication in your life? Then, at least for a month, give up the Internet and interact with people in physical reality. “Meet the same online acquaintances if you live in the same city. Communicate a couple of times a week for one and a half to two hours - and you will certainly feel that real communication is satiating. But online communication will lose its attractiveness by ninety percent,”

– says Alexey Tukmakov.

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Consequences of Internet addiction

“A person with Internet addiction, figuratively speaking, moves from physical reality to an illusory virtual world.
Into a world that does not exist, which exists only in the imagination. As a result, a person interacts not with physical reality (other people, nature, live musical sound or a picture), but with an information machine (computer or smartphone), which, in essence, controls his perception and feelings,” explains Alexey Tukmakov.

The spread of Internet addiction contributes to the separation of people, the so-called. atomization. Energy that could be used for socially useful purposes is wasted. For example, in the city there is an old park, beautiful, but abandoned. There are no budgetary funds allocated for it. People can organize and put the park in order on their own. Anyone who has a hand in improving the park will be warmed by the feeling that he is involved in a good cause. Another example is volunteering. When a person helps those in need, he feels stronger and more important. And if instead he plays computer tanks, then he will waste his time and energy in vain.

Thus, Internet addiction negatively affects both the individual and society as a whole. “People suffer from loneliness. Some people drink themselves to death, others commit suicide. The energy of a mass of Internet-addicted individuals is spent on achieving fictitious virtual goals. Of course, society loses from this,”

- says the expert.
And he adds: “However, from the point of view of social control, Internet addiction is good because a person who is immersed in the virtual world does not create any problems in physical reality.”

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Introduction

The state of the Internet addiction problem today is controversial. The question often arises: is it possible to talk about such a phenomenon within the framework of clinical categories? Is Internet addiction an independent phenomenon, or is it a form of implementation of already known forms of addiction, for example gambling [3; 21; 24].

The term “Internet addiction” itself was introduced by New York psychiatrist Ivan Goldberg (1996) to describe a pathological, irresistible craving for Internet use. By Internet addiction, he understood a behavioral disorder resulting from the use of the Internet and computer, which has a detrimental effect on the everyday, educational, social, work, family, financial or psychological spheres of human activity.

Domestic researchers of Internet addiction [5] propose to consider Internet addiction in three options:

1. pathological passion for the Internet as one of the forms of addictive behavior, understood as a disorder within the framework of deviant behavior (relevant for adolescents);
2. Internet addiction syndrome, which hides many other personality and/or mental disorders that have a certain nosological affiliation;
3. Internet addiction as an independent nosological unit, caused by the mutual pathogenic influence of characterological traits and the Internet environment, which has a certain dynamics (processuality) of psychopathological disorders.

Many researchers (Korolenko V.Ts., Malygin V.L., Voiskunsky A.E., Loskutova V.A., Kulakov S.A. and others) note that Internet addiction most often manifests itself at a young age - in the environment teenagers and young men, which complicates their socialization and hinders their ability to make a career and start a family [4; 5; 6; 7; 8; 9].

According to a comprehensive study of the media preferences of young people in Russian cities with a population of over a million [1], conducted by the Modern Media Institute (MOMRI) in December 2015 - January 20211, every second young man and every fifth girl aged 14-25 plays computer games. On average, 39% of young people in the 14-25 age group play computer games. Note that the older the respondents, the less often they play. The peak interest in gaming occurs among teenagers aged 14–17—55% of those play at this age. Young people, starting from 18 years old, play 30% less.

Young people aged 14-25 prefer to play online more than offline - 41% and 17%, respectively.

According to the study:

• 90% of girls and 85% of boys have their own smartphone;
• 63% of girls and 48% of boys use a smartphone more than 3 hours a day;
• 54% of girls and 40% of boys have their own tablet;
• 92% of girls and 86% of boys use the mobile Internet;
• 72% of girls and 60% of boys communicate via instant messengers on smartphones;
• 32% of girls and 42% of boys play computer games every day.

Generally accepted criteria for addictive behavior, which are quite relevant for qualifying Internet addiction [8; 12]:

• abuse of a certain type of activity;
• impossibility of subjective control over activities;
• the presence of maladaptation due to abuse of activities that affect study, work, and interpersonal relationships;
• increasing tolerance to the amount of time spent on activities;
• withdrawal state: the appearance of psychological discomfort (irritability, decreased mood, depression, increased aggressiveness, etc.);
• objective overabsorption in activity, crowding out other aspects of social life.

However, Internet addiction differs qualitatively from other forms of non-chemical addictions in that it accesses the limitless possibilities of the virtual world.

There are a number of features of the Internet as a potential addictive agent [7]:

• the possibility of numerous anonymous social interactions;
• virtual realization of fantasies and desires with feedback;
• finding the desired “interlocutors” who satisfy any requirements;
• the ability to establish contact and interrupt it at any time;
• unlimited access to information, various types of entertainment, and games.

The virtual world is dynamic, in it you can realize your hidden desires, control the situation, overcome difficulties, feel like a hero, and experience the whole range of emotions. In this case, two-way connections and interaction are formed, which creates the illusion of communication with the real world. At the same time, the real world is perceived as uninteresting, boring, and often hostile. Emotions, interests, cognitive sphere, energy and value system focus on the virtual world. An internal psychological space is formed, which extends its influence to the assessment of external events. Connections with reality weaken. With none of the other addictions is such integration of mental functions achieved as with Internet addiction. Inadequate conviction in one’s invulnerability, overprotection, overestimation of one’s intellectual, volitional, physical and other capabilities make a dependent person helpless in contacts with reality [7; 17; 18].

The risk of developing Internet addictive behavior has recently been considered within the framework of a multifactorial biopsychosocial model of the dynamic interaction of biological, psychological and social factors [5].

Many researchers consider family to be one of the main sources of addiction development. Most of the research is devoted to chemical dependence: a number of researchers (G.V. Morozov, N.N. Bogolepov, E.G. Eidemiller, V.V. Justitskis) consider dependence on psychoactive substances to be a “symptom of the family” [14; 15; 20]. There are a few works devoted to the influence of family factors on the formation of Internet addiction - S. Chen [22]. It was also found that a low level of family functioning is positively correlated with Internet addiction in adolescence - S. Ko et al. [23]. It has been found that in families with a large number of conflicts, there is a reduced level of parent-child involvement, which leads to an inadequate level of control on the part of parents. This, in turn, is a predictor of Internet addiction in a teenager - D. Ari et al. [25].

The purpose of our study was to establish a connection between Internet addictive behavior of adolescents and the nature of parent-child relationships in the family and some personal characteristics.

Research objectives:

1. Identification of the level of Internet addictive behavior in adolescents and identification of appropriate groups of adolescents.
2. Study of the connection between family parenting style and the level of Internet addictive behavior in adolescents.
3. Study of the connection between the nature of the relationship between parents and children and the level of Internet addictive behavior of adolescents.
4. A study of the connection between the level of anxiety, mental stress and neurotic tendencies in a teenager and the level of his Internet addictive behavior.

Research hypothesis: the level of Internet addictive behavior of adolescents is associated with:

a) violations of the process of family education; b) the nature of the relationship between parents and child; c) increased levels of anxiety, mental stress and neurotic tendencies in adolescents.

Materials and research methods

The study involved adolescents aged 11-15 years and one of the parents (mother or father). A total of 22 couples took part in the study. Participation in the study was voluntary; participants were informed about the purpose of the study, the procedure for conducting it, and they gave informed consent to participate in it.

The gender and age characteristics of the sample are presented in Table 1.

Table 1. Sex and age characteristics of the sample

Social characteristics of the sample

All children who took part in the study studied in a comprehensive school and did not have a psychiatric or chronic somatic diagnosis. Some children had a history of contacting a neurologist for various reasons. All teenagers are from socially prosperous families with average or above average income. The parents of all the children examined had higher or secondary specialized education. All families live in Moscow or the Moscow region.

The study was conducted by interviewing children and one of the parents. To accomplish the research objectives, the following methods were used:

1. The Kimberly Young Internet Addiction Screening Test, modified for parent interviews with children and for adolescent self-diagnosis. The questionnaire was adapted for the Russian language by V.A. Loskutova [13].
2. Test for children's Internet addiction S.A. Kulakov, which makes it possible to determine the presence of Internet addiction in a child or teenager [10].
3. Methodology “Analysis of family education” by Eidemiller E.G. and Yustitskis V.V. [eleven].
4. Questionnaire “Parents’ behavior and adolescents’ attitudes towards them” [2].
5. Methodology for multidimensional assessment of children's anxiety [16].
6. Screening diagnostics of mental stress and neurotic tendencies in children and adolescents [19].
7. Survey of parents in the form of a structured conversation.

Research program

The study was carried out in 2 stages. The first stage is a screening survey of Internet addiction among study participants. Children and their parents were surveyed regarding their attitude towards the Internet. At this stage, the ability of adolescents to self-diagnose Internet addictive behavior was determined, since almost all tests for Internet addiction are structured in this way. For this purpose, both the teenager and the parent were given the same questionnaires separately from each other. Next, the results were compared and the degree of discrepancy between the answers of children and parents was identified. The Kimberly Young Internet Addiction Screening Test was used for this purpose.

Based on the screening survey, it was concluded that adolescents of this age who show excessive interest in the Internet or are highly likely to be Internet addicts cannot objectively assess their actual behavior regarding the Internet. That is, one of the signs of addictive behavior is fully manifested, namely a decrease in control over the time and frequency of being on the Internet. In this regard, further research was based on parental feedback on their child’s Internet behavior.

At the second stage of the study, an Internet addiction test was chosen, which, according to the author of the study, allows us to conduct the most correct analysis of the Internet addictive behavior of young adolescents (Children's Internet Addiction Test by S.A. Kulakova, 2004) [10]. At the same stage, the main goals of the study were achieved.

Research results

According to a survey of parents, the following groups of adolescents were identified in the study sample:

Table 2. Groups of children by level of Internet addiction

A study of the connection between Internet addictive behavior and characteristics of family upbringing showed that high values ​​of this indicator in adolescents are positively correlated with disturbances in the process of family upbringing (Table 3).

Table 3. Correlations of the type of disturbance in the upbringing process with the level of Internet addiction in adolescents

Table 3 shows that the strongest connection is observed in the area of ​​emotional acceptance and rejection of the child by the parent and in the area of ​​autonomy and control over the child’s behavior.

Hypoprotection reflects the insufficient level of support for the child in the family. We are talking about how much effort, attention, and time parents devote to raising a child. In this case, there is a situation in which the teenager finds himself on the periphery of the parent’s attention, “their hands do not reach him.” The child often “falls out of sight.” They “tackle” it only from time to time, when something serious happens.

Indulgence reflects an excessive degree of satisfaction of the child's needs. In this case, parents strive for the maximum and uncritical satisfaction of any needs of the teenager. Any desire of a teenager is law for them. When indulging, parents unconsciously project their previously unmet needs onto their children and look for ways to substitutively satisfy them through educational actions.

Ignoring the child’s needs - this type of parenting disorder is characterized by the parent’s insufficient desire to meet the child’s needs. More often, spiritual needs suffer, especially the need for emotional contact, communication with a parent, acceptance and love. Often combined with hypoprotection.

Insufficiency of requirements-responsibilities is a form of violation of the system of requirements imposed on a teenager. Requirements-responsibilities are a list of the child’s daily responsibilities towards himself and other family members. In this case, the child has a minimum number of responsibilities in the family. Often combined with indulgence.

Excessive demands-prohibitions . Requirements-prohibitions—indications of what a teenager cannot do—determine, first of all, the degree of his independence, the ability to choose his own behavior. In this situation, the child “cannot do everything.” A huge number of demands are placed on him that limit his freedom and independence.

Instability of parenting style . This violation characterizes a sharp change in parenting styles, representing a transition from very strict to liberal, and then vice versa: from significant attention to the emotional rejection of the child by his parents [20].

Also, based on the results of this part of the study, it is possible to identify the causes of deviations in family upbringing, the severity of which is positively correlated with an increased likelihood of Internet addiction in adolescents (Table 4).

Table 4. Correlations of the causes of deviations in family upbringing with the level of Internet addiction of adolescents

Thus, we see a strong connection between the level of a child’s Internet addiction and the spouses’ conflict, the projection of their negative qualities onto him, on the one hand, and insufficient acceptance of him as an adult subject, instability in relationships with him, on the other hand.

A high level of positive correlation was also shown by the level of Internet addiction and the “hostility factor” in the attitude of the parent to the teenager (r(s) = 0.733; p

Table 5. Correlations of parental attitude factors with the level of Internet addiction of adolescents

The concept of “hostility” in this case describes the parent’s emotional rejection of the child and requires decoding. The “hostility” of a mother in her relationship with a teenager is characterized, from his point of view, by her aggressiveness and excessive severity in interpersonal relationships. The mother's focus solely on herself, her pride and self-affirmation excludes acceptance of the child. The latter is perceived, first of all, as a “rival” who must be suppressed in order to assert his importance. For this, various kinds of manipulations are used: for example, emotional coldness towards a teenager is often passed off as restraint, modesty, adherence to “etiquette” and even “subordination” to him. At the same time, if the mother has a hostile attitude towards the teenager, there may be pronounced suspicion and a tendency to be excessively critical of him. Along with this, positive activity and responsibility for the child’s fate are demonstrated at the verbal level [2, p. 60–70].

A “hostile” father, in the opinion of adolescents, always agrees with generally accepted opinion, while showing excessive conventionality. He is trying to “train” his child in accordance with the accepted ideas in this society about the “ideal son.” In the eyes of a child, the father is seen as stern and pedantic. The teenager is constantly in anxious anticipation of a low assessment of his activities and punishment by parental rejection. There is constant dissatisfaction with the child and a skeptical attitude towards his achievements [Ibid.].

The next factor that has a statistically significant connection with a teenager’s level of Internet addiction is the “proximity factor.” This indicator characterizes the degree of manifestation of warm feelings and acceptance of the child by the parent at high values ​​and his predominant rejection at low standard scores. This factor is associated with the level of Internet addiction by a negative correlation (rs = −0.617; p The next statistically significant relationship was revealed between the level of Internet addiction of a teenager and the “inconsistency factor” in upbringing (rs = 0.573; p Correlation analysis showed that an increase in the likelihood of Internet addiction Adolescent dependent behavior is positively associated with high levels of anxiety in the sphere of evaluation of others, anxiety in situations of self-expression and anxiety in relationships with parents (Table 6).

Table 6. Correlation of the level of anxiety with the level of Internet addiction in adolescents

There is a positive correlation between the presence of various neurotic tendencies in adolescents and an increase in the rate of Internet addictive behavior (Table 7).

Table 7. Correlation of the level of neurotic tendencies with the level of Internet addiction in adolescents

Discussion

Thus, in the families studied, the following picture emerged describing the relationship between parents, adolescents and the Internet: with very high values ​​of the factors of hostile, inconsistent, autonomous (fenced off or distant) behavior of parents and a very low value of the closeness factor, we observe a high level of Internet addiction of adolescents . When the values ​​of the factors of hostility and inconsistency are above average, and the factor of autonomy and closeness is close to average, we observe an excessive interest in the Internet among adolescents (the risk of Internet addiction).

In families with low levels of factors of hostility and inconsistency and normative values ​​for factors of closeness and autonomy, we observe the usual attitude of adolescents towards the Internet.

The factors of “directiveness” and “criticism” in the behavior of parents showed themselves interestingly (these factors are associated with upbringing, control, prohibitions and rewards). The highest rates of these factors are in the group of teenagers who are overly interested in the Internet (but not Internet addicts). The value of these factors is extremely low in the group of Internet-addicted adolescents, which is probably due to parental distancing and neglect (hypoguardianship). In the group of ordinary Internet users, these factors reach values ​​close to average and are due to the provision of independence to adolescents while maintaining some elements of parental control.

Correlation analysis showed a connection between anxiety (mainly in the sphere of social relationships) and neurotic tendencies (mainly in the emotional spectrum) with a predisposition to Internet-addictive behavior, since mediated communication in virtual reality apparently allows one to reduce emotional stress, expressed in depression. -anxious, phobic and aggressive states.

Conclusion

The considered aspects of child-parent relationships, namely the style of family education, the characteristics of child-parent interaction and the emotional climate in the home, are stable formations and are formed from the moment a child appears in the family; they accompany the relationship between children and parents throughout their entire life together, if not their conscious correction was carried out.

A teenager turns out to be vulnerable to various forms of addiction as the implementation of forms of avoidant behavior. He can choose one of the socially acceptable addictions, for example, Internet addiction.

When corrective work with an Internet addict, special attention must be paid to the formation of sources of emotional warmth and acceptance, a sense of security, increasing self-esteem and self-esteem, as well as stimulating gradual harmonious separation from parents.

Of particular importance is psychocorrectional work with parents (if possible), aimed at correcting the style of family education, as well as resolving intrapersonal and interpersonal problems of adult family members.

The study also showed the need for correction in the direction of:

a) reducing the level of anxiety and increasing the effectiveness of coping behavior;

b) attracting specialists of related specialties (neurologists, psychoneurologists) to correct the psycho-physiological state of a dependent person.

This study revealed the need for an integrated approach to solving the problem of Internet addiction. We can offer the following set of psychocorrectional assistance to the family of a teenager who has sought psychological help regarding the problem of Internet addictive behavior (Table 8).

Table 8. Comprehensive psychocorrection program for identifying the risks of Internet addictive behavior in adolescents

The proposed comprehensive approach to working with Internet-addicted adolescents is based on the research conducted and on the modern biopsychosocial model of health, taking into account biological, psychological and social risk factors.

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1 Telephone survey of an audience aged 14-25 years. The sample represents Russian residents aged 14–25 years living in cities with a population of over 1 million people. The total number of respondents is 1000 people. ↑

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Bogomolova M.A., Buzina T.S. Internet addiction: aspects of formation and possibilities of psychological correction // Medical psychology in Russia: electron. scientific magazine – 2021. – T. 10, No. 2(49) [Electronic resource]. – URL: https://mprj.ru (access date: hh.mm.yyyy).

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How to avoid the negative influence of the Internet

There is absolutely no need to cross out the Internet from your life - it has many useful opportunities.
It’s just important to know how not to succumb to negative influences and avoid the dangers of modern technologies. According to Alexey Tukmakov, for this two conditions must be met: • “First, provide yourself with reasons to experience physical reality: get involved in living art (attend concerts, museums, theaters), engage in creativity (paint, play music), devote time sports, find a real cause that feels important (for some this is regular volunteering), enjoy interesting communication with people and contact with nature.

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• Secondly, use the Internet only when you cannot do without it (e-mail, current weather information, booking tickets and hotels). You can find out news from paper newspapers, write out two - pro-government and opposition, read and compare. Listen to your favorite music without going to social networks - download it to your computer and smartphone. In a word, if there is a fear of becoming addicted, there is only one principle – use less internet.”

How to overcome internet addiction

Psychologist Alexey Tukmakov claims that to overcome Internet addiction it is important to follow the following recommendations:
1. Completely give up the Internet for 3-6 weeks.
“The first step is the “tie.”
It’s like with alcohol and nicotine - you need to completely stop doing what causes addiction: drinking, smoking, using the Internet,” explains the specialist.

According to some data, a stable habit is formed in 21 days, according to others – in 42 days. “Weaning off” takes the same amount of time – from 3 to 6 weeks. If possible, take a vacation during this period so that you do not need to use the Internet for work. For calls, purchase a push-button telephone.

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2. Provide reasons for experiences in physical reality

(see paragraph “How to enjoy the benefits of the Internet and avoid negative influences”).
“This is the key point,
” says the psychologist.
– If you ignore it, the person will definitely return to Internet addiction.
He is used to satisfying important needs using the Internet and, if he does not find other ways, he will experience severe discomfort – frustration.” 3. Find secondary benefits from using the Internet.

Secondary benefit is some kind of implicit (not realized by a person), but significant need. The habit that allows you to satisfy it becomes extremely stable. It is difficult to identify secondary benefits on your own; it is advisable to contact a specialist. It will help you realize these benefits and teach you how to satisfy psychological needs in adequate ways.

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“For clarity, I’ll give an example from another area: smoking. It seems that a smoking person satisfies the need for nicotine to which his body is accustomed, right? However, at the same time, smoking is a reason for socializing in the smoking room, helps regulate emotions, and makes you feel like an adult (relevant for teenagers). If these three needs are not realized by the smoker, then they are secondary benefits for him. And contribute to maintaining the smoking habit. To get rid of it, you first need to learn how to satisfy these needs in other ways. Then quit smoking - the physiological dependence on nicotine will go away in about a month. Since other needs are satisfied, the person will be able to live without cigarettes.”

– says Alexey Tukmakov.

Regarding Internet addiction, the primary benefits, as noted above, are communication, self-affirmation, and self-expression. A person can be aware of these moments.

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Secondary Benefits of Internet Addiction

most often the following:

• the Internet provides incentives for experiences (i.e. the Internet is a source of emotions);
• you can avoid the efforts that self-affirmation and self-expression in reality require;

• you can hide your real self by creating a virtual identity (relevant for insecure people without hobbies and interests);

• you can avoid contact with real people (relevant for those who are afraid of people).

After realizing the secondary benefits, it is easy to understand what is required to develop them:

• create incentives for experiences in real life (art, nature, sports);
• get used to the effort of simply doing something in reality;

• discover your interests, get carried away with something (any person who has finished school is familiar with many areas of science, art, creativity - something is sure to evoke a response);

• communicate with real people, eliminating your fear of them.

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How to stop being addicted to your phone? Nomophobia - a disease of the 21st century

In the modern world, a large number of things have been created to make our lives easier. However, their availability becomes a problem for many. One of these items today is the smartphone. It is not just a means of communication, but also a gadget that is used for entertainment.

A smartphone allows you to keep abreast of events, monitor what is happening in the world, communicate with friends, and be aware of what is happening with them. Such close interaction with a mobile phone leads to the development of a disease - nomophobia.

Nomophobia: concept, signs and causes

The concept of “nomophobia” was introduced relatively recently. Psychologists use this term to describe the restless and sometimes panicky state of a person that arises as a result of the fact that he cannot maintain contact via a mobile phone. According to statistics, about 53% of people are addicted to their gadgets.

Manifestations of nomophobia

1. The emergence of panic, feelings of discomfort, irritability in the absence of a gadget nearby.
2. The appearance of your smartphone becomes very important to you. A person strives to decorate his phone, make it special, and purchase the latest model.
3. Information dependence. The individual suffers from the fact that he may miss some news. And to prevent this from happening, I am ready to turn everything upside down.
4. Sound hallucinations occur: it seems that calls are being received on the smartphone.

Signs

1. You carry your phone with you all the time. He should be there even at night. Having a phone gives you confidence and peace of mind.
2. You constantly hold your smartphone in your hands, spend a lot of money buying updates and various programs.
3. You prefer to communicate over the phone rather than meeting people in person.
4. You spend a lot of time on social networks, constantly taking selfies and posting them online, it becomes very important to you what people think when looking at your photos.
5. You are afraid of losing your phone, you check for it all the time.

Causes

1. Fear of being alone: ​​the phone creates the illusion of being needed and gives confidence.
2. The ability to contact people at any time, wherever they are.
3. Advertising that colorfully talks about new products, noting their importance in life. This leads to the fact that a person begins to perceive the phone as an extremely necessary thing for life. Children who do not know how to properly filter out unnecessary information are especially susceptible to this.
4. Operating mode. Certain professions today deprive a person of his personal life. In this case, the phone acts as a compensator.

Negative influence of a smartphone - how to get rid of addiction?

Gadgets have a great influence on people. Constant interaction with them leads to the loss of communication skills, disturbed sleep, a person falls out of reality, does not notice what is happening around, because... his gaze is glued to the screen.

To get rid of phone addiction, you need

1. Place the gadget in an inaccessible place so that it is not constantly at hand. This will reduce the need to look into it.
2. Use a computer to access the Internet. It takes longer to turn it on, so you won't have to do it all the time to read messages on social networks.
3. Set a complex password for logging into social networks via your mobile phone.
4. Go online at a strictly defined time, for example, 30 minutes in the morning or afternoon and the same amount in the evening.
5. Leave your smartphone at home when you go, try to avoid places where there is free access to Wi-Fi.
6. Set a timer when you log into social networks to control the time spent there.
7. Set your phone to silent mode, which will allow you not to be constantly distracted by incoming notifications.
8. Use an alarm clock rather than the same function on your phone. This will reduce the temptation to watch news on social media feeds.

By following these simple recommendations, you can overcome the desire not to part with your mobile phone.

How to help another person get rid of Internet addiction

All you can do is try to awaken a loved one’s interest in something other than the Internet, and actively help with this. For example, get them interested in sports - running together in the morning, hiking, something else. “Please note: do it together, and not just give the instruction: “Quit the Internet and run in the morning.”
It is important for a dependent person to feel supported, to feel that someone really needs him and that he is given time and attention,” the psychologist emphasizes.

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Another option is to help a person get involved in an exciting process. “Do you know that he’s thinking about taking up painting? Give him a subscription to a painting course for two months. But precisely for the course where there will be real communication with passionate people who may have an influence on him. Just handing over a cool set of expensive paints is a bad idea. He will put them on the shelf and go back to the Internet. To overcome addiction, live contact with living people is important,”

– emphasizes Alexey Tukmakov.

If your efforts get you nowhere, leave the person alone. It is impossible to free someone from addiction who does not want it themselves. Even if you want to, you cannot cure an alcoholic by force; it’s the same story with Internet addiction. Except that it’s less dangerous: it doesn’t make your liver fall off. It will be possible to help only if the initial impulse arose in the dependent person himself. And attempts to stop addictive behavior are pointless: a person will return to it as soon as external restrictions no longer hold him back. Therefore, let your loved one live as he wants. And you go about your life.

What are the advantages of a person free from Internet addiction?

“By and large, there is one advantage.
Such a person lives in reality and real opportunities open up before him. For example, make money, meet a loved one, implement a creative project, strengthen your body. You can’t do any of this on the Internet,” says Alexey Tukmakov.

For an addicted person, the Internet is a prison into which he voluntarily imprisoned himself. And the advantage of someone who does not suffer from Internet addiction is the same as that of a person who is not in prison. He's just free.

Literature:

1. Internet addiction / Grebenshchikova V. L. / 2010 / Psychology and pedagogy: methods and problems of practical application.
2. Internet addiction is one of the pressing problems of our time / Olga Valentinovna Zavalishina, Nina Aleksandrovna Zagumennykh, Elena Stanislavovna Postoeva / 2015 / Polythematic network electronic scientific journal of the Kuban State Agrarian University.
3. Internet addiction in the Russian-speaking sector of the Internet / Korolenko T. P., Loskutova V. A. / 2004 / Siberian Scientific Medical Journal