NewZNew (Panchkula) : As many as 200 student and teachers of DAV Public school, Sector 8, Panchkula took part in a health workshop on How to deal with internet addiction’ conducted by Max Super Specialty Hospital (MSSH), Mohali in association with Simply Health Plus. The workshop focused on how to avoid becoming a victim of internet, how it affected the individual and signs of symptoms of such an addiction.

Speaking during occasion, Dr Sandip Jain, Consultant, Pediatrics  , MSSH warned that Internet addiction in teenagers was fast becoming a cause for major concern affecting their mental and physical growth. Teenagers who have trouble inter-connecting personally with people might depend on the Internet as a place to understand by their peers . Thus it was turing into a  replacement for social interaction. That was how they would start living in virtual reality and start to have trouble dealing with real life and relationships. Internet addiction might be a symptom of an underlying problem like depression.

Discussing the symptoms of internet addiction, Dr Jain shared that diminished interest in activities you once enjoyed, feelings of distress or anxiousness when your could not use the Internet , secretive Internet usage and withdrawal from activities with family and friends were some such warning signs. If the child grade began dropping or if he or she complained of being tired all the time, the Internet could be the underlying cause.

To deal with internet addiction, Dr Jain gave the following tips:

• Ask yourself, “what am i missing out on when i spend so much time on the Internet?” Write down these activities and decrease your Internet time to pursue some of them.
• Set reasonable Internet use goals and stick to them. Take frequent breaks, at least 5 minutes each hour, and do some other activity.
• Alter your routine to break your usage patterns. If you spend evenings on the Internet, start limiting your use to mornings.
• Seek out friends and acquaintances who “couldn’t care less” about the Internet. Take time to appreciate the fact that all life is not yet online.
• Stay connected to the offline world. Visit newsstands, book and music stores, and participate in entertainment such as museums, music, and live theater. Novels and poetry readings are hard to experience online.
• Treat the Internet as a tool. Stay focused on the fact that the Internet is a means to an end. Plan your strategy—whether you’re looking for information or entertainment—with the end in mind and you’ll save valuable time.