Top Ten Consequences of Internet Addiction
The internet is known for its easy accessibility to limitless information from new to old. It is a way to connect with other people globally and share media over social platforms. However, it is known that the internet can also cause negative effects in people, specifically bad habits. Since social media is a major part of our lives, the problems caused thanks to the internet has been recognizable. Take this list as a reminder to limit yourself from the consequences caused by internet addiction.
If you find yourself scrolling through the internet in bed and finding yourself complaining that you cannot sleep, try putting off the smartphone out from your bedroom - you are less likely to grab your smartphone scrolling through your feed the first time you wake up. It has been proven that the blue light coming from electronic screens disrupts melatonin production at night, which is the cause of all your sleep problems.
Sometimes when I am addicted to the internet, I often struggle to get to sleep and sometimes go on the internet at nighttime which is a habit I need to control since I usually get tired during the process.
Sure, having social interactions on public chat groups is a good substitute, but preferring this as an only outlet for social interactions isn't enough to sustain a good social life. Having conversations in real life is always a better thing even when it's just a chit chat between friends and family. Sadly for people, it's hard to balance real social interaction and online social interaction considering we are in a pandemic background.
Even when I didn't have access to the internet, I still had trouble interacting with a lot of other kids in real life at school. Probably because I am rather shy and socially awkward in real life.
This happens when you prioritize the internet, and especially social media over everything else. But it is a subtle bad habit since people can be hooked into online games, and social media, and especially porn without really realizing it. A loss of responsibility can cause relationship and financial issues, depending on the problem. If you constantly tend to dismiss important tasks by saying "I have no time to do this or that" and mindlessly scroll through the internet, then it's a good calling to cut yourself time from browsing the internet.
Having stress included in the list is no surprising considering most bad habits are a big cause for this. If you tend to get stressed due to constantly not being informed whether it's the news or social media in general, maybe it's the best time to cool off for a little. Talking news-wise, it seems good at first to be informed from time to time, but our brains have no need to be overstimulated by constantly informing ourselves with the current events ongoing. Take the time to enjoy yourself a little, and not the things you cannot control.
This is an obvious consequence that you should look out for. You are more prone to having a sedentary lifestyle which therefore not only causes stress, but you are more prone to weight gain. Although there are many factors that affect weight, if you find yourself gaining a few pounds after weeks of lack of exercise, it's a good calling that you should re-consider being more active.
Yeah you can't do it too much. I hurt my arm last week, so I'm taking a week off, but after that I'm gonna try to get back to working out more.
I guarantee that this is one of the most subtle problems you can discover reading from this list. It has been known that the internet changes the way how we use our brains. You ever get the feeling of knowing somebody's name and forgetting it a moment later? That can be the cause of how we use the internet - we find ourselves skimming through information without actually understanding what's presented in the text. Fortunately, this problem can be reverted by limiting the use of the internet and replacing bad habits with more meaningful ones (such as meditation).
Especially since the internet is a vastly huge place for easily accessing almost unlimited information, some people get too hungry from processing information to the point that their brain is overstimulated. Constant notifications, and other unnecessary news can feed the mind with worry and overstimulation.
Yes. I feel like my brain is exploding.
Considering most people fall for this addiction, it's no surprise that being hooked over the internet can cause bad browsing habits. Porn is the most common addiction you will develop over the months or years of spending most of your time in the internet, thus making you more dependent the media you consume. Or if you are into money, gambling could be also a potential risk, thus leaving you financially unstable.
This includes compulsive gaming, and unnecessary scrolling over scrolling social media to entertain one's self to the point it affects their quality of life, although this more applies to people that have extreme cases of internet addiction. For those who are trying to self improve, this is pretty unfortunate if you are willing to cut your time off from the internet due to the dependency you grew over the years of spending on the internet. One day you are having a weekly streak of spending less on the internet, but your mind tells you to hop back to your previous routine.
This especially shows if you have been on the internet in a long while. You might find the things you previously find enjoyable not as enjoyable anymore, and this could lead you to scrolling longer in order to entertain yourself; hours to no end. This problem can also apply to other known bad habits such as smoking problem - overtime as this addiction doesn't get fixed, you crave more cigarettes to fully satisfy yourself - the same applies to internet addiction.
