Internet addiction is not currently an officially recognized mental disorder, but it affects a person’s mental state, behavior and quality of life. The phenomenon of phubbing is increasingly observed among young people – constant distraction on the smartphone during personal communication with people.

This situation causes distraction, disruption of communication with the environment, and a feeling of discomfort.

A new study on the impact of the internet

Experts from the University of Derby in Great Britain, Taylors University and Sunway University in Malaysia, as well as Monash University in Australia, conducted a meta-analysis of 52 previous studies and confirmed that long time spent in front of a screen negatively affects a person’s social development. communication.

The results show that long-term daily use of the Internet contributes to daytime sleepiness and causes symptoms of depression in teens.

The negative impact of the internet on children

At the time of the study, they studied data on adolescents ages 10 to 19. This age was chosen because young people at this stage of physical and psychological development are more prone to internet addiction. The analysis showed that the Internet took up a large part of the subjects’ lives, replacing other useful activities such as social communication and physical activity. Therefore, daytime sleepiness occurs and symptoms of depression become severe.

Researchers have concluded about the importance of life outside the online environment. They recommend promoting sleep hygiene, which includes not joking before bed, participating in active activities after school, and helping build personal relationships.

They also think that it is important to switch to conscious internet use, limit the time spent on the internet, and take breaks for work or study and rest.