Rakuten Viber team, especially with psychiatrist and psychotherapist Alina Shumak 24 Channels He explained why internet addiction occurs and what can help overcome it.

In a recent survey by Rakuten Viber, Ukrainians answered how much time they spend online: yes, a third (27%) of Ukrainians surf the news feed every hour. Also, 39% of respondents spend 4-6 hours a day on their smartphones – that’s more than 24 hours a week.

Therefore, the problem of excessive use of the phone remains important and can lead to both physical and mental health problems: increased anxiety, unstable emotional state, visual impairment, etc.

So what can help overcome Internet addiction and why does it occur? Psychiatrist and psychotherapist Alina Shumak has singled out several causes of this complex phenomenon.

Why does internet addiction occur and how does it affect the psyche?

first reason The emergence of Internet addiction is unlimited access to a lot of information, entertainment content and social interaction on the network. Besides the obvious advantages of unlimited new and useful data space, there is a risk of spending an excessive amount of time online without control over the volume of content consumption.

The constant presence of these opportunities without internal organization skills, self-limitation in network use, can contribute to the emergence of dependence on the virtual environment,
– Comments by Alina Shumak.

second reason – the emotions of the use of social networks.

“The logic of some services and platforms is based on understanding the neurotransmitter systems of our brain, what can bring us pleasure and what discomfort. For example, getting likes, comments, or achieving goals in games can generate positive emotions and a desire to continue to devote time and attention to it. But the brain is an adaptive thing, at some point it stops responding to stimuli as brightly as it did in the beginning. Therefore, we usually look for a way to either increase the stimuli or increase the time.” – Gives grades to Alina Shumak.

It’s important to filter here that apps are a useful tool for communicating, getting news, and solving everyday tasks, but apps shouldn’t be the main “mood-enhancing resource.” If you feel dependent on your mood from the constant expectation of “likes”, consider: do they correspond to true confirmation of your actions, is this the only and most important guarantee of success in your life, does it change something in your daily life? , etc.

third reason is an escape.

The online environment can serve as a way to avoid negative emotions or situations. Feelings of boredom, loneliness, or stress can make turning to a smartphone a primary means of entertainment or an escape from uncomfortable situations.,
– Gives grades to Alina Shumak.

Other reason It is an extreme need for social interaction. Due to the war conditions and the pandemic before that, most of the communication went online.

“This need can lead to a desire to constantly check your smartphone and stay in touch with your social circle.” – Comments by Alina Shumak.

a special occasion constant monitoring of the news. Checking for the latest events almost hourly is becoming common practice in some places. First of all, it is emotional stimulation – the higher the advertisement, the more likely it is to attract the attention of the reader, but this does not always correspond to the resources of our soul. It also happens because of the desire to keep everything that happens with awareness under control.

“Knowledge gives the feeling that it can affect events or one’s own life. However, this dependence is disproportionate. Greater awareness does not always lead to greater opportunities to control one’s life – too much just starts to create endless anxiety.” – explains Alina Shumak.

What tips can help overcome this?

1. self-regulation. Set certain rules about how much time you can spend on your phone and stick to them. Use self-monitoring techniques such as timers or app usage limits.
2. Creating alternatives. Spending time on the phone all the time can be replaced with “offline alternatives” that you might like the most. “Develop a hobby, be physically active, meet friends or get creative – it will help reduce the need for a smartphone and enrich your life experience”– Adds Alina Shumak.
3. Access restrictions. Set limits on smartphone use during certain time periods, for example, during meals or before bed, and refuse to be online. Turn off unnecessary notifications and use “silent” mode so you don’t get distracted by messages.
4. Social support. If you think you need help, do not hesitate to reach out to relatives or friends. “Share your challenges and intentions to overcome addiction. A supportive social environment can be important to encourage you not to give up and to believe in the possibility of overcoming it.” – Comments by Alina Shumak.
5. Stress Management. More often than not, the use of a smartphone is associated with stress and the need for relaxation. Gaming and entertainment content on social networks can distract attention from negativity and shift attention to something calmer and more enjoyable. However, you should not limit yourself to this resource alone. “Invent and test new strategies to deal with stress, experiment to reduce stress levels, and improve overall health without the phone being involved”– Gives grades to Alina Shumak.

Tips from Viber

The Rakuten Viber team provides a short list of useful tips and features to help you control your network usage:

1. Pin to see the most important channels and conversations first in the list and not scroll the list “automatically”.

To pin a chat to the top of the chat list: Open Viber on your phone → tap Chats → tap and hold (Android) or swipe left on the chat you want to pin (iOS) → select Pin.

2. Turn off notifications from non-critical channels on weekends and outside of business hours.

How to turn off notifications for individual chats/groups: Open Viber and tap Chats → select the chat whose notifications you want to turn off → tap the info icon (Android) or the name of the chat (iOS) → go to the “Chat info and settings” menu → turn on the “Disable notifications in chat” mode.

3. Manage notifications in the Notifications section of the Settings menu.
4. If necessary, configure adding to groups from unknown users to limit.

How to activate: Go to the More menu (Android) or (iOS) → select “Settings” → go to “Privacy” → click “Control who can add you to groups” → click “My Contacts”.

5. Take care of security and privacy to reduce anxiety about personal data: All group and personal chats and calls on Viber are encrypted by default, so you do not need to protect them separately. In addition, you can hide the status “online” and “displayed”, so as not to worry about the interlocutor’s reaction to the fact that you read the message and did not immediately respond.

How to activate: Open Viber on your phone → go to the More menu (Android) or (iOS) → select the “Privacy” menu → select the “Browsed” and “Online” options: turn them off by unchecking the box.