3 ways to reduce internet addiction.

Have you ever checked the amount of time you spend on your phone?
Well, if you haven’t you should. Nowadays using a phone is something that we all consider normal and essential, but sometimes we don’t realize that it can be harmful for our personal health, and it could cause addiction. 50% of teens have admitted that they feel addicted to the internet, but this is not a problem that concerns only teens because even some adults can be addicted (Joyce).  Anyways, there are many efficient ways you can use to reduce your time on the internet, for example, creating distractions to postpone internet use, setting a timer as a reminder, so you are going to remember you used your phone too much, (how to avoid) and if your internet addiction is too strong ask for help from a specialist that can help you.

First of all, creating distractions to prevent or to cure your internet addiction, is one of the most fun ways to do it. A distraction could be going out with friends, reading a book, spending time with your family, or taking some time for yourself. These “distractions” could be even helpful to socialize more with people and to become more relaxed and friendly. At first, it could seem boring and you could be tempted to get your phone but, you have to resist and use it only when it’s necessary. After some time you are going to see that is a really fun and efficient way to reduce internet addiction.

Next, setting a timer to remind yourself to close your phone is a really easy and efficient way to reduce internet addiction. It Is medically recommended to use your phone under 2 hours a day (how much time).You can start by setting an alarm every 15 to 20 minutes to remind you to stop using your phone; later on you are going to see that you are just going to get bored to stop every time the alarm sounds, and so you are just going to stop using your phone for useless things.

                      

Finally, if you have a strong internet addiction, you can always try to use different methods to decrease this addiction. If the problem t doesn't stop or you can’t see any improvements you should go and ask help to a specialist that for sure is going to help you in many ways.
A specialist is going to change your view of life by making you experience many different things that are going to make you completely forget about your phone.




In conclusion, internet addiction is something that is not taken seriously by everyone, but like any other addiction is serious, and it should be reduced or prevented. 3 of the most efficient ways to do that are, creating some distractions, setting an alarm as a reminder and seeing a specialist.
After getting rid of your internet addiction you are going to see how beautiful and fun life is and you are going to enjoy it, by living every minute of it.


Works Cited

“How Much Time Should I Spend on Smartphone per Day?”www.quora.com Quora, web. 24 Mar 2020


“How to Avoid Internet Addiction.” www.wikihow.com. WikiHow. 21 Jan. 2020. web. 24 Mar 2020.

Joyce, Amy. “Teens Say They're Addicted to Technology. Here's How Parents Can Help.” www.washingtonpost.com. The Washington Post. WP Company. 3 May 2016.web. 24 Mar 2020

Internet Addiction and his problems in teens

Luca Antonino

Internet Addiction and his problems in teens

Many argue that the internet makes our lives easier but is that really the case? Yes, it helps our communication but it is also true that overuse can lead to addiction. When a person is an Internet addict it means that they need it to feel good.The Internet is useful, but very dangerous, which can affect teenage mental health,  leading to depression, anxiety and lack of sleep.

First of all, the Internet can affect teens by causing depression. Depression is a mental disorder which affects how you feel and think."Depression rates in children under the age of 12 years and young adults up to 25 years to grow" (Depression). The new social media users are experts in electronic communication which is less emotionally satisfying than normal communication.“The less you are connected with human beings in a deep, empathic way, the less you’re really getting the benefits of a social interaction”(Miller).

A second way in which the internet negatively affects mental health is that it causes anxiety. Anxiety is a natural response to your body's stress. It is a feeling of fear or fear about what is to come(Anxiety Disorders). Teens feel emotionally connected and devoted to their accounts and they constantly try to find the perfect picture so that they appear “cool”. Many people are concerned. Many teens, especially girls, are worried about people’s opinion. The really serious issue connected to this is cyberbullying, which is bullying on social media. This behaviour is more common in girls who are often slut-shamed. This is a major concern among teenagers because it can lead to serious issues and even to suicide.

Finally, a third problem caused by social media and the Internet, in general, is sleep deprivation. Almost all teens are on their devices so much that they do not get enough sleep(Mazzola). This is a very serious problem because it can lead to many more problems. In fact, this lack of sleep can cause bad behaviour and mood, as well as bad grades and depression(Anxiety). A lot of people are doing research on this issue. For example, a study from the Wales Institute of Social & Economic Research by surveying 900 teens, found out that one-fifth of the respondents wakes up in the night to check their phones. Finally, for example, rather than feeling fatigued and irritable, a lack of sleep reduces immunity and teens are more susceptible to illness.

In conclusion, internet addiction has become a serious problem. The Internet is very helpful and it makes our lives easier, but we should try to control consumption. It can cause serious problems like depression, anxiety and sleep deprivation. It may seem scary, but don't forget that you can always prevent or cure this problem - it's all up to you. You can do it!

Works Cited

“Anxiety Disorders.” Mayo Clinic, Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research, 4 May 2018, Web. 4 Mar. 2020.

“Depression.” National Institute of Mental Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services,  Web. 4 Mar. 2020.

Mazzola, Jessica. “Nighttime Texting Linked to Bad Grades, N.J. Study Finds.” Nj, 8 Oct. 2015, Web. 5 mar. 2020.

Miller, Caroline, and Child Mind Institute. “Does Social Media Cause Depression?” Child Mind Institute,  Web. 4 Mar. 2020.

IAD, the New Threat

Albert Einstein once said,“I fear that technology will surpass our human interaction. The world will have a generation of fools.” Among the greatest addictions that humans face nowadays, internet addiction is reaching the top ten among tobacco, gambling, and alcohol. What has become an indispensable need in everyone’s life, has also become the reason for the destruction of many others. Experts now recognize internet addiction, which has also been recorded as a serious diagnosable disorder by doctors, as a serious problem affecting in a wide range the behaviours of people of all ages. Internet Addiction Disorder (IAD) is highly present in today’s teenagers, affecting their ability to concentrate on one task, their academic lives, and most importantly their  socializing skills.

     When was the last time you have seen a teen doing something without holding a phone in his or her hands? The constant urge to be informed about the digital world or simply investing countless hours just by scrolling through Instagram, already clear signs of the presence of a form of an addiction, have influenced our brain’s capability to be able to concentrate on one single task. This constant multitasking hinders the brain from performing one single task with full concentration.This behavior mostly affects the activity of young people’s brains, influencing also their performances in doing their homework. In fact, countless teens have admitted to using social media or looking at a screen while doing their homework, without even recognizing the harm that they are inflicting on themselves. (Joyce)

     This brings us  to the second way how the internet is shaping teenager’s lives: their conduct in school. The perpetual sounds and buzzes of notifications that one receives is a main source of distraction. Based on some recent studies, one average teenager living in the United States receives and sends an average of 1500 texts per month. (Lenhart) Most teens, including myself, use their devices even during their bedtime, drastically influencing their productivity the following day at school. (Mazzola) Every teenager should reach a total of ten hours of sleep per day, though because of bedtime texting, those ten hours may become eight, then six, or even five. This brings  fatigue and continuous headaches the following days, hence affecting their scholastic lives.

     The last and most influential impact that this addiction has on these young people’s lives is their behaviours towards others. Almost every teen in America has access to a device, which could be a computer, game console, smartphone, or tablet. This obviously also facilitates their ways of reaching out to the vast world of the internet. (Mazzola) Instead of living in the present world, many teens find comfort and seek an escape in the virtual one. This is one of the main reasons that initiates the process of developing this type of addiction. Growing up with the presence of such devices has also impacted their lives. Conversations can be done nowadays while facing a screen, and whenever in need of information, all you need to do is type and click. This has brought  a greater form of isolation among teenagers and the world outside, together with the lack of knowledge of how to handle certain things, such as feelings, when found in a specific situation. Therefore, internet addiction has developed some behavioural aspects that will accompany that person for his or her entire life.

      As with every addiction, teens can recover from and control IAD. We should not see the internet as a frightening thing, because it is one of the greatest advances in human history. However, what one should learn is how to manage it properly and in a smart way in order to fully enjoy this technology.

 Works Cited

• Joyce, Amy. “Teens Say They’re Addicted to Technology. Here’s How Parents Can Help.” washingtonpost.com. The Washington Post. 3 May 2016. Web. 18 Feb 2020. 

• Lenhart, Amanda. “Teens, Social Media & Technology Overview 2015”. Pewresearch.org. Pew Research Center. 9 Apr 2015. Web. 18 Feb 2020. 

• Mazzola, Jessica. “Nighttime Texting Linked to Bad Grades, N.J. Study Finds”. nj.com. Advance Local Media LLC. 17 Jan 2019. Web. 18 Feb 2020. 

People Are Addicted To The Internet. It Has To End.

Take a look at your messaging app, and when did you send your last text? Midnight? 2 AM? Well, you are not alone. Today, most teens won’t go a day without their phones. Such addiction can affect teens’ daily life by decreasing their health, social skills, and academic performance.

First of all, internet addiction makes teenagers want to stay on the web more and more, whether it’s surfing on the internet, gaming, or texting. This can result in poor health due to staying up too late. Late-night browsing, texting, or gaming can lead to bad health effects such as insomnia. How can staying on the internet late at night cause insomnia? Glad you asked, and according to many studies from NJ, the blue light emitted by the screens on many technological devices can slow down the production of a chemical called melatonin. This chemical gets produced to stimulate sleep. (Mazzola)
Secondly, internet addiction can decrease social skills. Internet addiction can lead teenagers to be more prone to staying home and staying on their phones, whether it is social media or gaming. Staying home for an extended period can also make them lose touch of how to communicate with people properly. In today’s society, we all know that communication is the most important skill a person could ever have, and if the teens lack this kind of important skill, then they will probably have trouble in their future careers. (Young)
Lastly, internet addiction leads to poor academic performance. According to NJ, 61% of the teenagers that they studied said that they felt like the usage of the internet was impacting their academic performance. In their research, they also found out that the average American teen received and sent around 1500 texts per month. This would mean that all that time of sending and waiting to receive a text is wasted instead of using it on studying for school. Staying up late on the internet also impacted their level of awareness and of course, it also impacted their academic performance. (Mazzola)
In conclusion, I feel like everyone should start doing something about internet addiction. This not only affects teenagers, but the same thing goes for adults and even children. Everyone is a victim of internet addiction.  We should all work together to put this to an end. Whether you are a parent or a teenager, try to come to a compromise with each other and give a screen time limit. If we work together to change these habits, we can all have more time to spend together and deepen our relationships.



Works Cited

Mazzola, Jessica.“Night Time Texting Linked To Bad Grades”. nj.com. NJ Advance Media. 8 Oct, 2015. Web.29 Feb, 2020.

Young, Kimberly. “What You Need To Know About Internet Addiction”. youtube.com. TEDx Talks. 5 Jan, 2015. Web. 29 Feb, 2020.

      3 ways that using the phone during night time affects a teens life  

Do you ever ask yourself if spending time on the internet at night might not be good? Well, if you spend more than 5 hours at night only on the phone, it might affect you in different ways: mental health, addiction,  eyesight, these 3 ways could affect by:

Using the internet too often at night can affect your mental health because it can cause not taking track of the time at night,  so it can lead to being on the phone all night and not even noticing and this can lead to really bad headaches that can lead to mental issues such as head tumors that can cause serious damages to health.  And those who overuse their phones are more likely to get depression or anxiety. And using the phone too much can also interfere with other activities and disrupt social activities.

Using the phone at night but not only at night can cause internet addiction. As I said in the previous paragraph, the internet can make you lose track of time and the aspects of real life, and it could let you spend more than hours on the phone and you might not even notice you spend much time on it. And this can lead to losing track of time and not noticing you spend that much time on the phone. Addiction can lead to using and picking up the phone every two seconds of your day. And too much time on the phone could lead to lack of sleep and this brings to tiredness and that can lead to not going good at school and not concentrating on the things you do daily. These aspects can also bring to depression, tiredness and it might make you like a new person in a negative way.

One major part of using your phone at night is your, eyesight mostly at night it can cause tiredness eye bags and also using too much the phone or getting too close mostly at night can cause major eye problems and can bring to the use of glasses and major eyesight problems and the eyes can get tired. People say that putting night vision on the phone helps the eyesight better but I don't think it makes such a difference, and it might be a bit better but doesn’t make a big change. the light transmitted from the screen of computers, phones, etc… can cause major problems with all of the things I said in the passage. 

All of these 3 causes affect daily life and real aspects of life by causing major problems. Nighttime phone use affects more than daily usage and it can cause more serious problems. Mental health, addiction, and eyesight are very important aspects of daily life and they are not things to joke about. How I said in my draft the phone at night should be limited for our health and for ourselves I have seen that some kids 10 years or younger are not being controlled by parents at night and I think that parents should limit their phone usage. I think if people control their nightly phone habits they will feel much better and will not have any problems with mental health, addiction, or eyesight. 

Smith Melinda. “Smartphone Addiction” helpguide.org HelpGuide. 4 Oct2019. Web.28 Feb 2020

Sparks, Hannah. “Your Phone is blinding you” nypost.com. New York Post.13 Aug 2018 web. 28 Feb 2020 

Rosenfeld, Jordan. “Is Your Mobile Phone Use Bad for Your Mental Health?” mentalfloss.com. mental floss. 13 June 2017 web. 28 Feb 2020 

     Bollinger Eliana 

3 ways that using the phone during night time affects a teen’s life

Do you ever ask yourself how long you use the phone? And do you ever ask yourself if spending a lot of time with the phone may have side effects? Most teenegers usually use the phone and they even know that: they spend a lot of time on social networks like Instagram, Facebook, Whatsapp...texting with friends but also with strangers. A lot of studies say that if the phone is used too much during night time, then it can damage your eyes, it can interfere with your sleep, and it can increase your risk of cancer.

The first effect of using your phone too much is damage to your eyes because the night time exposure to the same light of the sun, which is emitted at high levels by LED screens, may be damaging the vision. Studies show that blue light can damage the retinas and after this may cause the loss of central vision. (Nandi)

Another consequence is that using the internet interferes with our sleep because blue light disrupts the production of melatonin in the body. The melatonin regulates our biological clock to keep a good sleep ritme.  If it is disturbed we would be exposed to insomnia. The sleep missing can lead to a variety of health problems including heart disease, weight gain, depression, and anxiety. (Nandi)

Finally, it can increase the risk of cancer because when melatonin levels are suppressed, the risk for cancer increases because melatonin helps the body to fight against cancer. (Nandi)

In conclusion it is better to avoid frequent phone use, especially at night. We have to shut our phone down at night, and check our phone only when you really need to. In this way we can have a more peaceful life. (Nandi)  

Partha Nandi

Nandi Partha. “3 Serious Reasons To Stop Using Your Smartphone At Night” nutribullet.com. 11 Oct, 2017. Web. 1 March. 2020.

Partha Nandi

Partha Nandi

   

                                                                                              Lucrezia Mazio

INTERNET ADDICTION AND HOW CAN WE HELP

Have you ever thought about how many people are addicted to their phones? All the hours they pass on their devices? If you have not you might be an internet addict... 

Internet addiction is a serious problem that's currently going around the world. This problem is mainly affecting teens. The problem of internet addicts is that they may not notice they are addicted to the internet, and maybe you that are reading this are one of them. To find out, get on your phone and click on one of your options that says “time using my phone”. As a result, you will see the time you currently use your phone per day and if you are above the average user. Instead due to many experts there are several ways that parents can help their teens to stop this addiction, and today I’m going to tell you three.

First of all, we are going to try with the most common sense thing we can do. Talk with him try to explain to them the effects of being an internet addict and making them see reason for it. You can also try to make them do exercise, for example, make them join a soccer team, so instead of using his phone all the time he can play other sports and use it only in his free time. And you may also want to spend time with your kids and show them that you don’t need the phone to have a great time, because believe it or not children are influenced by their parents actions. (Joyce)

The next thing parents can do to help is stopping nighttime texting. These actions are usually linked to bad grades. About 55.3 percent of participants reported texting and using the digital platforms for at least an hour a night before bed, with more than 20 percent reporting three hours or more of use per night. Among the respondents, 61 percent said they felt the usage impacted their schoolwork, and 65.7 percent said it impacted sleep, the study said. (Mazzola) Knowing about these facts we can put a limit of time on their use of phone. For example, from six to eight you can use your phone, and to make sure this happens we can also format the wifi so at 10 pm there is no more internet. 

Finally, we need to separate them from all the social media, since they are the most frequent apps used by the teens. 92% of teens report going online daily including 24% who say they go online “almost constantly,”  according to a new study from Pew Research Center. More than half (56%) of teens defined in this report as those ages 13 to 17. (Lenhart) To do so you can talk with him about it, instead l advise you to get an expert for your kids, because they know how to deal with them in a way where they feel comfortable, maybe by taking their devices or making them do something else, like a hobby. 

In conclusion, technology is one of the most beautiful things that happened on earth, and it has helped us in practically everything. Instead, we have to be self-conscious of the time we use our phone, and always try to prevent being an addict to it, so we can enjoy technology and internet in a safe and fun way.

Joyce, Amy. “Teens Say They’re Addicted to Technology. Here’s how parents can help.”.

Washingtonpost.com. Washingtonpost. 3 May 2016. Web. 15 Mar 2020.

Lenhart, Amanda. “Teens, Social Media & Technology Overview 2015”.

Pewresearch.com. Pew research center. 9 Apr 2015. Web. 15 Mar 2020. 

Mazzola, Jessica. “Nighttime Texting Linked to Bad Grades, N.J. Study Finds”.

Nj.com. Nk advance media. 8 Oct 2015. Web. 15 Mar 2020.

Lucía Márquez González.    

INTERNET ADDICTION

Are people going to have mental or physical problems because of internet addiction?.In this blog i will talk about the Internet addiction: the Internet addiction can cause serious mental and physical problems. Many of these are linked to the use of phones late at night, or to the use of headphones, the use of socials medias... At least half of the population is internet addicted, many people think that only teens are suffering of this addiction but in reality the most of the adults are also internet addicted. This addiction is not as dangerous as others like drugs or alcohol, but it also creates health problems. 


One of the bad things of this addiction is that as other addictions it creates health problem for example, the use of glasses in young people is increasing each year and is predicted that half of the planet will need glasses by 2050 because of screens ( McGoogan), many of them because of the use of phones at night in the dark. Another example is that each year more people are having ear problems like ear infections or they are losing the ability to listen because of using headphones or to listen to loud  music. (Young) Internet addiction can also cause mental problems one of these problems can be like the people that are addicted to smoking and need to smoke in a certain time or each certain period of time, some people need to check their social medias all the time also a lot of people start to think only about their phone and they start to isolate of the world and they create their own one (Young).There are a lot of health problems caused by this addiction, if you do something all the time at the end is going to affect your physical and maybe your mental health, depending of the addiction.



 Many people think and say that only young people, teenagers or little kids are internet addicted, but in reality also adults are addicted, many of them are all the time checking their emails or checking their phones to work or for other things. This addiction is becoming serious, a lot of toddlers are learning how to use a phone and how search in it even before of learning how to read or how to speak, so also babies are becoming addicted since they are born (Young).

This addiction is not good for us, but luckily if we all work for it can change this using some of the advices that I already said or using another ones that you can easily search in google. This is a war that for sure we can win successfully to help our health.


Young Kimberly. “What You Need to know About Internet addiction” TED.com.TED.web. 22 Mar 2020.                                  

 McGoogan Cara. “Half the Planet will need Glasses by 2050 because of Screens” telegraph.com. 22 Feb2016 .The telegraph.web. 22 Mar 2020

Ways to reduce internet addiction 

Take your phone. Check on your settings and your screen time. How many hours have you spent using your phone today? Do you think that is too much? Probably you were not aware about your screen time, but you should start thinking about it because it could have serious effects on your daily life. Internet addiction is a growing problem especially among teenagers and young adults. But you do not have to panic. By reading this blog we can take back our lives and reduce internet time by setting boundaries, minimizing distractions and asking help from experts if necessary. (Lenhart)

First of all, technology is not our enemy but we must set boundaries in the usage of our devices. These boundaries are not only limits of time but also of space. We should not bring our phone at meals, during family time, while driving and before going to sleep. We can use our devices in moderate ways by setting time limits and respecting them. By applying this method we will have more time to spend with the people around us, be more focused on our work, and prevent accidents caused by the use of the phone. (Joyce). Furthermore, we will relax and enjoy the time without our phone. 

The next way to limit phone use is to minimize distractions and focusing only on one task are good ways to avoid the use of the device. If we have to complete important tasks like studying or driving and household chores, leave the device in another room or turn it off. This could increase the level of concentration. The effort we put in doing something without the help of an electronic device is also a good training for our brain. For students, the school performance will be better and it will take less time to finish homework. Adults must be a good example for their kids and should not be distracted by their phones while working or at home. (Mazzola)


The last way to help an Internet addict is to seek a specialist in this field. If we notice there are negative effects on our personal life like stress or rage, mental health, relationship with others and bad school performance, we should consult a psychologist who can help us to handle this situation. Although we still know very little about the effects of Internet addiction, a specialist is a good tool to fix the problem if we can not resolve it by ourselves. We must not be scared by asking help from experts or being influenced by foolish prejudices about mental illness, because psychologists are an incredible help in the treatment of this addiction and many others. (Joyce)

In conclusion, there are several ways to reduce the amount of our screen time. This does not mean that using technology is a bad habit but we have to learn how to use it properly and to moderate our behavior in order not to damage our personal lives. Technology is a good tool to improve our knowledge and to simplify our daily life but it must not take control over yourself. These few easy tips could really be helpful to everyone to change their approach to technology.  

Works cited

Joyce, Amy. “Teens Say They’re Addicted To Technology. Here’s How Parents Can Help.” washingtonpost.com. Washington Post. 3 May 2016. Web. 20 Feb 2020.

 Lenhart, Amanda. “Teens, Social Media & Technology Overview 2015”. Pewresearch.com. Pewresearch. 9 Apr 2015. Web. 20 Feb 2020.

 Mazzola, Jessica. “Nighttime Texting Linked To Bad Grades, N.J. Study Finds”. Nj.com. Nj. Oct 08 2015. Web. 20 Feb 2020.

1O GRADE INTERNET ADDICTION BLOG 2020 

                              3 ways internet affect a teenager                                                   

Night time texting for teens has become a way of life. A distraction,a habit or is it just an addiction ?

Texting in the evening can have various effects on teens such as anxiety , poor vision and insomnia.

  

One important factor in texting is the damage that it can cause to your eyesight especially in the evening , the light from the screen and the surrounded darkness can strain your eyesight significantly resulting in blurred vision and strong headaches.Dr ajith Karunarathne published a study in july by the researches of Toledo UT in Ohio , USA found that blue light from digital devices could cause disease such as loss of central vision and night blindness. Dr Karunarathne says that humans are continually exposed to blue light because the eye cornea and leans cannot block or reflect it. 

Another factor is that concerning night time texting is insomnia and i speak from personal experience , sometime you start texting and before you know it hours have passed. Or , you try to fall asleep and a text arrives and of course you pick up your device to see who it is and then you find yourself texting again not only this but also the light from the screen keeps you awake.Blue light at night has a bigger impact on kids than adults. According to a 2014 National Sleep Foundation (NSF) poll, three out of four kids between the ages of six and 17 have at least one electronic device in the bedroom. Pre-teens who leave their phones or iPads on all night get about an hour less sleep on school nights than other kids and, according to the parents polled, don’t sleep as well as they should. The poll also showed that teenagers who leave their phones or other devices on all night in the bedroom average a half an hour’s less sleep than teens who turn their phones off. In adolescents, melatonin suppression occurs as a result of one-tenth of the exposure to blue light required to suppress it in adults. 

The most concerning effect I think that texting  in the evening can have is anxiety.
My reasons for this observation is that it may not be texting between friends or other
people which can be distracting but at the same time fun you may receive menacing
texts from numbers unknown or be part of a group in which there is some form of bullying .
And this can cause distress and even a certain type of anxiety.

 In conclusion night time texting is taking time from other activities such as to go have a walk
with some friends or many others things as all forms of electronical technology
that we teens have at ourdisposal,we should have the maturity
and the good sense to not exaggerate and make it a fun pastime
for an hour a day or use it when need for important correspondence this device should not be an
addiction because it is really bad for our mental and physical well-being. On a positive note mobile
phones keep us contact with our friends and family at a distance ,for example skype and facetime .
Moreover it is a device that helps us in every aspect of our lives,
having any kind of information you need in your pocket thanks to internet.

Works cited:

 Toh ting wei. "Blue light from mobile phones and computers can cause irreversible damage to eyes: Scientific Reports study". Straitstimes.com. Published  August 11 ,2018.

Andrew weil ."Do smart phones cause insomnia ?". Drweil.com. Published March 20,2015

Internet Addiction

Internet addiction is a global problem that is getting worse and worse as technology is advancing. As  Albert Einstein said, “I fear that technology will be more popular than human interaction”. Internet Addiction might seem like something not so important but it is a serious problem. 

The first way people could be affected by internet addiction is that  many people with IAD,(internet addiction disorder), have problems with organizing their daily tasks because they are addicted to using their devices. For example, have you ever seen the new generation,(kids between the ages of 1-20+), without some type of device in their hands? I can tell you this also from first hand experience that “us teens” spend too much time on our devices, whether it is on social media or on simple games. This is a negative influence on our daily life especially because we lose social time just to use our devices, 50% of teens have actually admitted to being addicted(Joyce). This is also because since we are enjoying the use of the internet, we tend to spend much more time on them than what we are supposed/intend to.

 Another problem is that with the advancement of technology more and more apps are being created. However some of these apps aren’t just fun but they start to cost money,(and trust me some aren't exactly cheap). This has also ended up separating certain apps based on the financial state of the user. For example Snapchat has been found to be used more by wealthier teens(Lenhart). An example would be some of the new generation of apps which actually allow you to create a “second” life(Young). This is a problem especially with people that aren’t content with their current state of being, this leads them to create their dream life on these apps which eventually leads them to spend hundreds of dollars on these virtual games. This is also a way of “hiding” from everything because you can just lock yourself in a room with absolutely no one in it and just scroll through your instagram or play a game to free your mind.

The last thing I want to mention about IAD is that every electronic device has a way of communicating with other people no matter the distance between the devices. This is controversial because we are talking about the fact that technology is making us interact less, while at the same time, also making it possible for you to communicate through these devices. So, isn’t it the same thing you might be asking? Well it is not. Studies have shown that spending too much time with these devices is harmful for your body, and also that if you text during the late night, your grades are probably worse than what you are capable of achieving(Mazzola). In fact if you spend more time that you are supposed to on these devices, you can start to suffer from major headaches, pain to the eyes, or also permanent damage to your eyesight.

 In conclusion, IAD is a serious problem. Don't underestimate it! So please if you want to talk to someone, make sure you socialize in real life, and not in your virtual one. Especially because this will show endless positive results in your daily life.

Works Cited

• Joyce, Anny. “Teens Say They’re Addicted to Technology. Here’s How Parents Can Help”. washingtonposts.com. The Washington Post. 3 May 2016.web.18 Mar 2020
• Lenhart,Amanda. “Teens, Social Media & Technology Overview 2015”. Pewresearch.org. Pew Research Center. 9 Apr 2015. Web. 18 Mar 2020.
• Mazzola,Jessica. “Nighttime Texting Linked to Bad Grades,N.J. Study Finds” nj.com. Advance Local Media LLC. 17 Jan 2019. 18 Mar 2020