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An increasing number
of young people are so obsessed with using smartphones and computers that their
health and schoolwork are being undermined. Prompt measures should be taken at
school and home to deal with this problem.
According to a recent
survey by a Health, Labour and Welfare Ministry research team, about 520,000
middle and high school students are addicted to the Internet, particularly for
online gaming and e-mailing.
The survey shows that
9 per cent of middle school students and 14 per cent of high school students
access the Internet more than five hours each weekday.
What should not be
overlooked in the survey is that a significant percentage of students are
believed to be so obsessed with going online that they cannot restrain
themselves from accessing the Internet, as is evident from the irritation they
express if they have to stop using it. The figure for middle school students
stands at 6 per cent, and high school students at 9 percent.
About 60 per cent of
those surveyed suffer from sleep disorders. Their days and nights tend to be
reversed as a result of their absorption in the Internet late at night. In some
cases, they skip school and confine themselves to their rooms.
The addiction of
young people to the Internet during their growth period is ruining their minds
and bodies. The situation is extremely serious.
Some young Internet
addicts have nutritional disorders due to irregular eating habits. They also
show symptoms of deep vein thrombosis, the formation of a blood clot due to
long hours of retaining the same seated posture, a condition normally
associated with economy-class passengers on airplanes. The deeper the addiction
to the Internet, the greater likelihood they will feel depressed.
Specialised treatment sparse
Medical attention is
needed for people who are seriously addicted to the Internet. Keeping a daily
record of the number of hours spent using the Internet could make young addicts
more aware of their problem. At some hospitals, doctors and clinical
psychologists provide counselling.
However, only a few
medical institutions have departments capable of providing such people with
specialised treatment. It is necessary to nurture specialists with sufficient
expertise to cure people hooked on the Internet and create centres to provide
consultation services for addicts.
Internet users may feel
tempted to gain recognition from or link themselves to others. One example is
an online combat game that can be played by a certain number of people. The
longer the gamers play, the more skillful they become. In many cases, young
people play online games for an inordinate amount of time, hoping to earn
praise from other players and experience a feeling of achievement and
exaltation. They may find it extremely difficult to give up playing online
games.
Another example is
absorption in Line, an instant messaging system. Some users are unable to take
their eyes off their smartphone and computer screens during their use of Line’s
chat function, fearing they may be shunned by fellow Line users unless they
immediately respond to their messages.
In this day and age,
the Internet is an indispensable means of communication for work and daily
life. Smartphones are spreading rapidly. There is a strong possibility the
number of Internet addicts will increase.
In receiving
computer-assisted lessons at school, students should not only be taught how to
use electronic devices. They also should be encouraged to realise the danger of
Internet addition while learning how to appropriately use smartphones.
In buying their
children smartphones, parents should lay down rules on how many hours- and for
what purpose - they should be allowed to use them each day. ●
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