Awareness & Prevention of Internet Addiction During COVID-19 Lockdown

Awareness & Prevention of Internet Addiction During COVID-19 Lockdown: The internet is a very good medium of communication & it has a lot of spiritual, emotional, academic, and financial benefits but we must be mindful of the dangers of being addicted to it, particularly during this Lockdown period when every internet user is staying at home.

Internet addiction is simply defined as excessive usage of the internet that interferes with daily life.

Awareness & Prevention of Internet Addiction During COVID-19 Lockdown.

In this COVID-19 Lockdown period, many internet users are worried about the amount of time they spend on screen as they are getting more addicted to their mobile phones while staying at home.

The internet can actually be addictive if the user does not have a proper orientation about the dangers & lasting solutions to internet addiction.

As the advancement of technology is changing the world, there is no doubt that the internet is changing us in one way or the other. Unconscious usage of the internet is on a very large scale these days & most users are not bordered about the side effects e.g. spiritual, emotional, social, academic, financial implications, etc.

• Are you controlling the internet or the internet is controlling you?
• Are you on the internet or the internet is on you?
• How can you know if you are addicted to the internet?

Your answers to these questions will confirm if you are addicted to it or not during this Lockdown period.

1. What is the first thing you do when you wake up every day?
2. How many hours do you spend online every day?
   • What are the things you do online?
   • Are you getting some benefits from your online activities?
   • Can you share what you do online with others & they will also benefit from it?
3. How many social media accounts do you have?
4. How do you feel when you can’t go online for just one hour?

The first step in overcoming internet addiction during this Lockdown period is to be aware that the problem exists.

Tips to Overcome Internet Addiction During Coronavirus Curfew.

Here are some tips for overcoming internet addiction during this Lockdown period:

1. Reduce the amount of time you spend on the internet.
2. Delete applications that you don’t really need.
3. Reduce the number of your social media accounts.
4. Reduce the number of your social media friends.
5. Switch off your phone at a particular time in the night before you go to bed.

If all your efforts to overcome internet addiction proved abortive, contact a counselor for help.

– Contributed by Rotimi Onadipe.