A teenager is a person between the ages of 13 to 19 years. This is the most challenging time of growth where they face actual problems. Teenagers are exposed to overwhelming pressure both internally and externally. Despite the biological processes in their bodies, teenagers are expected to cope with life, puberty and hormonal changes, social and family forces, school, work, and parental expectations. Due to the mixture of external and internal stressors, teenagers may feel overwhelmed and engage in defective behavior. However, these contemporary issues can be dealt with and be fixed if parents, guardians, and the community understood the teenagers well and collaborate in finding solutions. One of the issues is internet addiction. This paper addresses internet addiction and how it is affecting teenagers in the present world.
Teenagers and Internet Addiction
Teenagers are facing a huge problem regarding the internet and browsing. They spend more time in isolation on the internet than they use for socializing, enjoying their hobbies and meeting their friends. Some teenagers are addicted to the internet to the extent that they have depression or anxiety when taken away from it. They feel agitated when they have not visited social media sites and favorite platforms like Facebook, snap chat, and Instagram (Shin, 2017). The addiction is realized when the teenager frequently checks the internet first thing in the morning, every 2 hours, as well as making it the last thing before going to bed. Some may overlook other basic hygiene principles like grooming and showering just to be online.
The brain works by sending signals and chemical messengers. Therefore, the neurochemicals released during internet addiction are similar to those released during a behavior addiction or substance use. Further, teenage issues are interrelated as one problem may lead to another. Internet addiction may lead to depression, alcohol and substance abuse, and theft.
Consequences of Internet Addiction
The internet has several benefits to society in the present generation. However, when it is used inappropriately, it has detrimental effects on the youths. The most common effect experienced is emotional instability and low-self-esteem. The issues may lead to depression and anxiety. When a teenager is overwhelmed, they may contemplate suicide. Additionally, internet addiction may force the youths into a world of fantasy (De Abreu, 2017). This means the teenager creates a different version of themselves concerning the influence of medial and online personalities. These effects are detrimental to the teenager in various ways.
External Stressors Associated with Internet Addiction
Internet addiction occurs over time. The behavior change is dependent on the external stressors that the teenager is experiencing. A major stressor is parental expectations and pressure to succeed and get good grades at school. Some are expected to keep and maintain a good image among their peers while others are expected to keep their school projects, sports and other activities running.
The internet acts as a place where teenagers ventilate their feelings, express their thoughts, feel numb and make a social connection away from real people. Teenagers should be guided properly to cope with these stressors. Some are overwhelmed and lack the mental and psychological capacity to overcome the stressor. Peer pressure has also affected millions of teenagers. They want to fit in and be like their peers. In the process of copying and trying to be like other internet gurus, the affected teenager develops an addiction.
Assessing Internet Addiction
People manifest differently to different stressors. Similarly, people cope differently. The following criteria must be observed to determine the presence of an addiction to the internet. First and foremost, an overwhelming preoccupation and spending more time on the internet to be satisfied, being online longer than required, and having emotional changes. The teenager can also exhibit signs of using the internet as an escape and constant lies to others about the use of the internet (Lam, 2017).
Parents and guardians should be very keen to observe signs of anxiety and frustration when the youth is away from the phone or the internet. Sometimes abandoning their friends and hobbies and dwindling school performance. Parents can identify the risks early for appropriate support and treatment
Support Options and Treatment
There are enormous support and treatment for the affected adolescents. Options include management of depression, cognitive behavior therapy (CBT), and counseling. Others that are useful include monitoring activity and behavior, setting daily goals, and monitoring their outcome. For instance, setting an alarm
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