Phone and internet addiction, which emerged with the advancement of technology, continues to increase day by day. This condition, which is present in many people, regardless of young, old or child, also brings serious diseases. Psychiatrist Dr. Mehmet Çevik predicts that internet addiction will be one of the serious diseases in the next 10 years.
Psychiatry Specialist. Dr. Mehmet Çevik gave information about internet addiction.
Specialist Dr. Çevik said, “According to TUİK’s 2023 research, the rate of individuals using the internet in Turkey is 87.1 percent. Contrary to popular belief, it has been observed that not only the adolescent and young population, but also the middle age group have very high levels of internet addiction. “In our world, where people are increasingly moving away from ‘organic’ connections and directing their relationships through ‘machines’, internet addiction is seen as one of the most serious diseases in the next 10 years,” he said.
‘FATAL RESULTS MAY BE ACHIEVED’
Specialist points out that it is now accepted that even the term internet addiction is inadequate in itself. Dr. Çevik said, “Subgroup addiction definitions such as game addiction, social network addiction and even ‘selfie’ addiction have begun to emerge. Even though they are seen as ‘adolescents’, they show hormonal growth, develop rapidly and can have fatal consequences. “After the selfie death in Muğla, the number of selfies taken in the region increased 10 times,” he said.
‘IF THE TIME ON THE INTERNET EXCEEDS 4-5 HOURS, THERAPY CAN BE TAKEN’
“When to start therapy?” Answering the question, Expert. Dr. Mehmet Çevik said, “If you start your day with the internet for whatever reason, if you stay on the internet for more than 4-5 hours a day, if the first thing that comes to your mind wherever you go is to upload photos and share them on social media, and if you sometimes disrupt your work, your spouse or your friends because of the internet, or if you “If you hear complaints about this issue, you may consider entering into a gradual therapy process,” he said. (UAV)