Governments have to anticipate continuing waves of mental health issues related to Internet and respond accordingly
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In this day and age, it is extremely difficult for urban dwellers to picture a life without the Internet. The first thing people do these days when they go to coffee shops or restaurants is to ask for a WIFI password. If the Internet connection is slow or gets interrupted, they get awfully irritated. It is true houses, cars, watches, washing machines, coffee makers, toothbrushes, shoes, and even clothes will be connected to the Internet in the future. Whether that's good or not entirely depends on the government's ability to deal with the harms that come with the Internet.
Our love for the Internet started in the 1990s and in less than 25 years, nation states have become increasingly concerned about citizens who have started to develop an impulse control problem—Internet Addiction Disorder (IAD). It is a condition where people are not able to stop using the medium even though the problem is seriously affecting their health, work, family, and interpersonal relationships. And this public health issue is seemingly threatening human society as a whole.Even though many psychologists still do not consider IAD to be a true medical condition, it is more common than we think. A study conducted by the University of Hong Kong (HKU) shows that a close to six percent of the world population suffers from IAD. In China alone, 24 million people suffer from the problem that is seemingly getting worse. Earlier this year, a Chinese teenager cut off his left hand in an attempt to cure his addiction. India and South Korea are also facing similar challenges. In South Korea, it is estimated that one in 10 children between the ages of 10 and 19 are addicted to the Internet. Analysts say more than 50 percent of the urban teens in India suffer from addictions out of which majority are addicted to the Internet.
The fact of the matter is that broadband connectivity is going to see exponential growth in the days to come as governments around the world race to create favorable environments for faster speeds. Many countries, including China and India are investing heavily in broadband infrastructure. 'The National Broadband Policy 2015' unveiled earlier this year shows that Nepal too is set to jump on the bandwagon.
Without a doubt, the benefits of broadband Internet access are multifold. Still, governments have to anticipate continuing waves of mental health issues related to the Internet and respond effectively. When people think about addiction, they do not usually picture themselves to be the sufferer. Many people are super confident that they can live their life normally without the Internet. However, the researchers at HKU would like to think otherwise. The findings of their study show that "61 percent of people say that they will not be able to quit using the internet."
Many citizen-centric governments have already taken measures to prevent the 61 percent of the populace from converting to the category of six percent. However, they still face difficulties. For instance, in case of drug addiction, authorities are able to detain illegal drug dealers and users if found guilty. But, with the Internet, it is not possible to make any arrests, because using the Internet is perfectly legal everywhere in the world.
Shutting down the Internet is not going to be an option, because that would interrupt much of the modern economy. So the only way nation-states can respond to this mental health crisis in a civilized manner is by rehabilitating the subjects. For instance, the Chinese government has already started many military style boot camps to treat the country's 24 million Internet addicts. The Japanese too have started Internet "fasting camps" as thousands of teenagers started to abandon the real world for the virtual one. Similarly, many de-addiction centers are mushrooming in Indian cities.
Compared to China, India, Japan, and other developed countries, Taiwanese and South Korean lawmakers seem to be taking the issue seriously. They recently approved legislative changes that allow authorities to fine parents if they permit their children to spend excessive amount of time on the Internet. Furthermore, children under the age of two are now banned from using tablets, televisions, and smart phones and if the ban is violated, a fine of US $1000 will be slapped. In South Korea, online gaming accounts for 90 percent of addiction. As a result, the government in 2011 enacted "Shutdown Law" to prevent kids under 16 from opening online games between midnight and six in the morning.
Psychologists believe that the individuals who are stressed, depressed, and lonely, are prone to Internet addiction, because they usually turn to the Internet for emotional support. Likewise, individuals with other types of addictions like alcohol, drugs, sex, and gambling are more likely get addicted to the Internet. It is hard for authorities to identify the people suffering from IAD; therefore, psychologists are encouraging patients to come forward on their own and report their addiction.Therapists can only identify the unconscious set of triggers that lead to events of uncontrolled Internet use only if the wiliness from patients is there to cure the addiction.
On the other hand, can one be addicted to the Internet?
I feel the Internet is just a medium and not an activity in itself. Therefore, if one is addicted to online gambling, the issue could be of gambling. The same can be said about online shopping, porn, social networking, movies, and games. Even worrisome is the fact that scientists have recently discovered Internet addiction activates the same area of the brain activated by drug addiction. However, unlike in the case of drug addiction, with social networking sites the region of the brain that inhibits such behavior is functioning perfectly well. But still they are not able to cut back their compulsive Internet usage even though they are perfectly capable of doing so.
This new found situation has left governments worldwide in a state of confusion. Ideally, the goal of the rehabilitation is to prevent addicts from using drugs. However, with the Internet addiction, the approach should be to train patients to control their urges to use the Internet and not totally avoid the medium.
If the Government of Nepal is serious about propelling the country towards the Digital Age, the expansion of broadband infrastructure should go hand in hand with the formulation of progressive and forward looking public health policies.
The author worked as a Project Management Consultant for ICT Development Project at the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers
bimal.pratap.shah@gmail.com
