We all know about the problems brought by addiction. And we all tend to think of ourselves as immune to it. After all, the addictions with which we are most familiar tend to involve a good deal of social misdemeanor and deliberate self-destruction – something most of us would never dream of embarking upon. But now, a new form of addiction is entering Sarajevo. And it’s seeping in quietly. If you’re reading this right now, you undoubtedly have the ‘substance’ responsible within your home, and have used it many times in this day alone. We are talking, of course, about the internet.
Within the Balkan states, Bosnia and Herzegovina rank third for overall internet usage (behind Kosovo and Croatia), with 67.9 % of us using the internet. Of this 67.9%, it’s thought that an increasing percentage may be developing a pathological reliance upon the internet – something of grave concern for the authorities as, just as individuals are increasingly relying on the internet, so is our whole society. With drugs and alcohol, one can bring in harm reduction initiatives, police more rigorously, tackle the problem with head-on aggression, or hospitalise addicts. Internet addiction, however, is far more insidious and hard to tackle. When we need the internet to operate much of our daily lives, how is one to go ‘cold turkey’? When society as a whole increasingly uses the internet to conduct its business, how are we to work out when someone’s excessive internet usage has become problematic? It’s a conundrum – and one which is troubling health authorities the world over.
What is internet addiction, exactly? Well, it’s hard to pinpoint precisely when excessive usage tips over into addiction, but studies in Asia (where the problem is endemic) have revealed a few commonalities. The symptoms of a potential internet addict may include:
Physical pains from the postural complications of prolonged computer or smartphone use.
Frequent headaches, insomnia or otherwise abnormal sleeping patterns, excessive use of the internet, strained vision, carpal tunnel syndrome, depression, anxiety, marked weight loss or gain, feelings of guilt, feelings of inadequacy, disconnection from the real world, mood swings, dishonesty, feelings of relief and euphoria when allowed internet access, extreme anxiety when internet access is denied, isolation, lost sense of time.
The neurochemical aspects of addiction can cause significant changes within the brain. These lead to a number of mental health issues and problematic behaviours. Anxiety and depression have been found to be common problems among secondary school students in Bosnia and Herzegovina who use the internet to excess. While some may argue that anxious and depressed young people are naturally more inclined to use the internet (perhaps as a form of ‘venting’, or of socialising without the anxiety-inducing aspects of speaking to people in person), scientists and psychiatrists are increasingly coming to the conclusion that, for a number of reasons, internet usage itself can precipitate mental health problems – not least due to the rising problem of addiction. Addiction itself, combined with pressures and ‘overload’ which also come with excessive internet usage, can make for a ‘perfect storm’ of mental-illness factors, leading to a lot of potential problems in the future.
So what can be done? One of the most worrying things about internet addiction is the fact that we increasingly need to use the internet in order to conduct our lives and keep up to date with society. In Asia, where the problem of internet addiction is considered a public health crisis, those affected (usually teenagers and young people) may be sent off to ‘camps’, where they effectively go ‘cold turkey’ from the internet, and experience counselling which varies in method and severity. These camps have come under criticism from some quarters, and whether or not they actually work to tackle the problem at its root, or simply cow young people into toeing the line, is still up for debate. Slightly closer to home, Algeria has opened its first internet addiction rehab clinic in Constantine – and it’s been inundated with patients. Algeria’s internet usage statistics are far lower than those of Bosnia and Herzegovina – so if it’s a problem for Algeria, you can bet that it’s a problem here! Quite what can be done remains to be seen, but we hope that a solution can be found before things get any worse…
Written by: Ms Gemma Hurst
