You spend most of your time online - are you an Internet addict?

Although people are spending more time online during the pandemic, it doesn't mean that they are addicted to the Internet. Photo: Pixabay

Although more Malaysians are spending time online during the pandemic, it doesn’t mean that they are becoming Internet addicts, says clinical hypnotherapist Ko Teik Yen.

Ko believes that the added time spent online can be because of other factors such as working from home, e-learning, online shopping, or social networking because people aren’t able to go out during the movement control order (MCO) and conditional MCO.

“If you use the internet all the time at all hours of the day and night, but it doesn’t affect your daily function, you can still perform your work and family responsibilities well – then it isn’t an addiction, ” says Ko, who runs his own therapy centre treating clients with all kinds of emotional issues, including compulsive behaviour such as addiction.

“It only becomes an Internet addiction disorder when it negatively affects a person’s daily life, making them unable to function or do the things that they are usually able to, ” he says.

The American Psychological Association defines Internet addiction as “a behavioural pattern characterised by excessive or obsessive online and offline computer (or mobile device) use that leads to distress and impairment".

The American Psychiatric Association hasn’t officially come up with a formal classification to diagnose Internet addiction disorder so there currently isn’t a formal classification to assess whether a person has or doesn’t have Internet addiction disorder, he adds.

Moreover, the Internet is a vehicle or medium, so there are many things that people can be addicted to on the Internet, including online gambling, games, shopping, pornography or even text messaging.

During the pandemic, people are using the Internet more than before but it doesn’t mean that people are addicted to it.

“Although there isn’t a formal classification for Internet addiction diagnosis at this point of time, there is still a concern and that is a good thing because it means people are aware of this and taking steps to do something about it, ” says Ko.

Ko, who is currently pursuing his Masters in Counselling in Universiti Malaya Kuala Lumpur, is running online group counselling sessions together with another trainee counsellor, to support those who are concerned that they or their loved ones are suffering from Internet addiction.

Unlike the popular perception that Internet addiction only affects the young, namely teenagers, Ko reveals that it cuts across all ages.

“In our group counselling sessions, we have individuals from ages 30 to 50 joining us, so it is something that affects people of different ages and walks of life, ” he says.

Why do people become addicted?

When a person's usage of the Internet affects his or her daily life negatively, making them unable to function or do the things that they are usually able to, it is known as an Internet addiction disorder. Photo: Pixabay

“Just like other forms of addiction, it’s avoidance or distraction from other things such as life, work, family responsibilities or boredom, ” he says.

“For some, they’ve found things on the Internet that are more interesting than what they’re currently involved in or their real life, so they get absorbed into the fantasy world, ” he explains.

“For example, they may find online games more interesting than real life, or a person who has difficulty interacting in real life, may find it easier to talk with strangers on social media because there is no judgement and they can portray themselves however they wish to. It’s normal for people to go where they are accepted and where there’s no judgement, ” he says.

For others, the fear of “getting caught up in the search for information” is very real, he adds.

“They keep going deeper and deeper into the Internet when looking for some particular information and hours have passed and their time has been wasted on other irrelevant stuff which isn’t even related to the information they are seeking in the first place, ” he says.

Some have likened it to “going down the rabbit hole” and “chasing for the next link and it never ends”, he adds.

How can Internet addicts get help?

Ko says at the first level, it’s important for those who face this to learn to stabilise their attention so that they can focus and come back to what they are seeking, rather than to keep on going deeper down the rabbit hole, and having their attention attracted and distracted by other things on the Internet.

At the deeper level, he says it’s important to remember “what is important to us and what matters most to us” rather than “what is interesting out there or all the exciting stuff out there on the Internet”.

“Realise your motivation – what you’re researching is more important than all the other stuff on the Internet – then you will be focused, ” he says.

Ko says that some become addicted to social media because of inner insecurities.

“Social media is about connecting to others. Some need social media to provide that validation or recognition that they don’t receive at home, ” he says.

“Perhaps they don’t get that validation or recognition from their families, or perhaps their family members judge them, ” he adds.

“This is why it’s so important for family members to always be there for one another, whether it’s parents and children, siblings, or spouses, ” he concludes.