Question

State whether the following statements are True or False with reasons.

Internet and mobile addiction is not a serious problem.

Answer 1

This statement is False.

• The impact of mobile addiction is similar to the consequences of internet addiction, both have adverse impact on individuals overusing it. 
• A teenager or young adult may spend hours on gaming; an older adult could be obsessed with sex sites. 
• Internet addiction becomes a problem when it increases stress or anxiety in the individual affects one’s physical health, diminishes the value of interpersonal relationships, leads to personal neglect, leads individuals to data that is inaccurate, prejudiced, titillating, unreliable and exploitative. 
• Similarly, mobile addiction is a problem again, like in the case of internet addiction, it leads to a certain type of behaviour. It may create a need to almost constantly be on call, to almost continuously take selfies or photos of any and everything, an urge to post all images of oneself immediately on social media, the need to keep forwarding messages mindlessly to numerous people and so on. 
• Mobile phones and internet can be used for destructive, negative and vested purposes. 
• There are many accounts of injuries and deaths due to careless behaviours like speaking on the phone while driving, dangerously posing for selfies, being overemotional in a public space; checking one’s messages during sleep. The consequences take a toll on mental and physical well-being. 
• Hence, we can conclude mobile and internet have created serious problems.