Tech: Internet has become a hub of diseases!
Being online too much can disrupt sleep, change eating habits, and even harm the parts of the brain that help with important tasks like decision-making. All of these changes happen especially quickly in the brains of children and adolescents.
Internet addiction is nothing new, and we know that staying online for hours is not good for the body at all. The internet affects our thinking process, screens damage our eyes. But a recent study has shown that internet addiction has an even deeper effect on the brain, it directly changes our brain cells. Not only this, being online for too long can disturb sleep, change eating habits, and also damage those parts of the brain that help in important tasks like decision-making. All these changes happen more rapidly, especially in the brains of children and adolescents.
Internet addiction is dangerous
A study published recently in the journal PLOS Mental Health, reported by The Guardian, suggests that internet addiction significantly affects several neural networks in the brain. The aim of the study was to find out how internet addiction affects brain chemicals in young people, leading to changes that may promote more habit-forming behavior. The research synthesizes data from 12 previous studies conducted between 2013 and 2023, involving 237 adolescents aged 10 to 19 who were formally diagnosed with internet addiction. Using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), the researchers examined how different brain regions act in individuals with internet addiction.
This was revealed in the study
The study found that people who spent a lot of time online showed more activity in certain parts of their brains even when they were resting. Conversely, the part of the brain that works on thinking, remembering, and making decisions was found to be less active.
These problems may occur
According to the study, these changes in the brain were found to be related to various kinds of addictions in adolescents, such as getting addicted to anything. Also, these changes can affect mental health, development, learning ability, and physical balance. Researchers say that changes in the brain can also cause problems in meeting people and in daily activities, such as eating, drinking, and sleeping.
Max Chang, lead author of the study and a master's student at the Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health at University College London, also pointed out the need for parental education to prevent internet addiction. He says that educated parents can better manage their children's screen time, haste, and other dangers associated with internet addiction.