Life Skills & Value Education – CLASS-VIII – UNIT-3 Net Addiction-And The Responsible Use of Net

Technology has become such an integral part of our lives that our day begins and ends with it. We can no longer imagine our lives without our phone and staying connected through the Internet. Technology was designed to serve us, but quite ironically, it has become our master and has very silently and gradually made us its slave.

 In times of COVID-19, when it became impossible to meet anyone other than the people you stay with, the Internet kept us connected through social media, webinars, online video calls and so on. This increased our dependency even more and made the Internet indispensable.

INTERNET ADDICTION:

Any kind of addiction can be understood as loss of control and inability to stop doing something even when you know it’s harmful for you. An Internet addiction suggests that the person is so engaged with the use of the Internet that they ignore other important aspects of their life, such as family, work, studies, friends, fitness and sleeping and eating schedule. From something that they are enjoying, spending time on the Internet becomes uncontrolled and even turns into a psychological disorder, which then requires proper therapy and professional help.

A person suffering from Internet addiction is likely to show some of the following signs and symptoms:

• Negative impact on performance at school
• Inadequate involvement with family or friends
• Loss of interest in hobbies and other interests
• Increased feelings of anxiety or depression, especially when away from phone/computer
• Excessive procrastination about stepping away from the device
• Increased irritability and anger
• Repeated lying about the extent of computer or Internet use

The following steps can be undertaken to cope with Internet addiction:

1. Set a specific time for net use. Using the phone randomly at all hours tends to distract you from your regular routine.
2. Turn off notifications from applications unless you need them for studies, as they act as constant reminders to go back on the Internet.
3. Put away the phone during meals, and limit yourself to one screen at a time.
4. Engage in physical play more than playing online.
5. Address underlying fears and insecurities that lead you to the safe, anonymous world of the Internet, away from the real world. In severe cases, seek counselling and therapy.

“I fear the day that technology will surpass our human interaction. The world will have a generation of idiots.”                                                                       – ALBERT EINSTEIN

Download PDF : ashamodernschool.in Class-8-Life-Skills-2025-26