Internet addicts at risk of Self Harming

Internet-addicted teenagers have a greater chance to perform acts that endanger them. So scientists study the Australia-China.

As Reuters reported last week researchers examined 1618 adolescents aged 13 to 18 years old from Guangdong Province in China about the behavior of hitting self, pulling hair, pinching or burning themselves. The respondents were also given tests to measure the level of their addiction to the Internet.

The test found that as many as 10 percent of students surveyed at the level of Internet addiction is, while less than one percent are heavy Internet addicts. Internet addiction has been categorized as a mental health problem since the mid-1990s with symptoms similar to other addictions.

“All students who are classified as being addicted to the internet level, 2.4 times more likely to injure themselves, one to five times in the past 6 months compared with students who are not addicted to the Internet,” said Dr. Lawrence Lam of the University of Notre Dame, Australia and colleagues from Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou in the results of his research.

They said the results showed a relationship “strong and striking” between Internet addiction and self-injury action among teenagers even if calculated with other variables related to behaviors such as depression, dissatisfaction with the family, or life events that create stress. The researchers say it shows that addiction is a separate risk factor for self-injury action.

Experts interpret Internet addiction among others, if there is a feeling of depression, anxiety, and depressed when no internet activity. All that can be lost when the new pecandunya back online activities. Imagining or thinking too much about online activities are other signs of Internet addiction. Although recognized about Internet addiction needs to be further investigated.

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