It is useless to talk about whether you need the Internet or not - it is, and nothing can be done about it. The World Wide Web has become as integral a part of our life as a water pipe or a car. No one is trying to "ban" the Internet anymore, but when traveling on the World Wide Web, one must remember that this trip may be far from safe, first of all, for the user's health.
Psyche
The first thing that comes to mind when talking about the dangers of the Internet is the so-called Internet addiction. But not everyone can explain what it is. Psychologists distinguish five types of Internet addiction:
1. An irresistible desire to visit erotic and porn sites and engage in "virtual sex".
2. An irresistible desire to make more and more new acquaintances, a desire to recruit as many "friends" as possible in various social networks.
3. Obsessive need for the Internet: hours of debate on forums, participation in various promotions, etc.
4. The overload of Internet information, which is expressed in the constant search for information, endless travels on news sites, etc.
5. Addiction to online games, from which a person literally cannot break away.
Symptoms of any form of internet addiction are
- an obsessive desire to constantly check the "PM" in social networks, e-mail;
- irritability, bad mood when it is impossible to access the Internet;
- a feeling of euphoria during Internet sessions;
- an increase in the time spent on the network;
- reduction to a minimum of contacts in "real life";
- neglect of their work and study responsibilities;
- changes in sleep and wakefulness, insomnia;
- neglect of their appearance and personal hygiene.
Some researchers believe that people belonging to the so-called dependent personality type are most susceptible to Internet addiction. In addition to dependence on the Internet, they may be equally susceptible to painful addiction to gambling, alcohol, drugs, food, etc. As a rule, these people, on the one hand, are afraid of being rejected by society and feel fear of loneliness, on the other hand, they have a rather narrow social circle, cannot tell others about their experiences. They often do not know how to make decisions and take responsibility for their lives.
In order to get rid of Internet addiction, professional psychotherapy is required. In fact, the work with this problem is carried out in the same way as with any other addiction, and the success of treatment is determined by the desire of the person himself, the properties of his personality, as well as the depth of the problem.
Peripheral nervous system
Neurologists believe that an excessively long daily stay on the Internet can cause sleep disturbances, increased nervous irritability, meteorological dependence, a tendency to irritability and depression.
People who spend too much time online turn to neurologists with complaints of dry eyes and back pain. They also have carpal tunnel syndrome, which is characterized by damage to the nerve trunks of the upper extremities, which is associated with long-term overstrain of the motor muscles.
You can reduce the risk of these problems by observing the sanitary standards for working at the computer: take breaks from work every 1, 5 - 2 hours, make sure that the distance from the eyes to the monitor is optimal (about 70 cm).
Vision
Ophthalmologists believe that active Internet users are seriously at risk of acquiring a disease such as computer vision syndrome (CTZ). Its manifestations are varied: a burning sensation and "sand" in the eyes, pain when moving the eyeballs, pain in the cervical vertebrae and in the forehead. With the progression of the disease, myopia, a general decrease in visual acuity, double vision and other unpleasant consequences may develop.
To avoid this, doctors recommend using moisturizing eye drops to get rid of excessive drying out of the mucous membrane of the eyes; work at a monitor frequency of 85 Hz, and also make sure that the distance to the monitor is at least 60-70 cm. It is also harmful to work in an unlit room at night.
Musculoskeletal system
Orthopedists believe that sitting in front of a screen in an uncomfortable chair for many hours has an extremely negative effect on posture: the spine is deformed, bent, osteochondrosis develops and worsens. This problem is especially relevant for gamers who spend many hours in online battles.
So that posture does not suffer during Internet sessions, it is necessary to take breaks for warm-up, as well as take care of a comfortable working chair with lumbar support, which can significantly reduce the load on the spine.
