New Mental Disorders - Courtesy of Internet Use! Hope Gillette - VOXXI
go to original December 2, 2013

As technology advances so does our ability to treat and understand disease, and while these advancements are invaluable, they also have some unintended side effects.

A good example of this is seen in the recent emergence of at least 8 new psychological diseases directly linked to the use of Internet and mobile devices.

It shouldn’t be surprising that, as we become more attached to mobile devices and the Internet, that the constant exposure to electronic devices would start to affect our health.

According to data released by TechHive, there are many mental disorders related to technology; however, these are the most common:

PHANTOM RINGING SYNDROME
The name says it all; individuals with this condition experience a phantom buzzing sensation, which makes them think their phone is ringing.

Approximately 70 percent of heavy mobile phone users have experienced this, and according to experts, as mobile technology moves toward visual stimulation, it is possible one day people will start seeing images which aren’t really there.

“We’ve probably always felt slight tingling in our pocket. A few decades ago we would have just assumed it was a slight itch and we would scratch it,” Dr. Larry Rosen, author of the book “iDisorder,” told TechHive. “But now we’ve set up our social world to be tied to this little box in our pocket. So, whenever we feel any tingling in our leg we get a burst of neurotransmitters from our brain that can cause either anxiety or pleasure and prompt us to action. So, instead of reacting to this sensation like it’s a few wayward tingling nerves, we react as if it’s something we have to attend to right now.”

NOMOPHOBIA
Among the new mental disorders brought by Internet use is nomophobia, or the fear of not having access to a mobile device.

This sensation, according to a report from The Daily Mail, may affect as many as 77 percent of individuals, depending on the age group examined. Overall, 66 percent of all mobile users experience this anxiety, which can be related to a dead cell battery or forgetting a phone.

Nomophobia is characterized by rising levels of anxiety whenever checking your phone is not possible, and it has been found to be so detrimental that mental health facilities around the country now offer treatment programs specifically for this issue.

CYBERSICKNESS
Do you feel dizzy or disoriented after using certain Internet or mobile devices? If you do, you may have one of the new mental disorders caused b technology: cybersickness.

The cause of cybersickness is what computer experts call the parallax effect. This is a 3-D imagery process used on many smart phones and devices which makes icons appear to float on top of the screen. This tricks the brain into feeling motion sickness even though it is not moving.

FACEBOOK DEPRESSION
Facebook is a social network, and social interactions - or a lack thereof – may lead to depression, in this case: Facebook depression.

A contributing factor of this issue is how people post on social media. Individuals either only post positive images and statements, making others believe their lives are better than everyone’s, or posts can always be negative, drawing people into depressing drama.

The easiest way to avoid Facebook depression is make sure you have in-person social contact with friends and family members as well as that through social media — and don’t believe everything you see! Also, use the setting to defriend or hide certain updates and photos, if someone’s posts upset you in any way.

INTERNET ADDICTION DISORDER
If you are constantly drawn to the Internet because it seems like there just isn’t anything else worthwhile doing, you may have one of the new mental disorders called Internet addiction disorder.

There is some debate as to whether or not this condition is a disorder on its own, or if it is a symptom of a larger disorder. For example, depression and low-self esteem can cause individuals to withdraw from the outside world and turn to online interactions.

However, the symptoms are real – if you cannot disconnect or doing so causes you anguish and pain, you should seek help.

ONLINE GAMING ADDICTION
You might not understand how serious online gaming addiction can be until you hear that people have actually died from it.

That’s right, some individuals have sat in one place for so long for a gaming session that they suffer heart attacks or heart failure.

Why is gaming so addicting? It’s because it triggers the brain’s reward system.

“If you look at the brain, when you are addicted to something your brain is telling you that it needs certain neurotransmitters—particularly dopamine and serotonin—to feel good,” says Dr. Rosen. “The brain learns very quickly that certain activities will release these chemicals. If you’re a gambling addict, that activity is gambling. If you’re a gaming addict, then it’s playing games. That need for those neurotransmitters drives your behavior. It makes you want to do it again and again.”

CYBERCHONDRIA
If you are familiar with hypochondria, you already have a good grasp of what cyberchondria is.

Individuals who have this condition believe they have diseases or medical conditions they have read about online. Unfortunately, people who commonly use the Internet as a medical reference are often confronted with worse-case scenarios.

This can lead to panic and anxiety, and gives individuals with hypochondria access to information on many more diseases than they would without the Internet.

THE GOOGLE EFFECT
Of all the new mental disorders out there, the Google effect is one of the scariest.

This disorder is not limited to certain people, and may be an issue throughout the entire Internet-using population.

According to research, constant access to unlimited information makes the brain retain less, actually making people less intelligent. It also affects memory and retention.

DEPRESSION AND THE INTERNET
While the emergence of new mental disorders is concerning, the Internet can be making other, already-existing condition worse.

Research from experts in Australia and China back in 2010 found teenagers who regularly use the Internet have a 2.5 times increased risk for depression.

“This result suggests that young people who are initially free of mental health problems but use the Internet pathologically could develop depression as a consequence,” the authors wrote.

“As we understand that mental health problems among adolescents bear a significant personal cost as well as costs to the community, early intervention and prevention that targets at-risk groups with identified risk factors is effective in reducing the burden of depression among young people.”

Among those teenagers most likely to become depressed, recreational use, rather than educational use, was cited as their primary reason for being online.

See the original at VOXXI

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