When a person is addicted to the internet, it means that it is difficult for them to do without staying online. Most internet addicts have already created a virtual life and reality for themselves that they find hard to detach from.
Like other types of addiction, there are some adverse effects they may suffer from being addicted to the internet. However, this does not imply that they would stop their compulsive behavior. Here are some signs to help you identify if someone is addicted to the internet.
Spending several hours on the internet
The major sign of internet addiction is when the individual spends several hours online going from one website to the other and exploring all the social media platforms at their disposal.
Inability to concentrate properly
Someone struggling with internet addiction might not be able to focus or concentrate optimally. When they are faced with a particular task, their minds will be on the internet, and they will face unrest till they have access to their digital devices.
Such people might even struggle to have conversations with other people because they would be on their phones or laptops.
Decline in productivity
When you are addicted to the internet, you might find it difficult to attend to other aspects of your life. You may not be able to meet up with work demands like before.
Climbing the career ladder may not be swift or seamless like you envisaged. You may record low or average scores in school-related tasks. Overall, you will notice that you are not recording much progress in these aspects of your life.
Negligence in duties/responsibilities
Internet addicts tend to abandon important duties in their lives because they are majorly focused on what interests them in the internet. If such person is married, they may barely have time for their partner or children because they spend much time on the internet.
With time, people around them may begin to notice that they have almost abandoned their duties because of their internet dependence.