Open AccessHooked on - The lure of internet addiction amidst Covid19
Author(s) -
Malik Muhammad Hamza Khan,
Meher Angez,
Maryam Pyar Ali Lakhdir,
Ayesha Nasir Hameed,
Muhammad Talha Nawaz
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
pakistan journal of public health
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 2226-7018
pISSN - 2225-0891
DOI - 10.32413/pjph.v11i1.736
Subject(s) - addiction , the internet , pandemic , population , hotline , psychology , psychological intervention , psychiatry , internet privacy , medicine , covid-19 , environmental health , telecommunications , disease , pathology , world wide web , computer science , infectious disease (medical specialty)
Internet addiction has been seen to rise significantly during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic especially during the quarantine period. Closure of offices, marketplaces, educational institutes, and lack of social interactions has led to an upsurge in the usage of the internet not only for academic and work but also for relaxation and a muddle through monotonic life amidst pandemic. It is essential to understand the effects of this addiction on the general population. Young's and Temperance's model; one of the behavioral models explain behavioral changes among individuals related to internet addiction amidst crisis. This paper aims to discuss how the intercalated interplay between biological characteristics such as brain plasticity, psychological and predisposing characteristics, environmental and need-based factors during the pandemic have led to internet addiction. This could help health authorities in developing effective methods to reduce internet addiction prevalence through preventive measures like counselling, therapeutic interventions, and a hotline service.