Internet Addiction Becoming a Mojor Issue in Hong Kong

People back then who spent the majority of their time on the internet were paid to do so, however, today surfing the web has become common and a pastime. As the web has become a part of our daily life, mental health professionals found that 76% of people using the web do so in an irresistible way. A study was carried out by Polytechnic University in 2011 and headed by Professor Daniel Shek Tan-lei. It found that 26.7 percent - just over one in four - of 3,500 students interviewed met the criterion of internet addiction.

The chart above shows how in 2009 Hong Kong's population using the internet was 69.4 which kept increasing until 2014 to 75.5%. However, compared to other countries in Asia Hong Kong is the third-largest city to use the internet, furthermore If Hong Kong doesn’t work on the problem it may cause a major problem such as obesity which may lead to more disease and an overall decrease in Hong Kong rating for livable cities in Hong Kong.

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How will Hong Kong face the problem? What may be the drawback for the Hong Kong government? Can they come up with a scheme?

Also known as problematic Internet use or pathological Internet use, is excessive Internet use that interferes with daily life. Addiction, defined by Webster Dictionary as a 'compulsive need for and use of a habit-forming substance characterized by tolerance and by well-defined physiological symptoms upon withdrawal, was traditionally used to depict a person's dependence on the substance. More recently, the concept has been applied to behavioral dependence including internet use.

The problem of Internet addiction evolves together with the development and spread of the Internet. As adolescents (12–17 years) and emerging adults (18–29 years) access the Internet more than any other age group and undertake a higher risk of overuse of the Internet, the problem of Internet addiction disorder is most relevant to young people

The 4 Components of an Internet Addiction

Internet addictions have been segmented into certain distinct subgroups, including, gaming addiction, sexually related internet addiction, and email or text messaging addiction. All three share four component features:

1. Negative Consequences – The use of the internet or technology has negatively affected quality of life. Some examples would be - deteriorating social relationships, social isolation, poor work or school performance and arguments about time spent online.
2. Excessive time spent online – Most internet addicts will spend a great deal of time online, will lose track of time while surfing, and will forget to meet basic needs such as for sleep or food, while on the internet.
3. Tolerance – A need to spend more time online to feel satisfied. Also, a preoccupation with acquiring new and better technology or software.
4. Withdrawal – Feeling irritable, depressed or angry when they cannot be online.