Delhi gets its first internet de-addiction centre

                                                                 

                                                                                                NEW DELHI: In the post-digital world, here's a first for the capital. Worried over the complete lack of socialization arising out of an internet-driven lifestyle among children, an NGO has launched Delhi's first internet de-addiction centre.

The centre operates from the ground floor of a three-storey building in South Delhi's Sarvodaya Enclave, where counsellors and psychologists guide children as young as 10 years old to participate in activities such as indoor games and engage in conversations with each other.

Experts at the centre say the cases coming in were diverse but the underlying problem was common — a pathological addiction to internet among a growing number of children in the capital.

Take the case of this 14-year-old boy, whose academic performance has seen a steep decline in recent months. The boy's parents blame his obsession with Facebook for his low grades.
An older teenager locks himself up in his room at night and spends hours chatting with friends on his smart phone. "First thing he does after getting up in the morning is to go online and check messages. He becomes restless and irritated if the Wi-Fi or 3G network suddenly goes off," said Rakshit Bahadur (name changed), the child's father.Doctors say addiction to the internet could be leading to a drop in grades and increased aggression among kids. But getting the child to accept this is difficult.

"Most of them would flatly refuse. So we came up with a questionnaire where we ask indirect questions such as time spent on the mobile and the number of social networking sites where the child has an account. The answers are shocking. Even fifth graders have access to Facebook, WhatsApp, Hike messengers and several such chat groups. They have multiple games on their phones," said Rahul Verma, head of Uday foundation that has started the de-addiction centre.

Rahul Verma, head of the NGO that has started the Centre for Children Internet and Technology Distress, said internet addiction is similar to addictive disorders concerning drugs or alcohol.

"Teenagers are particularly prone to internet addiction. In many cases, the addiction leads to insomnia, depression and social withdrawal," said Dr Tara, one of the doctors running the clinic.
 

She said parents were also to blame. "We come across many children who try to make virtual friends because in real world they have few people to talk to. In many case, these kids have both parents who are working. In some cases, internet overuse is seen in parents of such children," she added.
Experts say these cases are likely to be the tip of the iceberg in a country where use of smart phones and tablets is rise at breakneck pace.
The de-addiction centre tries to indulge children in real-life activities such as interactive education, science-based unique programming and device-free retreats.

TOI