And we connect in fractions of a second. But can we foresee our future? Can we see how our psychology is affected by watching Reels, sticking to the white screen, and always being eager to know what is new? The Internet has also improved our lives.

And these blessings are now becoming a cure for all humanity, especially the next generation. Let’s understand that today, the high usage of the Internet creates Anxiety and Depression.

Why is high internet usage responsible for Anxiety?

Before we dig into the concept of Internet use and its relationship with Anxiety, let’s self-assess first.

Rate the questions below on a scale of 0 to 5 and understand where you are.

1. How many times are you busy scrolling and postponing your important work or studies?
2. How many times have you been worried that you need to communicate in social gatherings?
3. How many times do you find yourself imagining Internet stuff when you’re offline?
4. How many times are you lying or hiding your internet usage from others?
5. How many times are you comfortable in communication with a virtual friend but afraid of a physical friend?
6. How many times are you distracted from your important job by watching something online?
7. Do you lose your sleep while you are online?
8. How many times are you unaware of your time while binge-watching on the Internet?
9. How many times do you avoid going out with your loved one because you want to use the Internet?
10. How many times have you been frightened by the thought of life without the Internet?

If you score between 40 and 50, you have high Internet usage. Less than 40 and above 30 moderate, and between 20 and 30 moderate to mild.  

Circle of Internet Usage and Anxiety

The cycle below is very useful to understand why High Internet usage increases our Anxiety and leads to Depression.

Productive Time with Internet Usage

The Internet is accessible to everyone, everywhere, with no restrictions on time or place. Exceptional to the rules made by some organisations and institutes. Internet usage during work or studies kills time but makes one less attentive to tasks. More engrossed in the completion of work, not the productivity of the work. Being more engaged in completion than in productivity leads to low-quality work. When someone chooses not to use the Internet at work, it feels like such a sacrifice, and they expect more results from the tasks they did. When shallow productivity expects deep results, people become more anxious as they overthink doing more than is required, even though the desired results are impossible. These distorting thoughts distance one from productivity, leading to excessive Internet use.

Lack of Attention Span

Productivity is achieved through persistent, consistent work. Doing the same tasks over and over, you become a master. But when attention is focused on completing tasks and achieving high results, attention to detail suffers. Because all focus is on results, not on actions. When actions are shallow, results are also shallow. When you do tasks as required, you can’t become an expert, as the basics aren’t clear. This leads to a lack of attention at work and a feeling of low confidence, Anxiety about fears and results, which results in overthinking.

Rush to meet the deadline.

Postponement is commonly researched among high Internet users. They are more into virtual connections and entertaining themselves, seeking new information, but which is of no use, and are anxious about what is next. These are thoughts commonly found among users as their impulsivity increases, leading them to seek pleasure and avoid productive tasks. Now, when someone wants to meet a deadline, it is the only task. They believe in meeting the date, not the qualitative work. Rushing to meet the deadline only feeds more Anxiety about missing it.

Self-Negative Reflection.

When one is unproductive and unable to perform as one should, one feels empty about oneself. They frequently meet failures, miss their promises, and regularly miss deadlines; they feel like failures. On top of that, more hitting points when family and mentors share negative feedback about non-productivity and lack of effort, added to self-negative reflections. Reflections are correct, but increase more overthinking and Anxiety. It is hard for someone who feels negative about themselves to maintain a routine. Such scenarios can make a person feel depressed or rebellious in their own actions.

Future Prediction

With the lack of routine, one can imagine his life as dark, like an all-or-nothing feeling. Slowly, you found that everything was meaningless and worthless. There is no hope for the future, and you cannot see any future. You predict that, no matter what you do, you won’t achieve the desired results. You will gradually become negative about your productivity, feeling like you’re losing your job or scoring low in your studies. When you reach to the saturation point and believe that the desired results will not be achieved, you choose not to act, which proves your belief is correct. (Negative Conceptual Cycle as per Cognitive Psychology)

Need Distraction

To get rid of negative overthinking and future prediction, you need some distractions. This distraction is nothing but the Internet again. You again chose to go online, watch a binge, and avoid and ignore your core thoughts. You avoid thinking about your actions and completing tasks until it gets worse. This cycle is unbroken and keeps you in this roller coaster, increasing your panic, Anxiety, worries and overthinking, which leads to Depression.

How Counselling help to overcome…

Psychoeducation sessions help to reduce Internet usage, and various other therapies help to navigate this maladaptive behaviour. Cognitive Behaviour Therapy helps correct dysfunctional beliefs and thoughts, and rectify behaviours. Interpersonal therapy helps identify what needs to be done and which aspects are dysfunctional. Dialectical Behaviour Therapy helps install new behaviours and achieve positive results.

You do not want to share this to anyone that you are facing mental issues. Because you afraid that what may another person perceive about you. But before you overthink about your problem let us understand depression in normal language.

How to deal with Depression?

Depression means having lots of blues of emotions. Various of emotions you are dealing with. Like mood swing, low mood, bipolar disorder, loss of interest in activities etc. Depression is now common among the people. If I am talking number in India one out of three persons deal with depression. Same in the world every two of the sixth percent people deal with depression in past year. so let’s talk about how to deal with depression?

What age are affected by Depression?

Depression is nothing to do with any age. It may happen to teenage, Adult and even in senior people as well.

Teenage Depression:

Majorly studies have proved that studies related issues, parental issues, family issues, economic difficulties and other factors are responsible for teenage Depression.

Major symptoms of the Depression in teenage is low mood, sadness, social anxiety, loss of interest in any activities, tired, irritation, aggression, sleep disorder, anhedonia, and somatic symptoms.  

Watch this Video

Causes of Depression

Genetic Factors:

Family history of Depression, Genetic Factors can cause imbalance of chemical factors in mind.

Environmental Factors:

Finance and Unemployment Factors, Emotional Trauma or Stress, Sudden change in home, city or state Childhood or bullying victimization.

Personality Traits:

Extremely sensitive person, Over perfection, Personality prone to Anxiety, Poor Self Esteem and sensitive about personal criticism, Self-doubt and self-negative talks.

As now you know about the Depression and factors of Depression then you want to deal with the depression. Depression basically cured if there is a will of person. Most of the outside factors can’t change or past incidents can’t change. But only one thing can change and that is what are you thinking in terms of you.

How do you think? Would you be happy or would be self-fulfilled with your life? All can be changed through your Emotions and with your thought process. Few minor tips I can share here with you to deal with Depression. Which can become your Self-care. You can self help yourself to overcome from Depression

Be with Family and Friends:

You need to talk to someone to whom you trust. In India still depression will be cleared by friends or teachers. So, you need some honest person who never judge you and lead you to think where you are and help you with how to deal with Depression.

Active and Keep Yourself Busy:

Do exercise daily at least for 20 minutes. Nature walks like walk in Garden, within woods or near to river can help to deal with your emotions. Basically, be connect with nature.

Find out your Stressors and deal with it:

Currently we need quick fix in our life. We want to fix the problem like we on the switch and remove the Darkness. This is possible because of so much advance technology. But when you are fearing and finding out escape mechanism then your problem would be disaster. So, face your fear and find out stressors. Over thinking with the inaction leads more depressive thoughts.

Eat Healthy:

Of course, it has been proven that how Vegetarian food helps to appetite fast. So, eat healthy and avoid junk food as much as you can.

If you drink not that is not bad habit. If you are dealing with low mood or stressed out and drink that is escaping mechanism.

These are basic self-help you may apply to deal with the depression. But if you still facing an issue with depression, you may Contact Us

More in How to deal with depression

Medication:

Anti-depressant helps to deal with the thoughts and balance of chemical in mind.  

Life Style Change:

Build a healthy life style like Healthy Food, add humor, exercise, Yoga and breathing techniques in your life.

Psychotherapy and Counseling:

Seek help of Psychologist which can help more than your medication helps. If you go through different therapies it will help to deal with depression wisely.

Do not underestimate your Depression. It causes you a lot. Consult a psychologist with to improve and overcome depression issue. For more you may Contact me.