Here's Why This Study Called Mobile Screen The New Cocaine

In the whimsical world of digital adventures, a groundbreaking study from 2017 revealed that internet gaming might be more than just a pastime¡ªit could be an addiction. Frontiers in Psychiatry dropped the bombshell, stating that Internet Gaming Disorder (IGD) was tag-teaming with substances like Narcotics, shaking hands in the dark alleys of addiction.

Picture this: your kid might be trading screen time for a one-way ticket to the digital underworld. In simple terms, the World Health Organization (WHO) gave screen addiction a nod, and its brain impact is like a secret handshake with substance use disorders. It's a behavioral addiction bonanza!

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But hold on, is it just internet games hogging the spotlight, or is the problem grander than that? Fast forward to 2019, enter Joel Billieux and his creation, Smartphone Use Disorder (SmUD). This catchy term captures the essence of problematic mobile phone use and unlocks four secret pathways:

Impulsive: When swiping becomes a reflex, not a choice.

Relationship: When the virtual world outshines the real one.

Extraversion: When your phone's your party buddy.

Cyber Addiction: Ah, the jackpot! Gambling, video games, online rendezvous, social networks, and the ever-present mobile phone.

A spectrum of cyber addictions, just like a buffet of troubles.

Now, many parents scratch their heads at the screen-glued youth and wonder, "Is this the modern norm?" A study by Kantar for Amazon India says yes, but they might be missing the punchline¡ªsymptoms in children's behavior might be a silent cry for help, a.k.a. cyber or mobile addiction.

The National Library of Medicine's research painted a gloomy picture. Students divided into low and high cellphone usage groups showed the high users flaunting eye strain, neck and back pain, and bonus weight gain. Mentally, they were card-carrying members of the loneliness, depression, and mood disorders club.

But wait, there's a twist! Enter neurotransmitters, especially the celebrity dopamine, the happiness hormone. Too much of it from excessive phone use mimics the effects of substances like cocaine. That's right¡ªyour mobile phone could be your dealer of cheap and abundant dopamine hits, leading to a euphoric screen trance.

Now, when does screen time transform into an addiction? The researchers throw around a figure¡ª20 hours a week. But WHO isn't diving into the time-based fray. Practitioners lean on behavioral indicators; if phone time eclipses life commitments, you might be in the digital danger zone. An exam skipped for a mobile game? Ring any alarm bells?

As 70% of India flaunts smartphones, the bigwigs¡ªEducators, Health Practitioners, Mobile Device Manufacturers, and Mobile Gaming Companies¡ªare called to action. But the spotlight shifts to parents. When you hand your child a mobile device, are you opening Pandora's digital box? Are you nurturing a future addict, perhaps to a virtual cocaine?

In the buzzing symphony of smartphones, the question lingers¡ªwhat will you, the parent, do to course-correct? The alternatives to soothe a fussy newborn¡ªdo they lie beyond the glowing screen? The nagging thought: are you turning your child into a digital cocaine connoisseur? Time to ponder in the pixelated wonderland!

With IANS inputs