Hooked on - The lure of internet addiction amidst Covid19

Abstract

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.