VOA常速英语:逐渐增长的互联网依赖性

Just over 60 percent of the world now has access to the Internet, and in developed countries, there are computers everywhere at work, school and home, and even at our fingertips. But according to the World Health Organization, excessive use of Internet, cell phones, gaming and other platforms can have negative health consequences, and physicians are still learning how to deal with this troubling trend. “Internet addiction is an illness both physical and psychiatric. Lately, it has become high in our agendas.” Rahmi Aktepe is the president of Turkish Association Of Information Technologies. “It’s actually more dangerous than another type of addictions because we know that other addictions are completely harmful and bad, for example, we advise people to quit cigarette or drug addiction. Internet addiction, on the other hand, is different.”

Different? Because sometimes it can be hard to pinpoint a specific harm. “Internet addiction can also be called technology addiction, taking selfies, using mobile phones are different aspects of this. This is a psychological disease, but it does not have a medical cure. It needs to be tackled with education. There has to be deliberate studies on this.” Just over 75 percent of the Turkish people between the age of 16 to 74 used the Internet in 2019 according to research done by the Turkish Statistical Institute. As a nation, eighty-eight point three percent of Turkish homes have access to the Internet, but even as Internet overuse is still being debated by experts, it is clear that children are the most vulnerable.
“Kids choose their parents as a role model, families should be a little more careful about Internet computer and smartphone usage, parents should not overuse these devices in front of their children, they should also monitor and limit their kid’s screen time, to say an hour or two hours, depending on the kid’s age, parents should be well disciplined when it comes to their kid’s Internet usage.” The World Health Organization says excessive use of Internet, cell phones and other technology is increasing so much, it now considers it a significant health problem.