India Gets 1st Case Of Netflix Addiction – Here Are 7 Symptoms You Should Know!

Netflix, the popular on-demand video streaming service is making waves everywhere. It already accounts for 15% of global downstream bandwidth of the Internet, and it has actually revolutionized entertainment as we know it.

However, there is a negative, dark side to Netflix as well.

And this, is called Netflix Addiction.

India has just got its first case of such Netflix addiction, and this new ‘disease’ can hit anyone.

We will soon share 7 important symptoms of Netflix addiction, which will help you identify this state.

India’s 1st Netflix Addiction Case Is Here!

National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (Nimhans), based in Bengaluru has received India’s first case of Netflix addiction. A 26-year old unemployed youth was admitted at Service for Healthy Use of Technology (SHUT), which is a part of Nimhans.

Manoj Kumar Sharma, who is the Professor of Clinical Psychology, Nimhans, has confirmed this unique case, which actually involves a form of ‘escapism’.

The Doctor said, “Whenever his family pressurized him to earn a living, or when he saw his friends doing well, he would watch the shows on offer continuously. It was a method of escapism. He could forget about his problems, and he derived immense pleasure from it,”

Due to continuously watching TV, and Netflix, the patient has developed eye strain, fatigue, and disturbed sleep patterns.

Now, the doctors are conducting therapies, relaxation techniques and other methods to cure this Netflix Addiction.

Why Netflix Helps In Addiction?

Unlike traditional entertainment mediums like TV, or to some extent cinema, Netflix has an unlimited amount of shows, and they are accessible easily.

In the case of TV, the viewer will have to wait for atleast a day to know what happens next, but with Netflix, the new phenomenon of ‘binge-watching’ has emerged, which sucks in the viewer, and he/she is compelled to watch the whole series, thereby indicating am ‘addiction pattern’.

Counsellors are worried, as kids as young as 6 and 7 years old are now reporting symptoms of such addiction.

Mansoor Khan, member, board of management, DPS (Bengaluru and Mysuru) said, “The addiction interferes with the child’s academic performance and counsellors are advising students and parents to keep a close watch on the duration and the shows they watch,”

7 Symptoms Of Netflix Addiction

• You feel that Netflix is your only friend or love, and feel bad when your favorite series ends. To overcome this ‘hangover’, you start watching a new series, and the cycle continues.
• You cannot stop yourself from clicking that ‘Next Episode’ button when a episode of a series ends. Your fingers move automatically, and you keep on clicking next and next, and participate in ‘Binge Watching’ exercise.
• You have sore eyes and have pain in the back due to long hours of watching Netflix. In some cases, black spots have emerged under the eyes.
• If you watch Netflix for 7-10 hours daily (and then feel guilty), then it is definitely an addiction.
• There is a mental breakdown internally, and you feel anxious when there is no new show to watch. You get into a depressive state, and you feel as if there is no other joy remaining in the world.
• You start avoiding crucial/important tasks because of Netflix, and give an excuse for those tasks.You feel as if watching Netflix is the most important task in your life now.
• Netflix is the most visited website on your PC/mobile; and you have opened the portal in various devices. You keep on hitting the refresh button on the home-page, and compulsively open the website even if you are doing some other tasks.

Are you feeling as if you are addicted to Netflix? Do let us know by commenting right here.

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