*United News of India* *New Delhi, Sept 26:* The Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (ASSOCHAM) today said excessive Internet browsing can lead to negative outcomes such as social isolation, insomnia, depression, anxiety, obesity, especially among teenagers.
According to a study conducted by the industry body after surveying 1,500 Internet users, both boys and girls, in 10 major cities of Delhi, Kolkata, Chennai, Bangalore, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Pune, Ahemdabad, Lucknow, Jaipur, the excessive Internet browsing can also affects mental health and eye sight of an individual. The study defined over five hours of Internet usage daily as ''excessive''. It said teenagers (in the age group of 12-18 years) are most vulnerable to these risks due to over usage of Internet. ''A large number of children and adolescents have access to Internet and are getting exposed to the online world at a very early age,'' Assocham secretary-general D S Rawat said in a statement. The survey said that working parents' children are more Internet addictive in the absence of parental supervision compared to those whose single parent is employed. ''This trend is emerging mostly in metros where normally both the parents are employed,'' it said. The study said boys reported excessive internet browsing as compared to girls. It said easy availability of Internet coupled with lack of parental supervision is a significant reason for this ever-increasing menace of internet addiction. ''With the availability of broadband facility at cheap rates, Internet has become more accessible in homes, schools, colleges, libraries and Internet cafes,'' it said. The study said the introduction of 3G services has further aided the accessibility of internet through mobile phones. http://www.centralchronicle.com/printnews.asp?articleID=48271 -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Mental Health Advocacy (News 'N Views) India" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/MhaNewsViewsIndia?hl=en ------------- Affiliated Groups : MENTAL HEALTH ADVOCACY INDIA [email protected] Discussions on mental health law / policy / plan monitoring / human rights etc [email protected] India-specific news and views related to mental health [email protected] Information and support to carers of people with mental health issues [email protected] Mutual support and sharing of experiential knowledge, skills and social learning amongst peers
