A young Indian man has sought help from India’s National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (Nimhans) in Bengaluru for his apparent addiction to video streaming service, Netflix.
Binge-watching on streaming platforms is a common phenomenon across the world today. However, this could be one of the first cases of ‘addiction’ where help has been sought in India.
A 23-year-old unemployed man who says he turned to Netflix to escape reality and ended up spending more than seven hours a day binge-watching shows and films on Netflix is now undergoing treatment at Nimhans’ Service for Healthy Use of Technology (SHUT) clinic.
“Whenever his family pressurised 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,” Dr Manoj Kumar Sharma, professor of clinical psychology, at the Institute told The Hindu.
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The man whose identity has not been revealed, reportedly realised he was unable to exercise any self-control and complained of fatigue and sleeping problems.
Doctors advised a host of stress-relieving exercises under digital detox plan.
He has been asked to perform five-minute deep-breathing exercises every hour to help bring down the stress levels.
He is also receiving counselling for his career, which had been a major stress factor for him.
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"Seek professional help"
Reach Out Australia, the country’s leading online mental health organisation for young people and their parents describes addiction as a compulsion to repeatedly use a substance (such as drugs) or engaging in an activity (such as gambling) for pleasure, even though doing so causes harm or interferes with everyday life.
“Talking to your GP is a good place to start,” they advise.
What are the symptoms of Netflix addiction?
Dr Sharma lists three parameters that should raise a red flag.
- If the person is preoccupied with Netflix (or online video streaming apps) or games all day.
- Begins to lose control and is unable to stop despite spending 10 to 12 hours on it.
- Neglects his/her environment.
“If you notice these three things in a friend or relative, it is time to seek help,” Dr Sharma said.
