With only two free hours left in the day: we are all internet addicts!

It is a bitter truth that the internet directly impacts human psychology and social life, just like substance addiction, one which we, the users, do not accept.

Although addiction is generally associated with the use of cigarettes, alcohol, substances and various drugs, internet use is also a habit that consumes a user, just like "gambling".

I think we are aware of the situation we are in, but we do not admit it to ourselves. According to parents, their kids don't look up from the phone. However, according to the data, the main addicts are the parents. So it's we adults who are the problem…

I use plural expressions. Because more than half of the 8 billion world population now have access to the internet.

According to the data from We are social and Hootsuite's 'Digital 2022 4th Quarter' report, the situation is not encouraging at all. The full report of 2022, which we left behind, will be published next February. Probably, internet access, usage and social media consumption rates will have increased considerably compared to today.

According to the report; Internet users in the world reached 5.7 billion. The number of social media users is 4.7 billion.

The average time spent by internet users aged 16-64 all over the world using the internet on every device every day says something about almost every country. Türkiye is in the 13th place of the list with 7 hours and 17 minutes. South Africa is in first place with 10 hours and 7 minutes. In other words, South Africans spend 10 hours a day, while Turks spend 7 hours on the Internet.

According to the data published by Sleep Cycle, Türkiye stands out as the country that sleeps the least among European countries with an average of 6 hours and 50 minutes. According to some studies, Türkiye is the country with the longest average weekly working hours in Europe. Working time is 45 hours per week in the private sector and 40 hours per week in the public sector. So we work at least 8 hours a day. In this case, when the time spent working, internet and sleeping are subtracted, there are 2 hours left. What can we fit into the remaining two hours? Is it enough for three meals? If we all account for our time, I think we will then have to face the bitter truth.

You must have wondered about the country at the bottom of the internet consumption list. While writing the article, I asked people to guess the country with the least time spent on the internet in a family of 12 people. Many countries' names were said, but no one guessed it. Most of the estimates are from African countries. However, in last place is Japan with 3 hours and 46 minutes. China is second to last with 5 hours and 12 minutes. Then we have South Korea with 5 hours and 16 minutes. The countries of Japan, China, and South Korea are all the dominant cultures of the Asia-Pacific line and the center of gravity of the global economy, especially as the locomotive of production. The fact that people in these countries spend less time on the Internet compared to the rest of the world has to do with their cultural ties and living their traditions.

We have similar data about the daily time spent using social media. Türkiye is in 15th place with 2 hours 47 minutes. The West African country Nigeria is in first place with 4 hours and 20 minutes. Finally, we see Japan again. The Japanese are the people who spend the least time on social media at 49 minutes. South Koreans are also in second place with one hour and 11 minutes.

The same report also lists the main reasons why people use social media. The reason "Staying in touch with friends and family" ranks first with 47 percent. Passing spare time is in second place with 35 percent.

In some parts of the world, Facebook means "the internet". Platforms owned by Facebook are also channels where billions of people spend every moment. If we go back to addiction; It was the same reason people who were on social media opened Facebook to stay in touch with friends and family. Think about your reason for opening a Facebook account, which entered our lives in 2005. It was largely about reaching out to old friends and keeping in touch with distant relatives. But as things currently stand now, we do not even look at the faces of the people we are sitting across from at the same table, let alone stay in touch with friends at one end of the country. We can't look. Because we are so addicted to real life, to disconnect from real people.

We need psychotherapy and therapy. I have emphasized before; Many of the psychologists who will treat internet addicts have become addicted to interaction on social media. They also need treatment. So who will treat it and how?

I will end the column with the findings of the Korean philosopher Byung-Chul Han, the author of the books, who draw attention to the irreparable consequences of digitalization that has taken over almost every area of social life, and that he declared himself addicted: "Like everyone else, I am uneasy when I am not connected to the modern communication network. I am also a victim. I cannot practice my profession as a professor and writer without all this digital communication. Everyone is connected, addicted.”