Under the supervision of the Dean of College of Pharmacy, Professor Dr. Sarmed H. Kadhem Al-Khateeb, the Psychological Counseling Unit at the College of Pharmacy/ University of Baghdad held an in-person workshop entitled “Digital Addiction”, delivered by the lecturer Shayma Luay Abdul hadi and assistant lecturer Russul Mohammad Hassan Ali, faculty members in the Pharmaceutical Chemistry Department.
The workshop aimed to highlight the dangers of internet addiction through excessive and uncontrolled use, which negatively impacts all aspects of life. The workshop highlighted the importance of highlighting this growing phenomenon and how to deal with it effectively.
The workshop covered several topics, including: defining digital addiction as a behavioral disorder characterized by compulsive and excessive internet use to the point of negatively impacting personal and social life, types of digital addiction: addiction to video games, addiction to social media, and the constant need to follow notifications and updates, in addition to addiction to shopping and online gambling, the effects on mental and physical health, such as increased anxiety and depression, as well as blurred vision, sleep problems, and obesity and steps toward recovery by seeking specialized assistance, such as cognitive behavioral therapy and family therapy, and finding alternative activities such as sports.
The workshop concluded that towards a balanced life, we must set the time we spend using the internet, as this does not mean deprivation, but rather a healthy balance.
