Addiction to screens and virtual content is a social and cultural phenomenon. The need to be part of a particular society is inherent in us as social creatures who think that if they connect with others, through the virtual connection, this will surely help them to create realistic and meaningful social connections. In practice, in most cases the exact opposite happens. Therapists report loneliness which leads to virtual addiction, after which not only does the feeling of loneliness increase, but users also develop depression, general anxiety, social anxiety, adjustment difficulties, etc.
Children and teens talk about vulnerabilities in the virtual world that come out of the virtual screen and fatally harm their way of life in the tangible world, like organizing a boycott through social networks, physical or emotional bullying, and even direct violence. Of course, children and youth who suffer from social difficulties anyway, are at increased risk for such virtual harm, when the damage is sometimes more severe than a physical boycott in class for example, since the boy or girl are holding the screen in their hand or when connecting to a computer. Thus, they are again exposed to the offensive content virtually, at any hour of the day.
At “Na(r)gish”, as an organization that assists victims of the virtual world and social networks, we invite every person, no matter their age or personal situation, whose virtual world has destroyed their world or harmed their lifestyle, to receive relevant tools for healthy coping, for example through skillful strengthening of personality and sociality, increasing the sense of ability and self-worth. Thus, alleviating the severe feelings of loss, depression, when seeking to disconnect or reduce the harm from abuse in the virtual world, in order to improve their quality of life and the quality of life of those around them.
