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Youngsters in America are so hooked to cell phones, computers and social media that now it has become an addiction. A new study has revealed that college students are obsessed with social networking media and have started showing symptoms similar to drug and alcohol addiction.

Researchers at the University of Maryland conducted a study involving 200 students. They found that the youngsters want to stay connected all the time and are in the habit of having an easy access to all information around them.

Students who were engaged in some unnatural and unrealistic behaviors did some self-reporting to form the end-results of the study. The students were asked by the researchers to quit all electronic media for 24 hours, following which they were asked to pen down their experience.

Withdrawal symptoms for internet-addiction

Signs of withdrawal were noticed in most students, and many of them reported cravings, uneasiness and feeling of anxiety. Some also said they felt impaired functioning without normal access to their media sources.
The withdrawal of electronic media devices in students gave rise to symptoms that were apparently similar to those found on the withdrawal of drugs in drug addicts.
According to Susan Moeller, journalism professor at the university, who was also the study's project director, the uneasiness in most cases stemmed from the students' inability to access their e-mail, text messages and social networking accounts.

Uncomfortable on losing connections

Many students complained that they absolutely hated losing their connections, and some of them even said it felt like they were separated from friends and family.

"Texting and IM-ing my friends gives me a constant feeling of comfort," said one of the study participants. "When I did not have those two luxuries, I felt quite alone and secluded from my life."

The students, to some extent, are also aware of this problem.

"I clearly am addicted and the dependency is sickening," said one student. "Between having a Blackberry, a laptop, a television, and an iPod, people have become unable to shed their media skin."

Symptoms similar to drug-addiction

The withdrawal of electronic media devices in students gave rise to symptoms that were apparently similar to those found on the withdrawal of drugs in drug addicts. However, internet-addiction is still not considered serious enough to qualify as a disorder for the American Psychiatric Association.

One cannot deny the importance of electronic-media in our everyday lives; however, the time being spent on these is becoming a serious cause for concern, and experts have advised caution.