New mental disorders brought on by internet soar among users

New disorders are being born with the ever-increasing popularity of digital devices and excessive use of social media, with their prevalence on the rise. Emerging digital disorders such as nomophobia, FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out), cyberchondria, photolurking and cheesepodding are becoming more common.

President of the Mental Health Association, Assistant Professor Ömer Akgül said that although technology is beneficial in many ways, it might also create certain negative effects. "The intense use of digital devices leads to critical problems. People who surf the internet for a long time might sometimes be detached from life and get numb when it comes to the things that concern the outer world," Akgül said.

Here are some of the diseases caused by the excessive usage of technology:

Nomophobia: It is simply the fear of being out of mobile phone contact. The person suffering from nomophobia is afraid of not being notified when he or she is away from the mobile phone and panics. This panic leads to shortness of breath, trembling and dizziness.

FOMO: It is known as the fear of not being able to follow the latest developments. The person suffering from FOMO thinks that not being able to follow the latest developments is a deficiency. It is a desire to stay continually connected with what others are doing on social media.

Cyberchondria: Searching online for the symptoms of diseases and treatment methods instead of consulting a physician refers to cyberchondria. There are are both correct and false information on the internet but due to curiosity, most people prefer to check the Internet about things concerning health problems. While doing it, many cannot make the distinction what is wrong and what is right.

Photolurking: This disorder is related with searching other people's photos on social media and spending hours looking at them.

Cheesepodding: It refers to the addiction of downloading mp3s while surfing on the internet.