No child’s play: How digital, reel addiction is a rising cause of concern for mental health experts

The study highlighted that internet addiction affects the dopaminergic system of the brain, which controls mood. This leads to repetitive behaviour and negatively impacts daily life. Apart from gaming, reel addiction, say doctors, is consuming people of all age groups, as most find it easy to consume content that is less than a minute, scrolling at any given hour of the day, with the reels offering a distorted reality of the world around, especially children, who are looking at life, food, holidays, fashion, as reel worthy moments, many a time creating a sense of imagined reality.

Dr Shalini Naik, Associate Professor, Department of Psychiatry, PGIMER, says that reel addiction is real, as they have observed in their interactions with school students as part of a project that Dr Naik is immersed in.

“In children and especially adolescents, digital worlds offer fantastical refuge from real-life struggles, Naik added.

“In our interaction with school children on internet use, students have shared how reel addiction is also now rampant, and this thrives on constant sharing and peer validation.”.

What’s more, algorithms are carefully engineered to hook, reward, and retain users. While many are aware that they are wasting time and realise that it is affecting their work, studies, schedules, they cannot check the habit.

Dr Nidhi Chauhan, Associate Professor of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, PGIMER, Chandigarh says excessive screen media use, be it gaming, reel addiction, and excessive internet use, is a growing issue. The easy accessibility of smartphones and uninterrupted internet connectivity are the precipitating factors, and the COVID-19 pandemic further accelerated children’s and adolescents’ exposure to digital devices at a formative age. Reduced supervision over how and for how long digital devices are used is an added issue. Adolescence is a vulnerable phase marked by peer pressure, a desire for privacy and independence, and emotional volatility. Brain systems responsible for judgment and impulse control are still developing, limiting the ability to fully grasp the long-term consequences of risky behaviours, she explained.

“Reels provide instant gratification and cater to the reduced attention span most of us have, 30-second content that does not engage one intellectually, and it seems like an escape from the stressors of life. Also, many youngsters think they would be able to make quick money by creating reels on food, holidays, new products, which is not a reality,” Ankur Desai, a graphic designer, shared.

Dr Hardeep Singh, additional director, Department of Mental Health and behavioural sciences, Fortis Hospital, Mohali said internet addiction is like other forms of addiction, for it can quietly seep into every aspect of life, personal relationships, social interactions, academics, work, and even finances.

“Self-care suffers, productivity declines, and meaningful connections often take a back seat. With easy access to digital media, up to 10% of teenagers and young adults may experience this form of addiction,” the doctor explained

Constant scrolling, watching or creating reels can begin to feel like an easy escape, drawing individuals in repeatedly, even when they are fully aware of its harmful consequences, he added.

Dr Suman Singh, Director, Health Services, Chandigarh said as part of the adolescent clinic, digital addiction is an area that is focused on as well.

“I remember some teachers sharing how a group of students are not attentive in class and are often caught napping. When the peer educators spoke to them as part of the interactions, they realised that these groups had late-night gaming sessions, and would continue their games late into the night, and so would sleep in the class, and this situation was addressed with some counselling and discussions,” she concluded.