Have you fallen into a net trap?

June 14, 2010

Is an extreme addiction towards virtual living stifling your real life? If yes, find out whether committing ' virtual suicide' is the only option....

SHREYA BADOLA

Do you interact with your ' virtual neighbours' more than your next-door one's? Or do you worry most of the time about which ' virtual plant' would yield you the best returns? If the answer to both these questions is yes, then you have fallen into a ' virtual' trap.

After a point, too much of a strangling effect on a person's life. That's when it becomes necessary for to erase your virtual identity. And sites like suicidemachine.org and seppukko.com have come to the rescue of those incapacitated by the web space.

Despite the presence of these sites. several celebs feel a cyber presence is essential. Author Advaitakala concedes that she had "a bad experienced of being turned into a Facebook addict two years ago and found it difficult to concentrate on her books." Now, though she keeps away from Facebook, she shuns the idea of committing virtual suicide. "I check my account just once in a day. It helps me keep in touch with my fanbase," she says.

Actor Sherlyn Chopra says, "I tweet regularly. Twitter is a great access channel that lets people get more than just a sneak peek into the lives of celebs."

On the other hand clinical psychologist Dr Varkha Chulani feels an extreme addiction towards virtual living can lead to a serious medical disorder - schizoid - wherein the person withdraws himself/herself from social circles. She says the cure is not in slaying a social networking account but having a mindset to stay away from the web. "Parents should monitor the time their kids spend on the internet. Since many parents are working these days, they are not able to devote enough time to their children. So the kids increasingly look up to the net to make-up for the emotional support system they miss in their real lives," she ends.