Loneliness behind seniors' 'internet addiction'

"Internet addiction" was once a term used to describe youngsters hooked on watching videos or playing games online. But today, an increasing number of seniors are falling victim, Yinchuan Daily has reported.

A woman surnamed Wang from Yinchuan, Ningxia Hui autonomous region, recently experienced a worrying episode. One morning, just as she arrived at her office, Wang noticed some missed calls from her mother.

When she called her mother back, to her surprise, Wang found her mother only wanted her phone charger, which Wang mistakenly took to the office.

When she hurried home, it turned out her mother's phone was still 70 percent charged. Nevertheless, she was worried the phone would run out of power as she continued using it.

It was then that Wang realized how grave her mother's addiction was. Wang said her mother suffered from dizziness recently. After a physical checkup, she was diagnosed with cervical spine deformity, as well as impaired eyesight.

Wang's mother spends eight hours a day playing games, watching news or short video clips online.

She is just one in a growing population of Chinese seniors who are more and more glued to their phones.

According to a report on the internet use of China's elderly people released by mobile content aggregator Qutoutiao last year, 38.6 percent of people aged 60 or older were internet users.

The report showed around 0.2 percent of surveyed elderly spend at least 10 hours online per day.

Medical experts said phone overuse could worsen cervical spondylosis and lead to higher risk of cardiovascular disease.

In addition to health problems, elderly people's phone addiction also triggers family disputes.

"My mother started to use a smartphone three years ago. Now she shoots video clips every day, and often stays up late playing on the phone," a woman surnamed Zhao complained. "She turned a deaf ear to my words, and even got angry with me."

Another man surnamed Ma said: "Since my father installed a shopping app on his phone, he became a frequent buyer. Every day there are parcels delivered to our home."

"But many of the goods he bought are discounted and of poor quality". Ma asked his father to reduce his time online, which fell on deaf ears.

Wei Junping, a psychological consultant, said seniors' heavy reliance on mobile phones is attributed to large amounts of spare time after retirement, and their desire to communicate with others.

"Some elderly people, once retired, have fewer opportunities to contact others, thus falling into a spiritual void and loneliness," Wei said.

For many retirees, a smartphone is the best way to kill the time, he said. In addition, the elderly can interact with their friends through social media platforms such as WeChat, which give them a sense of connection, while short video-sharing platforms such as Douyin could satisfy their curiosity.

Wei said though it is natural for the elderly to meet their emotional needs and get recognition through a smartphone, they should limit their time on the internet and get regular rest at night.

Adult children, for their part, should go home more frequently to talk with their parents and relieve their sense of loneliness, or help seniors to do more healthy activities to enrich their lives, he said.