Cyber-health impacting youths

By MELYNE BAROI
THE frequently but less-talked about effects of cyber-harassment towards mental health of the young population of Papua New Guinea remains a concern, psychiatrist Dr Uma Ambi says.
Uma told The National that many young people were psychologically affected but hesitant to speak up and the mental distress showed through physical illnesses.
“Symptoms can include non-communicable diseases, high blood pressure, high blood sugar levels, illness and an ill immune system to name a few,” she said.
Uma said many of these impacts depended on ones decision to accept and take in a certain information which then manifested in their physical health and conduct.
Although the effects are of minor severity as it relates to psychiatrics and psychology, the impacts on social change are alarming.
“As we speak, marriages and families are broken, teenagers are depressed and even thinking of committing suicide,” Uma said.
“These are direct impacts of cyber harassment to mental health as it relates to three mains factors which are depression, post traumatic stress disorder and stress.”
When asked about the effects of autonomous sensory meridian response on regular users of the internet, Uma confirmed that it was a helpful method to relieve depression and stress, however, different people may react differently to the type of brain massage methods that they used. “Some people prefer to use stress-ball to release tension but if certain videos and sounds ease you mentally then by all means (do it),” she said.
“It depends on what someone decides to watch and for what reasons.”
Uma, however, advised that the best way to conquer mental health symptoms as young internet users was to talk about it.