Teenage Facebook addict says his Internet habit left him 'socially isolated'

A teenager who became addicted to the Internet wants to warn others of the potential perils of spending too much time online.

Craig Mohan admits he became detached from the real world after becoming consumed by social media.

And now the Middlesbrough 19-year-old has made a short film to try to get his message across.

“I know how it feels to be absorbed by the Internet,” said Craig.

“Having found myself with hundreds of friends that I’d never met, it was often like talking to a wall of text.

“I’d hurry home from college to get on Facebook, leaving my real friends completely out of the picture.

"I felt myself sinking into a pit of loneliness.

“Despite all its benefits, the Internet can very quickly become a dangerous place.

“My attitude towards the Internet has changed now - but back then I became socially isolated.

“I’ve released myself from that world now, but my aim is to stop others from becoming socially isolated like I did.”

Craig and his friends have teamed up with Fixers – a national charity that supports young people aged 16-25 to tackle any issue that matters to them – to make a short film to get his message across.

It depicts a young person, who has lost all perspective of reality, after becoming preoccupied online.

Fixers works with young people, supporting them with the charity’s in-house team of creative professionals.

Many young people choose to create a short film, website, poster campaign, information leaflet, or hold an event or flash mob.

“I’m very pleased with how the film turned out. It gets the message across effectively,” said Craig.

“Its main aim is to encourage young people to find a middle ground between socialising online and in real life.”

Craig plans to share the resource on social media, in order to reach his target audience.

He’s also planning to take it into secondary schools to raise awareness.

He said: “Despite all its benefits, the Internet can very quickly become a dangerous place.

“Hopefully people will learn a lesson from my story, and consider other ways they can spend their time.”