How dangerous is your child’s internet and smart phone addiction?

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The launch of the new iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 plus saw a huge furore about what the new phone would provide to its users, its functionalities and all the other things that come with it. While comments about the phone have flooded social media, there is a small space that questions the hype. Are we that dependent on technology, especially phones, that we would spend large amounts of money on another piece of technology?

Well, all this could be a sign of our growing love for the internet and smartphones that offer us unhindered access to the internet, social networking and our virtual friends. This apathy was highlighted in recent news that a 15-year-old-boy tried to stab his mother with a kitchen knife because she tried to stop his internet access, turned off his computer and took away his smartphone. While no one was injured, this incident highlighted the increasing dependence we have on technology. Incidentally the boy had over 500 friends on various messaging platforms, most of whom he had never met in person.

What is even more shocking is the fact that the boy, when taken for treatment, stripped to protest the fact that he was not given unhindered internet access. 

You might think that this is a stray incident, and not everyone’s kids suffer from internet addiction. But a recent study conducted by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) threw up some startling facts.

• They found that About 75 percent of 12-to 17-year-olds own cell phones and nearly all teenagers use text messaging.


• That the average 8- to 10-year-old child spends nearly eight hours a day with different media, and older children and teens spend more than 11 hours per day.


• And that kids who had a TV in their bedroom spend more time with media.


• The researchers further stated that the amount of time a child spends on smartphones and other technological devices should be lowered as it can lead to obesity, lack of sleep, school problems, aggression and other behaviour issues among children.

While psychiatrists have termed this as internet addiction, another study found that the addiction has the same effect on a person’s brain as drug addiction does. Therefore, a person addicted to the internet, will eventually need professional help and will suffer from withdrawal symptoms, just as a drug addict would. Incidentally, in the report Mumbai Mirror, spoke to the boy and found that he was unable to converse beyond a few sentences, was sweating, fidgeting, shaking his legs and had to be taken back to his bed after a few minutes of the interview. The boy showed clear signs of withdrawal, the same as a drug addict would suffer if he were being rehabilitated for his addiction.

Could your child be an addict?

Recognising the symptoms early on and getting the appropriate treatment for an addiction is the first step to recovery. According to Seema Hingorrany, a city-based clinical psychologist, the symptoms include changes in mood, preoccupation, inability to control the amount of time you spend on the internet and diminishing social life. ‘It leaves you with depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder and anxiety. By the time a person realises it, it’s too late to get rid of the addiction. I have patients eating in front of their laptops. In bizarre cases they have the urge to be online even in the washroom,’ she adds.

Dr Hemant Mittal, neuropsychiatrist says, ‘The most important sign of addiction is that your mind is constantly thinking about what’s happening on Facebook, Twitter… and these thought don’t calm down until you get online.’

Are parents to blame?

While, it is impossible for parents to monitor their child all the time. According to Victor Strasburger, lead author of the American Association of Pediatrics study, when 70 percent of children and teenagers have access to electronic media in their bedrooms, parents have no way of knowing what they are seeing, or downloading or texting. Therefore, it is time parents took better control of their kinds.

What can parents do?

• One of the best way to tackle this menace is to not give your child a smartphone very early in life. If staying connected is your concern, you can invest in a phone that has basic features (like calling and texting) and not one that can connect to the internet and supports applications that allow free messaging.


• Another good strategy is to not have a TV or computer in your child’s room and have it in a common area instead. This will ensure that your child has to use the internet under your supervision and will have to interact with you and his/her siblings. Spending more family time (like having dinner together) and talking to your child can also help, as most addicts feel that their virtual friends understand their problems better than their parents or real friends.

If you think your child suffers from internet addiction, here are a few ways you can help him/her deal with it.

Help them admit the fact that they have an addiction

Admission is the first step to rehabilitation and applies to any addiction.

Be honest

They must accept that their virtual life has taken over their real life.

Help them think before they go online

Teach them to pause to think before they go online the next time and ask the following question – what am I looking for? Why am I here? Teach them to make a mental note about what they plan to do once you are logged on, this will give them a direction to follow.

They must think of what they did once online?

Reflect on what they did once they went online. Did they just view their Facebook account? Was it really necessary? All these questions can help curb the use of the internet.

Plan internet usage

Having a set time to use the internet and allowing only about 20 minutes can help a lot to help your child overcome his addiction.

Ignore smartphone notifications

Teach him that he does not have to check every single thing out. Just shut off the notifications from time to time and disconnect from the device.

 

Health News, health tipsAddiction, Health, In the news, Internet addiction, Internet addiction disorder, Parenting
How dangerous is your child’s internet and smart phone addiction?