10 signs that children are addicted to computer games and the Internet - computer harm for children

What is Internet addiction

It’s hard to imagine modern life without computers, smartphones and the Internet.
We communicate in instant messengers and social networks, find out news on websites, and even children receive school grades in electronic diaries. Many professions are related to computers, from programmers to accountants. Even computer games can become a serious activity. Since 2001, eSports in our country has been recognized as an official sport, and in the United States, the first eSports tournaments appeared even earlier. And the question arises: how to draw the line beyond which e-sports and a healthy passion for technology turn into computer addiction among teenagers.

American neuroscientists conducted a study on the problem of gaming addiction and found that the desire to play computer games activates the same areas of the brain that are responsible for cravings for drugs and gambling. All these addictions are somewhat similar, although gaming does not destroy health as much as drug addiction.

To build a healthy relationship with gadgets in a child and stop worrying, from psychologist Larisa Surkova. Inside are digital hygiene rules and expert advice for parents.

Preventing child addiction to gadgets

Prevention of computer, telephone and Internet addiction
The development of gaming and Internet addiction is facilitated by the widespread use of computers, telephones, the development of a mobile computing environment, and the availability of connecting a gadget to the World Wide Web.

How to prevent your child from developing a gaming or Internet addiction:

1. Set a positive personal example. Children always imitate adults, and if parents spend all their free time on the Internet or playing games, then the child will behave the same way.
2. Limit your time working with gadgets. Until the age of 4, it is better not to give gadgets to your child at all.
3. After 4 years, the time of communication with a computer, phone, tablet is strictly limited.
4. Set a firm rule - “a certain number of minutes a day” (from half an hour to 2 hours a day - depending on age), and do not break it under any circumstances - be consistent.
5. Take an interest in what your children are doing on the computer, phone, tablet. Be there, be with the child.
6. Discuss the games your child likes to play.
7. Teach your child to consider games, gadget applications and the Internet as a means of acquiring new skills and obtaining useful information that is of practical importance.
8. In order to avoid a child completely moving into “virtual worlds”, he must have full access to real and fascinating “worlds” - studios, clubs, hikes, communication with nature, creativity, travel, theaters, cinema, museums.

Types of computer addiction

Children spend time online in different ways. Boys prefer shooting games, such as Doom or Counter-Strike, and girls can spend hours scrolling through their Instagram feed. There are three types of computer addiction, although they all have the same mechanism:

• Gaming addiction is an excessive passion for computer games that gradually replace real life. Realistic graphics and rich plot give the child emotions, and game chats can fully satisfy the child’s need for communication. Also, many games have ratings, daily tasks, and reward systems, which further keeps players engaged.
• Addiction to social networks is an obsessive desire to check for new likes and messages, scroll through your feed for a long time, and make online acquaintances. Social networks make it easy for teenagers to overcome their insecurities and create an ideal image of themselves. But the greater the gap with reality, the more difficult it is to accept your appearance without filters and your real life, which seems too boring and gray.
• Addiction to network surfing - all kinds of sites and videos on YouTube can be useful if a teenager watches them for some purpose. It’s a completely different matter to wander aimlessly around the Internet. Essentially, this is procrastination that gradually takes more and more time.

How to stop being addicted to your phone? Nomophobia - a disease of the 21st century

In the modern world, a large number of things have been created to make our lives easier. However, their availability becomes a problem for many. One of these items today is the smartphone. It is not just a means of communication, but also a gadget that is used for entertainment.

A smartphone allows you to keep abreast of events, monitor what is happening in the world, communicate with friends, and be aware of what is happening with them. Such close interaction with a mobile phone leads to the development of a disease - nomophobia.

Nomophobia: concept, signs and causes

The concept of “nomophobia” was introduced relatively recently. Psychologists use this term to describe the restless and sometimes panicky state of a person that arises as a result of the fact that he cannot maintain contact via a mobile phone. According to statistics, about 53% of people are addicted to their gadgets.

Manifestations of nomophobia

1. The emergence of panic, feelings of discomfort, irritability in the absence of a gadget nearby.
2. The appearance of your smartphone becomes very important to you. A person strives to decorate his phone, make it special, and purchase the latest model.
3. Information dependence. The individual suffers from the fact that he may miss some news. And to prevent this from happening, I am ready to turn everything upside down.
4. Sound hallucinations occur: it seems that calls are being received on the smartphone.

Signs

1. You carry your phone with you all the time. He should be there even at night. Having a phone gives you confidence and peace of mind.
2. You constantly hold your smartphone in your hands, spend a lot of money buying updates and various programs.
3. You prefer to communicate over the phone rather than meeting people in person.
4. You spend a lot of time on social networks, constantly taking selfies and posting them online, it becomes very important to you what people think when looking at your photos.
5. You are afraid of losing your phone, you check for it all the time.

Causes

1. Fear of being alone: ​​the phone creates the illusion of being needed and gives confidence.
2. The ability to contact people at any time, wherever they are.
3. Advertising that colorfully talks about new products, noting their importance in life. This leads to the fact that a person begins to perceive the phone as an extremely necessary thing for life. Children who do not know how to properly filter out unnecessary information are especially susceptible to this.
4. Operating mode. Certain professions today deprive a person of his personal life. In this case, the phone acts as a compensator.

Negative influence of a smartphone - how to get rid of addiction?

Gadgets have a great influence on people. Constant interaction with them leads to the loss of communication skills, disturbed sleep, a person falls out of reality, does not notice what is happening around, because... his gaze is glued to the screen.

To get rid of phone addiction, you need

1. Place the gadget in an inaccessible place so that it is not constantly at hand. This will reduce the need to look into it.
2. Use a computer to access the Internet. It takes longer to turn it on, so you won't have to do it all the time to read messages on social networks.
3. Set a complex password for logging into social networks via your mobile phone.
4. Go online at a strictly defined time, for example, 30 minutes in the morning or afternoon and the same amount in the evening.
5. Leave your smartphone at home when you go, try to avoid places where there is free access to Wi-Fi.
6. Set a timer when you log into social networks to control the time spent there.
7. Set your phone to silent mode, which will allow you not to be constantly distracted by incoming notifications.
8. Use an alarm clock rather than the same function on your phone. This will reduce the temptation to watch news on social media feeds.

By following these simple recommendations, you can overcome the desire not to part with your mobile phone.

Signs of computer addiction in teenagers

Frequent use of the computer does not always mean addiction. The key difference between a hobby and a real behavioral disorder is the loss of control over the craving for games or social networks, the blurred boundary between the virtual and real world. Everyday activities gradually lose their meaning and become a burden that you want to get rid of as quickly as possible in order to immerse yourself in virtual life.

Some parents consider computer addiction to be just a bad habit or a gap in parenting, but mental health experts suggest treating it as a disease. In 2022, gaming disorders, including computer game addiction, were added to the International Classification of Diseases.

Symptoms of computer addiction in teenagers:

• The need to spend all free time online, lack of other interests and hobbies
• Withdrawal syndrome: restlessness, irritability when unable to go online
• Repeatedly deceiving parents or other loved ones regarding time spent at the computer
• Irritability, aggression in response to prohibitions or persuasion to take a break from a computer game or social networks
• The desire to continue to play, despite problems in school, damaged relationships with parents and friends
• Neglect of appearance and personal hygiene - a teenager may stop washing without a reminder and becomes indifferent to his appearance
• Physical signs: insomnia, nervousness, dry, sore eyes, headaches. As one of the consequences of computer addiction, teenagers may develop carpal tunnel syndrome (pain in the wrist due to working with a mouse)

Gambling addiction - what is it?

People who love to gamble can often be accused of gambling addiction. However, not all players are truly sick.

Gaming addiction is a purported form of psychological addiction that involves compulsive involvement with video games and computer games.

The American Psychiatric Association identifies the following symptoms of addiction to computer (and other online) games:

• the appearance of obsessive thoughts about the game, even during other activities;
• restless, irritable, sometimes unreasonably sad state of the player when trying to reduce the playing time or abandon it;
• the need to increase the time in the game and use a more powerful gadget;
• loss of control over the situation: inability to exit the game on your own, stop thinking about the game;
• perception of other entertainment (communication with friends, hobbies) as interference;
• inability to stop, even with awareness of all the negative consequences (or manifestations of some of them): poor health, problems with studies, financial expenses, conflicts with loved ones;
• the need to lie to yourself and loved ones about the amount of time spent in the game.

Currently, according to various studies, from 12 to 25% of people around the world suffer from gambling addiction. Since the problem is becoming more obvious every year, in January 2022, gambling addiction will be included in the ICD-11 reference book on the recommendation of the World Health Organization.

Typical causes of computer addiction in teenagers

• Lack of vivid emotions

Computer games and videos on social networks can be compared to fast food - “quick food” for the psyche and brain. In real life, bright events require activity, activity, but in the virtual world it is enough to launch a game. True, like fast food, virtual events only satisfy your “hunger”, but do not help you develop.

• Shyness, communication problems

In games and social networks, in order to attract attention, it is enough to comment on someone’s photo or go through one mission together. In real life, making friends is much more difficult, so the Internet seems like a good solution for shy teenagers.

She really expands her social circle, but on the other hand, the child will never learn to make friends in everyday life. Moreover, he may lose interest in it.

• The desire to prove superiority and gain recognition

By building castles, killing monsters or filming a video for a social network, a teenager receives admiration and support that he does not have in the real world. He feels significant and important, and sees likes as approval from his peers.

It is useless to think about how to wean a teenager from computer addiction if he has no success offline. And such situations will not appear out of nowhere if you turn off the Internet at home - you need to work on them.

Another factor that may contribute to the development of computer addiction in children and adolescents is the lack of family holiday traditions. Family trips, sports, and DIY hobbies teach children to have fun while doing something. But if the family habit is to spend time in front of the TV, there is no way for the child to learn another way to relieve himself of boredom.

Kinds

Internet addiction is a constant desire to go online and spend as much time there as possible. There are several types of Internet addictions:

1. Surfing – aimlessly flipping through pages, clicking on different links and reading unnecessary information. 2. Gaming addiction - constant freezing in online games. 3. Financial dependence – there is a constant desire to buy something in an online store. 4. Gambling – frequent participation in auctions, lotteries, drawings, and Internet gambling. 5. Dependence on communication - characterized by a large number of correspondence, participation in chats, forums, too many friends and subscribers on social networks with whom the child is not even familiar. 6. Cybersexual addiction – frequent visits to sites with pornographic content, viewing videos and photographs of a sexual nature, intimate correspondence. 7. Video addiction – watching a large number of films via the Internet, TV series, videos on various topics. Often the viewer cannot even tell what the video they watched was about.

Recently, this dependence has been increasingly observed in children and adolescents. The main symptom is the desire to go online at any free moment. The gaze is focused on the smartphone for a very long time or a lot of time is spent at the computer without a specific goal. Often the reaction to irritating factors around disappears, and when trying to distract from this activity, aggression or hysteria appears.

You might be interested in: How to manage stress on your own

Subsequently, interest in the real world is lost, the desire to communicate with real people disappears, there are no hobbies and interests. Obsessive thoughts of opening another website keep you awake at night and distract you from everyday activities during the day. The daily routine, nutrition and sleep are severely disrupted, and, as a result, mental activity decreases.

Clinical personality changes

The teenager is looking for an opportunity to play or go on social networks as often as possible, and does not know how to relax and rest in any other way. There is almost no interest in other entertainment, or they clearly lose out in his system of priorities.

This could include skipping school, lying to parents and teachers, and spending all your pocket money on paid options in the game. To help a teenager get rid of computer addiction at this stage, decisive measures are needed - psychological and pedagogical suggestions alone will not be enough. Parents need to create a worthy competitor to the Internet. For example, play sports together or go on a long hiking trip.

Stages of addiction development

Children do not immediately become avid gamers. The process of addiction formation is very long. First, the child gets acquainted with the game, its rules, the fictional world, tries on new roles, sees whether it suits him or not.

Stage of interest

It can last a very long time, and many teenagers remain on it, trying more and more new applications. There is no manic desire to play here yet, so there is no danger as such. If your child plays for a limited time and easily gives up the gadget in favor of other activities, then you should not worry or argue with him about this. Support him in other hobbies, and you won't be afraid of gaming addiction.

Infatuation Stage

The first call for parents. The world of fantasy interests the teenager more and more; he wants to play a little longer, “five more minutes.” The child is still able to refuse to play, but the desire to return there again arises more and more often. He spends several hours a day playing the game, and his performance declines. It’s good if the application gets boring and disappoints the player at this stage. Or parents will gently intervene in the child’s life and direct his energy in a different direction.

It is important to understand that a ban on the game will only cause greater protest, and the desire to play will intensify. If you miss time at this stage, the addiction will quickly develop into the next stage.

Dependency stage

School, friends, food and sleep interfere with the game. Constant conflicts with family, all thoughts are only about how to improve your results when passing the next test. Here you can observe a full-fledged syndrome, when the game becomes inaccessible to the child.

Aggression, apathy, depressive and suicidal thoughts. All this signals the beginning of serious problems for a teenager. It is no longer possible to turn a blind eye to addiction.

Unfortunately, few parents will be able to cope with the situation on their own, therefore, for the benefit of the whole family, it is necessary to turn to specialists who will help bring the child out of gambling addiction and improve relations with the world so that a relapse does not occur.

Stage of clinical dependence

The child is no longer able to control himself and can sit at the computer or gadget for a day without sleep. Appetite decreases, emotional inhibition is observed, at the same time hysteria and impulsiveness increase. Psychosomatic disorders begin - headaches, stomach upsets, intestinal colic. Some children experience auditory and visual hallucinations. If urgent measures are not taken and specialists are not involved in saving the child, irreversible changes in the brain may begin.

Clinical addiction

At this stage, the teenager is not able to easily tear himself away from the game, even if he wants to. All his thoughts and plans are somehow connected with the game, and many specific terms appear in his speech. If for some reason he is unable to sit down at the computer, withdrawal syndrome occurs: depression, irritability, anxiety.

The child becomes indifferent to family matters and may show callousness towards parents and loved ones. At this stage, parents will not be able to deal with their teenager’s computer addiction on their own; they need the help of a psychotherapist.

Is my child addicted or not? How to Know When to Worry

Sometimes it can be difficult to determine whether a child is just playing enthusiastically or is already addicted and cannot stop. In this case, you need to watch him for some time.

It is important to pay attention to the following points:

Mood

A child with addiction is often irritable, angry, and has poor control over his emotions, especially when it comes to computer games. However, he quickly calms down when given the opportunity to play. Here it is important to clarify that anger at a mother who snatched a gadget out of her hands is a natural reaction for a healthy teenager . The immature psyche works slowly, therefore, in order to avoid conflict and prepare the child for the end of the game, warn him in advance that time is coming to an end (“5 minutes left”). If after this time the child parted with the toy calmly enough, there is no problem.

Time in game

Gamers often simply cannot limit themselves to this pleasure. They are ready to give up food in favor of playing, go to bed poorly, and skip classes to sit at the computer or gadget. It happens that parents themselves provoke such a situation, initially denying their child the right to play. If the daily schedule has a clear time allotted for entertainment, the child is less worried about the game, he knows for sure that he will get what he wants on time and no one will punish him.

Financial expenses

The child begins to insist on the need to invest money in the game, in improving the technical characteristics of the phone or computer. He doesn't have enough pocket money. Theft from home is possible.

Communication with peers

The interests of a dependent child are greatly narrowed. With friends, all conversations ultimately come down to games. The gambler begins to reduce the number of walks with friends, under various pretexts being left alone with the game.

If your child is easily distracted from the game, calmly parts with the gadget, leads an active social life, and has no problems sleeping - everything is fine. Games are entertainment, one of thousands of possible ones. And it is unreasonable to scold a child for wanting to entertain himself.

Structural personality changes

The stage of desocialization, when a teenager completely drops out of public life. This stage is characterized by indifference to one’s appearance, the ability to go for a long time without food or sleep, despite feeling unwell.

A dependent person becomes indifferent to the outside world; nothing pleases or interests him. If others try to talk or distract him, he reacts aggressively. Such severe computer addiction among teenagers is rare, but when the situation is so advanced, urgent help is needed.

Consequences of computer addiction

If the Internet and computer become the main channels of communication, this can greatly affect the socialization of a teenager. Facial expressions and gestures are not used online; emotions are expressed using emoticons, and in case of any conflicts, you can simply leave the chat. The child does not use all means of communication, does not develop them - all this impoverishes communication.

Another important point is disturbances in the formation of attachments. It's easy to make friends online, but it's also easy to break up. You can add one interlocutor to the blacklist and immediately find a new one. As a result, the teenager will not have the experience of real relationships with all their difficulties, adjustments, quarrels and reconciliations.

An equally harmful consequence of computer addiction in adolescents can be considered the illusion of achievement that avid gamers or bloggers develop. In games, you can create an entire universe in a few days, and if something doesn’t work out, go through the level again. Success in life cannot be achieved so easily. At the same time, only a few are seriously involved in e-sports or developing their blog, while the rest retain the illusion of achievement while their real life is being destroyed.

Consequences

Many parents, justifying their own mistakes in parenting, like to repeat that computer addiction is better than alcohol or drug addiction. They are only partly right, and only because they do not imagine all the consequences that it is fraught with.

Firstly, it forms much faster than all other types of dependencies. Secondly, only in 20% of cases children “outgrow” it on their own (consciously lose interest in computers and gadgets). Thirdly, it is extremely dangerous for physical health and can provoke:

• visual impairment;
• insomnia;
• curvature of the spine, problems with the musculoskeletal system;
• decreased immunity;
• headache;
• muscle atrophy;
• rapid and increased fatigue;
• obesity;
• back pain;
• tunnel syndrome (pain in the wrist).

Fourthly, computer addiction literally transforms the psyche of a child who:

• outside of his computer reality he feels “squeezed out and empty”;
• becomes lethargic, apathetic, irritable, nervous;
• sleeps poorly;
• is either undernourished or overnourished;
• ceases to really evaluate the surrounding reality, including himself in it;
• socially disoriented, losing interpersonal contacts and connections.

If no measures are taken to eliminate children's computer addiction, it will become a stable pattern of behavior. Children grow up withdrawn and completely socially unadapted. They cannot adapt to the realities of the modern world, living and realizing themselves only in the fictional, virtual. As they grow older, they have problems entering educational institutions and finding employment. Most of them become completely “wild”, do not leave their room for days, do not communicate with anyone, continue to live on their parents’ necks, spend any money on games or buying technical innovations (processor, monitor, telephone).

Health implications

Computer addiction is often accompanied by a number of somatic problems. Physical inactivity weakens muscles, deteriorates posture, and develops scoliosis. Irregular meals and fast food, which children like to snack on while playing, lead to gastritis. Finally, spending a long time looking at a monitor inevitably affects your vision.

Such problems are clearly visible to parents, but may not be noticeable to a teenager. Captivated by the game, children often do not notice hunger and lack of sleep. However, all this affects health.

How to prevent computer addiction

It is much easier to prevent addiction rather than treat it. Show your child that you are concerned about the current situation. It is important that he sees you not as an aggressor or adversary, but as a loved one who also needs care.

Try to keep the games collective - with the participation of two or three children. This will allow you to periodically be distracted by communication without plunging into a state of “trance”. Show interest in the games your child enjoys. If possible, offer developmental options.

Proper upbringing of a child is the main measure to prevent addiction of any type in children. If a conflict situation arises, expressed on your part by an order to stop being behind the monitor, then forget about bargaining. State your position clearly and clearly and provide an explanation for it.

Do not limit the child in his actions by banning certain games. It is better to explain why this or that activity is undesirable for him. If a particular type of entertainment is categorically prohibited without any explanation, it will increase the child’s interest in such pastime. The very existence of the ban will make it impossible to discuss the problem between the child and parents.

Always agree on your child's screen time and stick to those agreements. The duration should be chosen based on the age of the child. Before the age of 5, it is generally undesirable for a child to get involved in computer games - encourage him to explore the world without electronics.

From the age of 6, 15-20 minutes of such leisure time is enough. A teenager 10-12 years old can sit at the device for about two hours, with breaks.

A strict ban on computer games immediately before bedtime. The device should not be placed in a child's room. As noted, time spent on the computer should be in a common room to see what it is used for.

Teach your child to active games, sports, and physical development. It shouldn't be a burden - find something he likes. Computer games should not replace real communication with others.

If possible, periodically communicate with him while he is online - this will allow him not to be immersed in the game, and you will understand what he is doing.

You should be aware of his virtual contacts, talk to him about them. It is important that the child does not leave his home address, school, or telephone number to “people on the Internet.” Meetings with new acquaintances from the Internet without prior discussion with friends is also prohibited. A trusting relationship with a child will subsequently save you from many serious problems.

How to treat computer addiction in teenagers

Parents should first of all pay attention to the situation in the family and at school - this is the teenager’s immediate environment, where the roots of all his problems are usually located. In the early stages, it is enough to improve the atmosphere in the family and offer the child an interesting hobby.

And in order to understand how to cure computer addiction in a teenager, if it has already formed and there are negative consequences, it is important to consult with a psychologist and find a solution together.

Possible treatments:

• Gestalt therapy, psychoanalysis, cognitive behavioral therapy and other psychotherapeutic methods, including hypnosis. You can work with addictions in different directions; it is better for parents to choose not a method, but a good specialist.
• Drug treatment is selected exclusively by a psychiatrist (the psychologist does not prescribe medications). As a rule, this method is used if clinical depression is diagnosed, which became the cause of addiction.

It is better to prevent any disease than to treat it. Methodological recommendations from psychologists aimed at preventing computer addiction include working with a teenager on choosing an active hobby and on life goals. You need to pay attention to this as early as possible, before your passion for computers goes beyond the norm.

Children in the family should have a choice of how to spend their free time and what to enjoy. If from an early age the only option for relaxation was cartoons, there is a high probability that they will be replaced by video games and social networks, because the child will not form ideas about entertainment without gadgets.

Is it possible to divide games into dangerous and non-dangerous?

In fact, it is impossible to name specific game genres that are 100% addictive. Any game made with sufficient quality, thought out, and color can attract a child’s attention and make him return to the screen again and again.

Unfortunately, game developers are forced to create attractive worlds with secret levels, interesting plots, and bonus systems, otherwise people will stop buying their products. And not all players become addicted.

If you consider the applications individually, you can find for each a set of key skills necessary for successful completion.

At the moment there are many classifications of games. We will consider one of the simplest, directly related to psychological aspects. Games are divided into six genres:

Actions

Aimed at the player's physical skills, success depends on reaction speed, good coordination of vision and motor skills. For these games, the characteristics of the computer or phone on which they are installed are very important, since human actions depend on the quality of drawing details.

A typical task for a player in this genre is to collect all the necessary items, defeat all the “monsters,” and find a way out of the location. Some games involve active teamwork. All this develops the ability to quickly make decisions, think strategically, calculate moves in advance, and also allows you to shed excess aggression. However, at the same time, action games are easily addictive and cause rapid fatigue of the nervous system. It is advisable to limit the time spent in such games in order to give the psyche a chance to rest and the body to stretch not only its fingers.

Simulator

An excellent opportunity for a child to try himself in different situations. For example, there you can manage an airplane or your own restaurant. The main thing to remember here is that the simulator does not provide a 100% representation of reality, but only shows part of life.

Strategies

Games that require high-quality thought processes. As a rule, the player is offered the role of the leader of a state, company or group, and a certain goal to which he must lead the people entrusted to him.

Periodic fascination with this genre develops strategic thinking, the ability to see a situation broadly and from different points of view, make ambiguous decisions, and think for the future. Here breaks are necessary to give the brain a break, otherwise the likelihood of making a mistake increases.

Role-playing games

They give the teenager the opportunity to become someone else. Not “the humble boy Petya,” but “the last descendant of the king of the elves,” for example. A very popular genre among children, especially those who are unsure of themselves.

These games, by the way, are found not only in the virtual world, but also in the real one. People dress up as their favorite characters and gather at various games and festivals to live a more colorful and unusual life.

If you notice that your child has begun to become heavily immersed in role-playing games, look at how eventful his real life is. Perhaps he lacks strong positive impressions. Since each character in the game has a different set of special characteristics, pay attention to what features your child chooses. Help him develop these qualities in real life.

Adventures (quest)

A light genre where the player, in the form of a character, goes through a certain journey, overcomes obstacles, and solves problems. Very often, such games are based on the plots of books and films. Reaction speed and strategic thinking are not important here - observation and logic are much more important. The player is offered puzzles, solving which he gets the opportunity to move on. These games can be played by the whole family. They are fun and useful. The main thing is to take a break on time.

Puzzles

Games without a special plot. The levels are built on the same rules and consist of solving logical problems with a gradual increase in complexity. The player requires concentration, logical thinking, a little strategy and intuition. In moderate doses, puzzles help develop a child's mental abilities.

Thus, there are no absolutely bad or absolutely good games - everything is good in moderation and on time. The main rule for both children and adults is to play for fun and at a strictly designated time. The risk of addiction is greatly reduced if a person leads an active, busy life, and the game acts as a pleasant seasoning to it.

How to help a child: advice to parents

• It is impossible to prohibit the use of a computer or access to the Internet completely - children will need them for school. But it can be shown that computer technology is not only created for entertainment. You can do programming, web design, etc. behind the monitor. Even games are not a waste of time - eSports is an official discipline.
• While the psychologist is working on how to rid a teenager of computer addiction, it is up to the parents to create a comfortable environment at home. If you constantly scold and criticize a child until he “corrects”, the stress level will only increase, and the result of treatment will be worse.
• There is no need to expect that a child will have enough communication with parents and study so as not to feel lonely. In adolescence, the company of peers is important - so let the child have the opportunity to have it in sports or creative sections.
• To get rid of computer addiction, a teenager needs motivation. He must understand that interesting things await him in the future, and know how to go about achieving success. Parents can help if they talk with their child about their future profession, take an interest in their inclinations, and thus create a basis for new hobbies.
• Online games are often a way to relieve stress and throw out negative emotions. It is important to teach your teenager to cope with emotions differently, and also to provide him with support in stressful situations (even if the cause of the stress seems trivial).

Prevention

However, the best way to deal with any addiction is not to take things to extremes. So it is with gaming addictions. If a child is actively developing, full of creative energy, participates in sports events, communicates a lot with peers, feels support from loved ones, he simply has no time and no need to hide in the world of games. Therefore, support your children, talk to them, help them fill their lives with meaning, cultivate self-confidence in them, because parents are the main people in the life of any child.

What not to do

• Fight with physical methods - turn off the Internet and force the child to take a walk or read. It doesn't work, new interests don't just arise.
• Focus on the negative and scare the player with health consequences. As a rule, children do not attach due importance to this - they realize the harm to health much later.
• It is harsh to point out the disease - call him a gambler, abnormal, say “you will be cured.” This can have the opposite effect and only push the child away from going to a psychologist or psychotherapist.
• Forcibly take the child to a specialist. Sometimes this is justified, but dependence on a computer is not the case. If a teenager refuses help, it is better to go to a consultation with the parents themselves, so that the psychologist can suggest a way out of the situation.
• Criticize friends online. Even if they really have a bad influence on the child, he will not accept criticism, and as a result, parents only risk ruining the relationship.
• Fence yourself off from the situation and wait for the problem to resolve itself. Treatment of computer addiction requires the active participation of parents and patience, otherwise you can waste time and reach the stage where even the help of a specialist is not always effective.

The computer, like everything in this world, is not an absolute evil, but a tool. It can be useful for a child if parents teach him how to use it correctly.

Psychologist's advice to parents

Internet addiction is a broad concept that includes many specific points. But corrective work to get rid of it will have similar directions.

Adolescents and children are at the highest risk of becoming addicted to the Internet. A fragile psyche and lack of critical thinking are an excellent foundation for the development of any form of addictive behavior. So what should parents do if their child is caught up in the World Wide Web, which has replaced the real world?

Understand the reasons

Any addictive behavior is directly related to a person’s need to get away from an uncomfortable reality. In the case of a teenager, stress can be caused by difficulties in social adaptation, conflicts with peers, academic failures and much more.

If mom or dad try to talk honestly and confidentially with the child about what is happening in his life, then the roots of Internet addiction will become clearer. If you can’t reach your son or daughter, it makes sense to consult a psychologist.

Suggest an alternative

A person becomes dependent on something when the object of addiction fulfills his actual needs. Having identified them on their own or with the help of a specialist, parents should look for another way for their child to get what is missing. If a teenager lacks communication with peers, you can look for a club or section for him. If a child lacks vivid impressions, it is worth looking towards competitive sports.

It is important to remember that the proposed way of spending time should be attractive to the teenager. Under no circumstances should you impose your ideas on a child, as this will cause a protest reaction that will worsen the dependence.

Establish contact

This advice is relevant for any form of deviant behavior in a teenager. Building trusting communication smooths out many corners and rough edges. However, parents often don't know where to start. Next, we will consider several points that must be observed when communicating with a child.

Don't criticize

For an adult, criticism can be a stimulus for development. But for a teenager, whose self-esteem is often reactive and dependent on the opinions of others, it is painful. If a mother or father communicates with a child in the language of criticism, then you can forget about trust. But the degree of immersion in the virtual world is increasing.

First talk about feelings, then about actions

Another mistake that an overwhelming number of parents make is that, when they hear about a problem with their son or daughter, they immediately offer a ready-made solution. But the first thing to do is to share the feelings. A teenager feels everything more acutely than an adult. Consequently, his need to share his experiences is higher.

Sometimes it is enough just to listen to the child so that he himself can see ways to resolve the situation. But even if this does not happen, after working with feelings the boy or girl is more open to accepting advice.

Show interest

Trust is not built when communication is just for show. Parents should try to look at the world through the eyes of their child and be interested in his life. The question “how are you?” should not be empty, there should really be curiosity behind it.

Internet addiction is often associated with a lack of communication in real life. If parents become for a teenager those people with whom you can share something personal, then the desire of their son or daughter to constantly be online will decrease.

Of course, we are talking about the initial stage of addiction, when time has not yet been lost. But even in more severe cases, the parents’ job will be to establish contact with the child and find alternative ways to meet his needs.