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assisting in the realization of civil and social rights
Internet addiction in children: how to recognize it and what to do
22.09.2022
School is a wonderful time, but children are returning to the classrooms and will spend more and more time on the computer? After all, it's hard to imagine even doing homework without it. Today we want to draw attention to an important issue — how to recognize and prevent internet addiction. Remember, if you teach your child from a young age to build their relationship with the Internet wisely, it will indeed become a help, and your child will not fall into the unkind traps.
How to recognize internet addiction?
If you notice that your child spends a lot of time on the computer, often playing games, it's worth paying attention to the following factors:
- The amount of time spent online. Does the child do their household chores? Does he do his homework? How does he sleep, eat, go for walks?
- Find out what the child does when he's online. Perhaps his interest is supported by real hobbies, or he's just trying not to miss anything. Try to find out how important online communication is for him and whether it replaces real communication with friends.
- Pay attention to mood. When the child gets up from the computer, how does he behave? Is he depressed, or, on the contrary, irritable and worried? Among the physical signs, poor sleep and appetite, low physical activity may appear.
If such signs are still present, try to do the following: - To begin with, try to gently find out what's bothering him.
- Don't forbid your child to use the Internet, but agree that you will set some small rules (amount of time on the computer, doing homework before free time on the Internet, etc.). Remember that you can use special programs that help parents set limits for children (for example, almost all computers have the "Parental Control" function).
- Say that using the computer is now allowed only in the common room – this will make it easier to monitor the child's online activities. You will be able to discreetly keep an eye on what the child is doing online.
- Ask the child to write down what exactly they are spending time on while online. This will help them understand and get rid of some obsessive actions, such as mindlessly refreshing the page while waiting for new messages.
- Try doing something as a family: board games, for example, or arrange regular walks. It's important for the child to have hobbies unrelated to the Internet that they can distract themselves with.
If you see that the problem is serious, be sure to seek help from a professional. Hotline consultants can also help and advise you on what to do in such a situation.
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