It Takes a Village March
13, 2013
Do we need to worry about our children’s Internet
habits? According to Matthew Edlund, MD,
the answer is yes. Dr. Edlund puts forth
some disturbing results from a Chinese study of 14-21 year olds indicating that
Internet addiction can actually change human brains in the same way that drug
addiction and gambling do.[1]
In this study of adolescents, MRI’s demonstrated
decreased gray matter in the areas of the brain that control decision making
and emotion. White matter, which
connects different areas of the brain, appeared disrupted just as it does for
those who abuse alcohol and drugs. This
is scary stuff. It makes you wonder if
the changes are permanent.
When it comes right down to it, parents are the ones
that must take responsibility by becoming aware, and staying aware, of how much
time their children are sitting in front of a computer screen. The American Academy of Pediatricians
recommends no more than 2 hours of TV and/or computer screen time a day.[2] How many parents are even aware of this
recommendation?
We live in a different world today than we did just
a short 5 years ago. Kids who are ‘plugged
in’ for too many hours of the day can experience depression, anxiety and
nervousness. Many of them have trouble
staying away from the Net even when they try.
I see the present as a time when teachers, parents,
grandparents, and even friends will need to be educated about this potentially
damaging habit that some of our kids have developed. The Internet has brought innumerable
positives to the general public, but at the same time, overuse has been shown
to create problems. Because we have the
ability to ‘log on’ anytime, anywhere, without any controls in place, the
possibility for abuse exists. The
temptation for instant gratification that is satisfied by ‘Netting up’ any time
of the day or night has proven to be too much for some people to handle.
Guidelines for TV and Internet use should be
incorporated into doctors’ plans of care for every office visit our kids make
to their Pediatricians. It has to become
an important and essential topic of communication between parents and their
children’s physicians if we hope to control the Internet habit.
[1]
“The Kids Can’t Stop: Is Internet Addiction Real?” Psychology Today. n.d. Web.
12 Jan. 2010. http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/the-power-rest/201201/the-kids-cant-stop-is-internet-addiction-real
[2]
“Teen Depression Linked to Internet Overuse”. US News. n.d. Web 5 Aug. 2010. http://health.usnews.com/health-news/blogs/on-parenting/2010/08/05/teen-depression-linked-to-internet-overuse
You’re exactly right; parents need to be educated about this damaging habit. I read an article the other day about a young 18 year old volunteer firefighter, and how volunteering helped him fight his internet addiction. The article describes how the young man was staying up 72-78 hours straight, just sitting in front of the computer, mostly on Facebook. What kind of parent let his/her child stay on computer for 3 days straight with little or no sleep?
ReplyDeleteBkassahun
That is too true. No reasonable parent would allow such a ridiculous habit to form with their children. These kids are denying themselves too much sleep and I am sure their diet is affected by all the instant noodles. They focus so hard on Facebook that they forget there is a real world around them.
ReplyDeleteI think this is a very insightful blog. I'm not yet a mother but my boyfriend has a 6 yr old who already LOVES playing games and watching you tube video's on the internet. My boyfriend does a good job of monitoring him the entire time he's on the computer as well as limits the amount of time he spends on it. But this is something I never thought about before. The internet can be such a wonderful resource and it takes practice and skills to know how to use it to it's fullest extent. Teaching a child early how to use the technology of today is a good thing. However, a child become addicted to the internet is not a good thing. I think that it is important to make parents aware of this very realistic possibility and explain the importance of monitoring and limiting internet use for their children.
ReplyDelete