Computer addiction in adolescents and children: signs, how to fight, prevention. Computer addiction in teenagers Symptoms of computer addiction in teenagers
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With the development of computer technology, a huge number of new problems arise. One of them is computer addiction in teenagers. This is exactly what I want to talk about in this article.
What it is?
It would seem that a child is playing computer games, so what? There is peace and quiet at home. However, modern psychologists say that today more and more children of primary, middle and high school age are becoming dependent on the computer. What does this mean? In principle, the characteristics of all dependencies are similar to each other. If a drug addict spends days looking for a fix, the child may look forward to the hour when his parents will allow him to sit at the computer. At this time, the child most often does not find a place for himself, cannot do anything else, and rushes around the house or apartment. It is worth saying that this problem needs to be treated, otherwise there may be negative consequences.
About the term
It should be said that the term “computer addiction” is quite young; it appeared around 1990, when the computer industry began to actively develop. The term defines the state of a person in which he simply cannot live without this machine, spending all his free time in front of its monitor. However, since then, the addiction itself has been somewhat transformed and acquired new elements and forms, becoming a problem not for just a few, but for many people of different ages.
Causes
Information about why computer addiction can occur in teenagers may be interesting. So, first of all, this is a common lack of attention from parents and peers, which the child compensates with the help of such a friend. Now, at a time when various social networks are very popular, this problem has become even more urgent: there the child creates a new image for himself, makes friends and lives not a real, but a virtual life. In this case, they are not talking about gambling addiction, but about the child’s Internet addiction. What else can drive a teenager to another world? Lack of self-confidence, in one’s abilities, and perhaps also dissatisfaction with one’s appearance (especially if there are any deviations). Children often get hooked on the computer in order not to differ from their peers (here we are most often talking about gaming addiction, but with the development of social networks this trend is changing). A child can spend all his free time on a computer if he has no interests or hobbies, and his free time needs to be spent somewhere. And, of course, the manner of communication in the family and upbringing contribute to the development of various addictions. If a child can spend no more than two hours at the computer per day (and this is how it should be), then he simply will not be able to become an Internet addict.
Main dangers
It is also important to say that computer addiction in adolescents is a dangerous matter that can lead to serious consequences. First of all, being in the virtual world, a person almost never adequately controls real time and is often late. The child may constantly skip school and skip classes. A huge problem is the level of aggression that can arise during a computer game. If a teenager fails at something, a storm of emotions arises, and the psyche is gradually destabilized and shaken. The same child also transfers to the real world, thus communicating with his immediate environment: parents and friends. The fact that in a computer game, sooner or later, a teenager always succeeds in everything, if not the first time, then definitely the nth time, can also influence the future. The child may decide that in real life everything works out so simply. And this is fraught with consequences and severe disappointment in adult real life. Also, computer addiction in adolescents affects the state of the body. So, vision is definitely impaired, there may be vitamin deficiency and other problems associated with poor nutrition (a teenager with a computer addiction most often does not eat normally, living only on snacks). Typically, a dependent child does not take care of his appearance and does not observe the rules of personal hygiene.
Types of dependencies
It should be said that addiction to computer games varies. So, today when a child cannot live without the virtual world, and gambling addiction. In turn, addiction to computer games is divided by type of game. So, these are role-playing gamers, when a person looks at the game through the eyes of his hero (those games when a child looks at the hero from the outside are no less dangerous); strategic games, which are less dangerous, but, again, are ready to draw the child into their world; non-role-playing games, such as various puzzles, arcades, flash games. Gambling is especially dangerous in the virtual world, because it often extracts a lot of money from players.
Potential category
Who might have a computer addiction problem? So, first of all, for those children whose parents are often not at home, and the child is simply left to his own devices. The same applies to those who are also often at home alone or with service personnel, whose advice they simply do not listen to. There are more dependent teenagers among boys (as statistics say, for every 10 boys there is only one dependent girl), as for age, the most dangerous is 12-15 years old.
What does addiction entail?
Computer game addiction can have many negative consequences. So, first of all, the child’s social circle will gradually decrease, which will lead to the teenager’s complete isolation in real life with all the ensuing consequences. Irreversible health changes may also occur. So, this is a visual impairment, metabolic disorder, and possibly obesity of varying degrees. Over time, the psyche will definitely be disrupted and destabilized. It is also important to say that all the problems of a gambling addict run the risk of moving into adulthood. And this is fraught with huge negative consequences. Also, a child may start stealing, because often the Internet or games require a certain fee. And this is already punishable according to the letter of the law.
How does addiction occur?
After observing addicts, psychologists came to interesting and at the same time terrible conclusions. Chemical and computer addiction: their symptoms are almost the same. In such people, for example, when they see a desired goal, children suddenly begin to study poorly, do not take care of themselves and their appearance, gain (various degrees of obesity due to poor nutrition) or lose weight (they simply forget or are too lazy to eat on time), do not They can do something else if they have free time. To avoid such a development of events, you only need to do nothing: keep your child away from the TV until the age of three, and even longer from the computer, until about 10 years old. It is at this age that a predisposition to various types of addictions arises. However, in our time this is, unfortunately, almost impossible to do.
The mechanism of addictive behavior
Addictive, i.e. dependent behavior is formed in a child by moving away from real life to virtual life, both with and without the use of various chemicals. The process itself is based on the fact that the child moves away from real roles, replacing them with virtual ones, those that are more convenient for him or even congenial. A game or the Internet, in its essence, compensates a child for what he lacks in real life. So, if a person is physically weak and cannot fight back against his peers, he will develop a computer problem. Adolescents who in real life will have an opportunity to try on different roles and masks (here a problem of self-identification may arise, which is fraught with consequences), make friends with people, who, at first glance, will always understand. However, over time, disappointment may set in, because often these friends are imaginary and you won’t get much support from them in difficult times.
How to avoid addiction?
To prevent teenagers from becoming addicted to computer games and the Internet, you need to follow fairly simple but effective rules. Thus, it is necessary to precisely regulate the time the child spends in front of the monitor, while parents are not prohibited from controlling what their offspring is doing on the Internet. The personal example of adults has a huge influence: if dad spends all his free time in front of the monitor, it is not at all surprising that the child will do the same. You also need to wisely plan your family’s free time: spend more time together in nature. What other methods are used to prevent computer addiction in adolescents? It’s good to load your child up as much as possible: send him to clubs, tutors, spend more time studying. Then there will simply be no time left for games and various addictions. As a radical way, you can limit your child’s computer work using various programs that are aimed at this.
Nuances
Having identified signs of computer addiction in teenagers, parents should immediately take action. So, it’s good to go to a psychologist and draw up an action plan with him. After all, parents often do the wrong thing, wishing only good things for their child. For example, it is not recommended to sharply ban computer games; this will not lead to anything good. It is better to do everything consistently, slowly reducing the time spent in front of the monitor. It is also necessary to control which games your child likes. After all, not all of them are bad, there are also useful ones that develop intelligence and even have an educational component. And not all the time spent in front of a computer monitor can be called an addiction, because a child can simply study using the Internet.
Treatment
An important point is the treatment of computer addiction in adolescents. It should be said that it will be accompanied by “withdrawals”, which, by the way, can be quite painful not only for the child, but also for adults. Parents will have to withstand several attacks from their child: they can be not only verbal, but also lead to assault. The child may also begin to persuade his parents to let him play for at least half an hour, promising anything. You shouldn’t follow the lead, because that’s what drug addicts do, never keeping their word. The position of parents must be clear and unshakable. At this time, parents will also have a hard time, because they will need to become an entertainment element for their child so that the child forgets about his hobby at least for a while. More communication and joint activities is one of the elements of addiction treatment. You also need to change your daily routine, getting used to it will not be so quick. Parents can often give up if they don't see improvement. However, you should not give up on this matter, because sooner or later improvement will come, you just need to wait for it. Well, if nothing works out on your own, it is better to treat computer addiction in adolescents with the help of specialists.
Close people
Whatever the reasons for a child’s computer addiction, the immediate environment should help cope with it. So, the most important role is played, of course, by parents, who must devote all their strength to pulling the child into the real world. However, it is also necessary to involve the child’s friends, classmates and comrades in this matter, so that at this time he understands that he is not alone, that, in addition to the virtual one, he also has a real, no less interesting life. And for everything to work out, you need to organize interesting meetings, outings, trips and holidays. But the most important rule for dealing with addiction is recognizing it. The child’s immediate environment must show the teenager that he is sick, that he has problems, the child must understand this, and only then will the treatment be adequate and the results visible.
Child psychologists and psychiatrists are confident that the only currently proven way to prevent computer addiction in a child is to engage in activities not related to frequent computer use, so that it does not become a substitute for real life. The task of adults is to show a growing person that there are a lot of interesting activities, in particular sports and tourism, which not only allow you to experience a variety of thrills, but also train the body and normalize the psychological state.
But, nevertheless, parents continue to sound the alarm. Here is one of the letters:
Everything was fine, but at the end of the year in October, my son (5th year student) fell ill. Nervous breakdown, computer addiction, now in a mental hospital. They don’t treat people there, they inject them with some kind of medicine and kill a person. We took our son home, but we can’t cope with him; he runs away from home.
Now my husband and I don’t know how to live further, how to combine work and take care of the patient? This is the first time we have encountered such a disease.
WHAT IS GAMING ADDICTION AND WHAT IS THE IMPACT OF ONLINE GAMING ON TEENAGERS?
In the scientific community, debates continue to this day: whether to classify online games as drug addiction or not. Most experts are absolutely in favor, which is not at all surprising. Online games have recently captured the minds of mankind. There are already more than 4 million users in the world of the famous virtual MMORPG game “World of Warcraft” alone, and these are only people playing on official servers. As for gamers using pirated servers, there are probably even more of them. But many people play several online games at once, spending hours every day playing computer games. What is the danger of this seemingly innocent entertainment?
It becomes addictive and a person develops a gaming addiction. Players forget about everything: they forget to eat, sleep, responsibilities to loved ones, and children. Adult gamers lose their jobs because they find themselves unable to interrupt the gameplay to go to work, and they lose their families because the virtual world becomes no less real for them than the real one. But the influence of online games on teenagers is especially detrimental: students are expelled en masse from prestigious universities because they don’t come to exams - they have no time, they kill the monster in a whole group, not daring to “let others down”, children turn from excellent students to poor students. For large and very real money, players purchase virtual items from each other that are “necessary” in the game.
To “pump up” their virtual hero, they send thousands of money to servers that provide online games. They begin to beg and then steal funds from their parents, for starters. It’s very good if a person manages to come to his senses in time and stop this endless gaming marathon. What if not, if he can’t get rid of his addiction to computer games? Where will gambling addiction take him, what will it lead to?
Excessive passion for computers gradually undermines physical and intellectual health, destroys the nervous system and ultimately makes a person dependent on a computer not only sick, but also lonely. Modern social networks, online computer games, the opportunity to access any information, even the most taboo in society, via the Internet, seem to be specially created for teenagers whose nervous system has not yet fully strengthened, because children of this age (12-16 years old) initially have the desire to to escapism (some care about reality), fantasy, a tendency to wishful thinking, etc.
The computer and the Internet fully satisfy these needs of a young person who, with their help, can become anyone in his virtual space. In addition, during adolescence, ideas about morality, good and evil are formed, which, under the influence of the information flow from the computer and TV, can be significantly distorted.
Signs of computer addiction in teenagers
So, the signs of Internet addiction in teenagers are as follows:
The child spends most of his time at the computer, forgetting to be distracted by food and sleep;
Due to his hobbies in virtual reality, his performance at school decreases;
The teenager prefers virtual communication to real communication, leaves the house little, and has few or no friends;
The teenager's interests are limited only to his passion for computers. You notice that the teenager has become more irritable, or, conversely, shows indifference to others.
How to get rid of computer gaming addiction?
Instructions
1. To successfully get rid of computer addiction, it is necessary for the person himself to realize that there is a problem. So be prepared for long conversations. Do not lose patience if the child does not make contact. A person suffering from such an addiction experiences a sharp increase in aggression and rejection of the world around him. Therefore, seek help from a psychologist. Or a psychotherapist.
2. It may be easier for a specialist to call a teenager for a frank conversation. For successful treatment, understand why the addiction occurred. What do you know about him? Very often, a child is immersed in computer games, suffering from loneliness. He has no friends, his parents pay little attention to him. The real world seems completely negative, and the teenager seeks salvation in games.
3. Protect your child from stressful situations. This also applies to your communication. Do not demand the impossible, your child is sick and will not be able to recover in one day. To bring the teenager back to reality, try to convey to him that there are many positive aspects in this life.
4. Don't neglect psychological help. Classes in training groups will help a teenager establish communication with peers. Also, after completing the course of treatment, self-esteem will increase, and, perhaps, new hobbies will appear.
5. Remember, before hanging in front of the monitor, did your child have any hobbies? It would be nice if you gave him the opportunity to continue his favorite activities. It can be any kind of sport, dancing, singing, kayaking or paintball.
6. Never turn off the Internet. If the teenager is not yet ready for treatment, you will provoke an attack of aggression, which can end in disaster. Leaving home and suicide attempts are common. If a child is already undergoing treatment under the supervision of a psychologist, deprivation of the Internet can provoke a new round of illness. The teenager will withdraw into himself again, and it will be more difficult to get him to open up.
Computer addiction is a person’s pathological passion for computer technology and the virtual world. In some cases, the addiction is so strong that the person moves away from real life every day. Fortunately, there are tips on how to get rid of computer addiction yourself at home.
The problem became of interest to scientists at the end of the last century. At the same time, computer addiction continues to expand and people’s addiction to computers increases every year. The essence of the problem comes down to people’s dependence on the Internet and games, which take up a lot of time.
Such persons live in the virtual world and communicate with virtual interlocutors. A person faced with a problem loses interest in the real world. Physical well-being worsens, because such pastime causes severe pain in the neck and back.
This type of addiction can be dealt with successfully if you determine the causes of its occurrence and identify the first symptoms. Their list is represented by a constant desire to view mail, visit websites, and read articles. If there is no way to play games or log on to the Internet, severe irritation appears.
Gambling addiction is the most common type of computer addiction. Sometimes a person becomes so immersed in a game that he confuses the virtual world with real life. Most often, the problem is faced by children who are attracted to game projects by sound effects and bright images.
A step-by-step plan for overcoming addiction
I will share five useful tips that will help you get rid of addiction on your own, put the virtual world on the backburner and return to real life.
- Minimize the amount of time spent on the computer. At first, don’t give up your computer completely. By learning to dose your time, improve your mental state and improve your health.
- Reduce the time you spend on the PC gradually. Make a work schedule and indicate the time during which you sit at the computer. Set the alarm and turn off the computer after the signal. At first it will be very difficult, but over time you will get used to it and feel relief.
- A computer is a good thing, but that doesn’t mean it can’t be replaced with something. Read books, chat with friends or watch movies on TV. Don't forget to visit museums, parks, cinemas.
- Find a hobby that doesn't involve computers. If the hobby really interests you, you will forget about computer games and the World Wide Web.
- Technology can offer good opportunities to have fun. Read literature from an e-book, listen to music on your player. If you don't like movie theaters, go to parks and outdoors more often. Meet friends, play sports, meet new people.
Reach your goal if you really want it. You will have to enter into an unequal struggle with your weaknesses, which have become much stronger over the years. But, having mastered yourself and regained control over your mind, you will gain freedom.
How can a teenager get rid of computer addiction?
Teenagers often fall into the web of various addictions, including alcohol, cigarettes and drugs. And although a healthy lifestyle is actively promoted, society has failed to protect young people from harmful habits.
An additional danger comes from teenage computer addiction. It's hard to find a house that doesn't have a computer. Why be surprised, because technology helps you earn money, study and have fun. High-speed information transfer, communication with friends, movies and games are the merit of advanced technologies that people use with great pleasure.
Everything seemed great, if not for the opposite side of the coin. Unregulated craving for computers has a bad effect on the intellectual and physical health of adolescents and contributes to the destruction of the nervous system. As a result, the computer-dependent person becomes damaged and lonely.
Social networks, online games, limitless information storage and communication technologies are not all examples of what young people have access to. Against the background of the fact that the nervous system of adolescents is not fully formed and does not exclude the possibility of fantasizing and escaping reality. It is during adolescence that a person’s idea of good, morality and evil is formed. The information flow that comes from computer technology distorts them.
Computer addiction has many harmful aspects. In particular, it has a bad effect on posture, vision and the functioning of internal organs. You can list for hours, but this will not change the situation.
I propose to consider the visible signs of the disease and determine ways to independently fight it at home.
If a child constantly sits at the computer, eats poorly and hardly sleeps, and grades at school have begun to decline, he may have fallen into the network of computer addiction. Signs of the disease may include: lack of communication with peers in real life, irritability, indifference and isolation.
- A teenager will throw off the shackles of computer addiction if he switches his attention to something else. To do this, make sure that your family lifestyle will help this. Perhaps he is interested in the computer because you pay little attention to him or do not share his interests. Get together as often as possible, go out into nature, ride bicycles or roller skates.
- If group time is rare in the family, everything will have to change. First, talk to your teenager. As a result, he will understand that you are interested in his thoughts and affairs. Alternatively, invite your child to come up with a family event or choose a place to spend the New Year holidays.
- Family travel, sports, and walks help young people develop new priorities and goals in life. It is important that the relationship is not formal, but friendly and sincere. Remember, in most cases, children plunge headlong into the abyss of the Internet due to lack of parental attention and love.
- Another reason for PC addiction is a combination of failures in communicating with friends. In this case, help your child gain confidence and tell him how to stop being afraid of people.
- Try to explain to the teenager that virtual life is not a way out and not a solution to problems. Make sure your child can expand their social circle. Enroll your teenager in some club or send him to a children's camp.
How to get rid of computer addiction as an adult
The number of dependencies is in the dozens. Some of them are simple, others are harmful. In particular, simple is called financial or love dependence, when a person is financially dependent on another person or is not able to spend a single minute without his other half. Addictions include alcohol, cigarettes and drugs.
It is difficult to say which category computer addiction falls into. It seemed that the computer did not harm the body as much as alcoholic drinks or cigarettes. However, constant presence at the computer gives rise to far from harmless consequences, so it must be dealt with.
If a child is overly interested in the computer, this is understandable. If an adult stares at the monitor screen for hours, forgetting about the wonderful things that real life offers, this is a real disaster that can destroy a family.
Symptoms and first signs of addiction in adults
Let's talk about the symptoms of the disease. If at least half is present, something needs to be changed. In such conditions it is impossible to find a girl or get married. Computer addiction is a path to loneliness.
- If an adult constantly sits at a computer or tries to sit in a computer chair as quickly as possible, he may have fallen into a trap. The patient motivates this with a serious reason - checking mail, completing the next level in the game, updating his friends' feed.
- A computer addict has severe irritability. A disconnected Internet connection, a request for help, or a system freeze can lead to an irritated state.
- The addict focuses only on the computer; he does not control the passage of time. Even if before he would have been a punctual person, now he often stays late and is constantly late.
- The disease also manifests itself as a constant desire to refresh the tab in the browser, even when it is not required. Game fans regularly purchase new discs or download installation files from the Internet. This often leads to a waste of money.
- Another symptom of the disease is forgetfulness. A person who constantly sits at a computer forgets about promises, appointments and work.
- Very often addicts even neglect nutrition. If there is pink salmon baked in the oven in the kitchen, the aroma will not make you get up from your chair. When the feeling of hunger becomes very strong, patients make do with snacks and processed foods.
- In the early stages of the disease, a person spends longer in front of the monitor screen and goes to bed much later. In the future, they may not sleep for days.
I have listed the symptoms of computer addiction. Before starting treatment, determine what exactly caused the addiction - the Internet, games or something else related to computer technology.
Treatment methods at home
If a person plays constantly, determine the genre of your favorite game projects. If the games are dedicated to the theme of sports, most likely the cause of addiction is lack of fulfillment in sports. As for shooting games, perhaps the person harbors a grudge and is trying to take it out through the game.
Some people disappear for hours on the Internet. If a person constantly communicates on social networks, most likely there is a lack of communication in real life. Often such people become a double personality, bringing to life ideas that previously could not be realized.
- If you want to solve the problem, first recognize and understand the disease. Naturally, the addict will not do this on his own and will deny the existence of the problem at any time. Those around you should help.
- Distract the addict. Do not do this through restrictions and prohibitions, as negative consequences may arise. Try inviting him for a walk or, for example, to a cafe where there are no computers or the Internet.
- If the addiction is caused by a lack of communication, invite guests more often or organize all kinds of entertainment events. This will replace virtual communication with real one.
If, after a thorough analysis of the situation and the actions taken, it was not possible to solve the problem, contact a psychologist as soon as possible.
If you still think computer addiction is a trifle, I’ll try to convince you. Excessive use of computers is dangerous to health, and evidence of this fact is the following medical consequences:
- Loss of sensation in fingers;
- Tendon damage;
- Constant fatigue of the shoulders, causing viaitis;
- The appearance of convulsive seizures;
- Impulse control disorder;
- Mental disorder and excessive aggression;
- Deterioration of vision;
- Carpal tunnel syndrome;
- Intense headache;
- Death.
I hope the information presented will help you get rid of computer addiction, return to normal life and enjoy what the virtual world cannot offer. Good luck to you!
Advice on how to get rid of addiction is to find a hobby. But what if your hobby is computer games or the computer itself? Vicious circle
Answer
Everywhere they write about how to help an addicted person. I’m 15 years old, I spent more than a year of my life playing computer games, I’m trying to get rid of my addiction and I realized that I myself am addicted (here in the article it says that a person himself will not be able to realize). Every time I delete games from my tablet, but I’m horrified by how much I want to download them. My parents are on top of me, as are my friends (these are the times), so no one can help me. Give advice on how to recover, the same applies to alcohol, sweets and any junk food.
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Computer addiction in teenagers: you will learn how to treat it
Greetings, dear guests and readers of my blog! Today I want to discuss with you a very topical topic: Computer addiction in teenagers. How to treat it.
In the age of high technology, it is difficult to find a person who is not familiar with the computer and the World Wide Web. Despite the wide distribution of these benefits of civilization, they are a dangerous tool in the hands of teenagers - bearers of a still fragile psyche. What to do if a young man or girl has developed an Internet addiction?
A teenager who is “hooked” on a computer often does not cause any concern among loved ones.
Some mothers, fathers and grandmothers even think: “It’s better to sit at home at the computer than roam around the gates.”
However, gaming or Internet addiction is an addiction similar to a drug addiction. It also entails many consequences and does not have the best effect on the development of the psyche and personal qualities of a growing person.
What to do in this case? How to treat computer gaming addiction? Treatment of any disease should begin with collecting anamnesis - medical history and possible causes.
Computer addiction in adolescents: causes
Having a computer and access to the Internet does not mean that addiction will develop in the near future. So why do some children become attached to a “toy”, while others are able to control the time they spend online?
In reality, there is only one big reason why teenagers spend more time on the computer.
This happens when the virtual world becomes more interesting than the surrounding reality or acts as a way to avoid frightening or unsatisfactory circumstances.
What could this mean?
- Lack of communication with surrounding peers. Ignoring from classmates, non-acceptance, lack of friends and the opportunity to make them.
- Lack of communication with significant adults. Always busy parents and other relatives, unwillingness to make contact and listen to the child.
- The desire to be like everyone else. If a school group or a group of street friends devotes a lot of time to games and “hanging out” on the Internet, the child copies the behavior.
- Conflicts with peers. Unsatisfactory relationships or open mockery encourage the child to go into the virtual world.
- Tense psychological atmosphere at home. This also contributes to immersion in the Internet and games, since the teenager does not feel the strength to change circumstances and influence elders and chooses an easier way to overcome tension.
- Poor relationships with teachers at the educational institution. This can have an impact as well as teacher qualifications. The inability to engage in the learning process and teach new information in an interesting way makes a teenager get bored and increasingly turn to the Internet in search of interesting things.
- Lack of feeling of success in real life. For one reason or another, the child feels unfulfilled and compensates for this with achievements in the virtual world.
Very often, Internet addiction is formed as follows.
Parents purchase a computer and connect to the Internet, usually for educational purposes: many educational institutions use new technologies in the educational process, and the child needs access to do homework.
During the first time of use, this may be the case, but later the young man begins to spend more time with the new toy. Most parents do not sound the alarm at this stage, because this situation is convenient for them: the child is at home, supervised, does not play pranks, does not get involved with bad company, and does not require close attention - you can rest and relax after a hard day.
By the time computer addiction is already firmly established, they completely lose control over the situation: punishments lead to outbursts of anger, attempts to call them to reason and go for a breath of fresh air lead to complete ignorance.
This topic deserves separate consideration. During the game, the child experiences a lot of pleasant sensations due to the release of adrenaline and pleasure hormones. Not a single real toy can compare with “shooters”, “adventure games”, “strategies”, etc. The child “gets hooked” on these sensations, additionally driven by the competitive spirit, competition with other players, and the desire for championship. This is what makes boys more susceptible to addiction.
Girls take the lead in another type of Internet addiction - social networks. Showing yourself in all your glory with the help of endless selfies, telling others about your interesting and eventful life, tracking the number of “likes” from your main rival - the first beauty from the parallel 11th “A” - all this pushes a growing girl to waste most of her time in social networks. The abundance of content also contributes to strengthening addiction - teenagers most often look for pictures, songs, quotes (by the way, not always presented correctly), and humor on these resources.
To be always online means to be on topic and to comply with the generally accepted trend. Social networks today are the stories of entire lives, so scrolling through the news feed in class, on the way home, in the company of friends, before going to bed means being aware of what is happening here and now. It is difficult for a teenager to refuse this.
Does this mean that there is no way out of this situation? Not at all.
In order to help a teenager, it is necessary to determine whether there is an addiction at all?
Signs of Internet addiction
There are a few red flags you should pay attention to.
A teenager is at risk or is already addicted to computers if:
- His daily routine has changed. He began to go to bed late and was reluctant to get up, the time of eating changed - he began to refuse food in favor of staying with his toy.
- The teenager began to spend less time with friends when he had them.
- Fatigue, passivity, attacks of aggression and irritation appeared.
- There is academic failure. Difficulties appear when doing homework. Disciplines that were previously easy are no longer enjoyable, and grades deteriorate.
- Absenteeism appears. Parents who are unable to monitor their child’s attendance due to work commitments may encounter such information from teachers.
- Ignoring household responsibilities. This applies to families where there was already a clear distribution of functions for each family member. The teenager stops performing his tasks and resists when he is reminded of the need to do something around the house.
- Lack of hygiene. Often, spending a long time at the computer causes difficulties in following hygiene rules: the child may “forget” to brush his teeth and the first thing he does is go to the computer immediately after waking up.
- Full concentration on the game. Attempts to engage in conversation end in failure: it seems that the child simply does not hear what is being said to him. Answers inappropriately or asks to be left alone.
- The time spent at the computer increases. The child is not able to control himself, he is lost in time, perhaps promises to sit less tomorrow, but does not keep his promises.
The inability to sit at the computer provokes aggression, tearfulness, and rage.
Does this sound familiar to you? This means, most likely, the teenager really suffers from computer addiction. I will tell you in detail how to treat computer gambling addiction. Its consequences have the most detrimental effect on the fragile psyche of a young man.
Consequences of computer addiction
Attachment to the computer makes it the main way of communication with the outside world, and this applies not only to addiction to social networks. In most games, participants conduct dialogues in a chat, and this communication becomes the main thing.
This is fraught with the loss of skills of real interaction with others. A teenager simply forgets how to conduct constructive dialogues, communicate on various topics, and interact effectively in society. The absence of these skills provokes emotional and social immaturity - the child becomes unable to understand the feelings of another person and put himself in his place. It is difficult for him to build warm, trusting relationships with his family and achieve emotional intimacy.
The feeling of impunity for actions on the Internet provokes a feeling of permissiveness in real life. A child can do anything in a computer game, including committing actions that are actually prohibited by law. As addiction progresses, these areas of life become mixed, and the adolescent’s unstable psyche becomes unable to exercise control over his actions.
The end result may be depression, especially associated with the absence of an attachment figure when restrictions are imposed.
The physical health of a teenager suffers no less: problems with the musculoskeletal system appear due to constant exposure to non-physiological positions and poor posture; Dry eyes occur, vision is impaired; Disturbances in the rhythm of sleep and wakefulness develop, headaches, dizziness, and disturbances in the blood supply to the brain appear due to low physical activity and rare exposure to fresh air. Failure to comply with hygiene and neglect of nutrition entail a deficiency of vitamins and microelements and the risk of developing certain diseases.
Statistics show even more severe consequences.
A high school student who beat up his younger friends after another game of Diablo; a teenager who robbed his relatives to visit an Internet cafe; a boy who died of a heart attack after a 30-hour continuous session in the game - these are just the latest cases reported in the media, which in fact number in the hundreds, all over the world.
It makes you think, right? It is important to take control of the situation as early as possible and prevent irreversible changes.
How to treat computer addiction in teenagers
So, you understand how to determine whether teenagers have computer addiction. How to treat it? Is it possible? Need to!
First, you need to provide parents of an addicted teenager with a little guidance.
What NOT to do
- sharply limit your time at the computer, turn off the Internet, break your favorite toy - this can cause a severe breakdown;
- prohibit, scold, punish a teenager, threaten to deprive a teenager of his pocket money - this will provoke outbreaks of aggression, conflict and leaving home;
- put forward ultimatum proposals - “either we, or your computer” - the teenager will most likely make a choice in favor of the latter.
The main thing is to take a tactful part in the treatment of computer addiction, to be a friend and assistant to the teenager in overcoming the addiction.
- gently teach the teenager new ways to overcome difficulties and crisis situations;
- instill skills to control your emotional state - explain ways to regulate feelings;
- teach communication, effective communications with peers, which requires some immersion in the environment of modern youth;
- teach time management or effective time management.
Most often, it is quite difficult to do without outside help, since most young people of puberty actively resist their parents’ attempts to relieve them of the heavy burden of addiction - they simply do not see a problem in this.
According to statistics, only 1/5 of all addicted teenagers managed to get rid of computer addiction on their own with a little help from their parents.
Consulting a psychotherapist will not only help you choose a treatment strategy. This is also necessary for diagnosing possible depressive conditions, which requires a special approach to treatment.
It should be noted that there is no universal recipe for improving the mental health of a teenager. Any tactic will lead to a painful separation; Internet addiction causes “withdrawal” akin to drug addiction.
The parent’s task is to restore interest in real life and direct communication, which can be ensured by:
- visiting clubs, identifying new interests of a teenager or updating old ones;
- joint reading and conversations, discussion of news and innovations in the real world;
- honesty towards the teenager - you need to say directly what’s wrong with him and why this is happening to him, gently name his condition, talk using active listening techniques (“You’re sad because you want to play...”, “You’re angry because I’m not keeping you busy with what you want right now...");
- openness about your condition - it is necessary not to hide your feelings and desires (“I only want good things for you”, “I would really like you and I to spend time together”).
It is important to have an oral or written agreement. This is necessary because it is quite difficult to exclude a computer from the life of a schoolchild or student, and he will still sit down at it from time to time. The agreement may consist of defining a time frame (for example, one hour a day, during the holidays - 1.5 hours), stating a punishment (for example, a limit on personal time at the computer when receiving three bad marks). In this case, you can use additional services - programs for monitoring visits to certain sites, as well as timers that command the computer to hang up after a certain time set in advance.
The main conditions for success in overcoming addiction are:
- Healthy family relationships and a normal psychological atmosphere.
- The emergence of new or updating of old interests and hobbies.
- The desire and ability to set and achieve at least small goals.
- Effective interaction with others.
That is why the help of a specialist is necessary in many cases. Most often, for the treatment of computer addiction, the form of training sessions is chosen, and sometimes individual psychocounseling sessions. This allows you to teach the child to feel the taste of life, return him to reality and teach him to enjoy it. In general, treatment tactics are chosen with mandatory consideration of the reasons that could provoke addiction.
If the reason lies in the unsatisfactory situation in the addict’s family, work must be carried out with all its members, otherwise there is a high risk of the teenager returning to the computer desk.
If the main factor is the inability to communicate with peers, it will be difficult to do without training. Communication group trainings will allow not only to teach a child to communicate, but also to hone “skills”, which in the future makes it possible to use the acquired skills in a class or study group.
If the problem is subjective or objective “failure”, it is also important to talk with a psychologist: is this a fictitious problem, what underlies it, what prevents the teenager from setting goals and achieving them.
Effective planning of one's own personal time, the formation of important personal qualities, the ability to set short-term and long-term goals - this is just a small list of skills that a teenager acquires after undergoing treatment. All this not only relieves severe addiction, but is also a reliable prevention of relapse.
Working with teenagers is always complicated by the comparative immaturity of the psyche, dependence on public opinion, the need to belong to a team, lack of integrity, life goals, and tasks, but this does not mean that effective treatment is impossible. With the right approach and timely involvement of a specialist, it is possible to recover from this “illness” of our time in a fairly short time.
This is what it is like - computer addiction among teenagers. How to treat it, I hope you understand! Finally, here's a joke:
Good day, reader! Today's topic is spice drugs. (Spais.
Good afternoon friends! I receive yours in the mail every day.
Greetings, dear reader! Let's talk today about what they turn into.
Good afternoon Friends, I already wrote about marijuana on.
It seems to me that computer addiction arises “out of nothing to do.” Come up with a more interesting activity, and not a trace will remain of it. The main thing is not to impose a new hobby of your choice, but try everything in order. You'll probably pick something up.
There is no need to treat anything, I got a computer when I was 13 years old, at that time not many people had it, but I was lucky, and naturally, when I got to games, I played for days on end and in general this lasted for years In my 20s, I was married, had children, but by that time I didn’t stop playing MMORPGs, sometimes I didn’t sleep for 2-3 days. Well, in general, this is what I’m all about, but to the fact that if a person is not bothered by prohibitions, he will play, but even though the main thing is that he will find time for study and for work and for relationships, sooner or later the time will come anyway the moment when he gets tired of it, and if you forbid doing something, then he will not stop, but on the contrary will begin to show aggression, “The forbidden fruit is sweet”
I find it hard to believe that there are effective ways to treat computer addiction. I read, thought, digested and came to the conclusion: computer addiction is in many ways similar to gambling addiction, that is, gambling addiction. Comparing both, all the similarities and few differences, these two harmful addictions can be put on the same level and the same methodology can be used to treat them.
A topic that is relevant to me. The eldest son is an avid gamer. He is already 19 years old. And if before adulthood my word meant something to him, now he decided that he was already too old to listen to his mother. He doesn't see any problem. He thinks that everything is fine with him. I see the only way out is to send him to work, since he is such an adult. But his academic schedule does not allow it; he is studying in college.
In most cases, parents themselves become to blame for their children becoming addicted to computer games. After all, in pursuit of their own time and the desire to escape at least a little from children's pranks, parents often simply turn on games or cartoons, thereby creating conditions for further addiction. Be energetic yourself, involve your children in walks, fishing, sports, shopping, and the problem will bypass you.
Computer addiction in adolescents does not need to be treated; it is better to transform it into something else. For example, take him on a trip where he will see something new and unknown, or offer him a motivational activity. After all, why is he drawn to the computer: because something is updated there all the time; whether it's games, movies, social networks, new friends, etc.
What can I say, I don’t know a single friend of mine who can live without the Internet for a week, so it turns out they are all Internet addicts? Now is the time when everyone is on the Internet, I make money on my website, and also constantly watch football or look for the necessary information. Perhaps I’m also addicted to the Internet, I don’t rule it out.
Thank you, interesting, and most importantly, relevant article. Today, almost all children and adolescents have computer addiction. After all, they not only play at home and sit on social networks. Everyone has a cell phone, almost everyone has a tablet, and schools have free internet. That’s why children at school, during breaks, don’t run or play, but sit staring at their phones and tablets. And how convenient it is to do your homework thanks to the Internet and computer. How did we study without him?
Greetings dear parents and readers.
Now my son has a very big problem, and many of my friends have the same problem.
Not long ago, the game DOTA 2 appeared, my son was 14 years old when he started playing it. My wife and I noticed that he played too much, but at first we didn’t really limit his access to the game. 3 years later, when our son was in 11th grade, we only noticed his poor knowledge of mathematics, Russian, history and other school subjects. They began to restrict access to this game, and indeed to a personal computer in general.
But the son asked us to give him one chance to prove himself. I asked for one week. We, as understanding parents, trusted him that another week - and he begins to seriously prepare for the exams, abandons his game. But it was not there.
For all the time he spent in this game, he achieved, so to speak, “The highest solo rating in the world.” This meant that he was the first to achieve such a result. And he was invited to a professional team. When he asked for a week, it was his first competition. They took place in the online version, and when his team became the winners, he received 150 thousand rubles. We, as parents, were shocked. It seemed nice, but addiction to the game, zero knowledge of the school curriculum, and preparation for exams did not give us peace. After the week, after the victory, the son took up his studies a little, began to walk a little more, and play less. It was like that for three weeks. After which, he received an invitation to attend a tournament in China. The directors of his team contacted us, promising him future ones. We agreed, and he attended this tournament. And so, they won it. Their team consisted of 5 people, they won $3,000,000, and the directors allocated $400,000 to each of them. For us, it was a shock and a life-changing revolution when our son brought that kind of money.
After which, we allowed him to play. And now he plays and earns money. But already, he wears glasses, has problems with his back, doesn’t communicate with us, doesn’t walk much. Never on holidays. In general, we lost our son.
So, dear parents, limit your children from gambling addiction. The article here is very useful, do everything to get the computer away from them.
Alexander, thank you for your frank story! To be honest, I was very touched by your story. Your son, of course, needs emergency help from a professional, since he has completely left reality for virtual life. Tragedy could happen very soon. Ring all the bells! Save the child. I'm afraid that we may be talking about isolating and treating my son in a psychiatric hospital.
In general, I believe that computer addiction is the biggest problem in the modern world. More precisely, developed countries that live in relative prosperity. It is the lack of need to do something to earn food that leads to this problem. Therefore, an easy solution would be to deprive the child of money and a computer, so that from childhood he understands the value of money and thinks that it would be worth studying, etc., in order to live well later.
I completely agree with the article, and I think that since now everyone has a computer and many preschool children understand it better than some adults, parents should initially limit the time their child spends on the computer. You need to allocate a certain couple of hours for him to have fun online, for example, after all his homework and necessary household chores. From childhood, you need to instill in him an interest in all kinds of clubs, exhibitions, theaters, and then he will not have much time for all sorts of nonsense on the Internet and will have live communication with his peers.
Computer and Internet addiction is a very relevant and painful topic for my family. My wife and I work from morning to evening (that’s the nature of the work) and we try to do everything for the children, including buying modern tablets, laptops, and smartphones. And they didn’t notice how their son and daughter became dependent on this technology and the Internet. Now we are trying to restore our teenagers’ interest in normal life, in the real world (we signed them up for sports, bought bicycles). There seem to be positive changes.
Computer addiction is, of course, terrible, but not as much as alcohol and so on, here you can recover much easier and without severe consequences, because the computer still does not harm the body as much as the rest, so I personally think the main thing here is to help the person and support him, then perhaps he will understand that all these are just toys)
I don’t understand the term “Internet addiction” (computer addiction) a little. It seems to me that here it is not so much that you are captivated by the computer itself, but rather that it is simply an attempt to escape from reality (the article clearly points out here). Games and the Internet can of course captivate you, but if you have a busy life, then everything is within reasonable limits.
If an adult begins to sit at the computer for days, especially if the computer has been in the house for a long time, then this, it seems to me, is a sign of something more serious. for example, to depression, to a state of “emptiness”, and then if the matter is serious and the person has a subtle mental organization, then suicide is possible.
It will seem to many that I made a rough connection, but in fact this often happens if a person’s real world ceases to captivate him, and this happens because either he does not see interesting content in it or he cannot realize this interesting thing in his life.
The second is worse, because a person who is unable to realize his dreams for some reason loses interest in life and the natural question arises: “Why live then?”
Of course, this does not apply to any Internet addiction; what I am writing about is accompanied by a general apathy, which is difficult not to notice and is rather characteristic of adults.
If this is exactly it, then try to talk with the person, find out what he cannot implement. Perhaps you can help him in some way.
If matters are of the heart, then just try to captivate the person with something, it will be quite difficult at first, so for starters, just start getting him out of the house more often. Say that you’ve decided to lose weight, for example, and you need company for cycling, but you don’t want to do it yourself)) and then you can take a ride out of town and have a heart-to-heart talk in nature over a cup of tea. Or get a dog if he ever wanted to. Sometimes pets work miracles.)
In general, don’t leave everything to “it will pass.” sometimes it really goes away, and sometimes it ends either in depression with a complete withdrawal from the joys of real life and closing in one’s shell to more terrible consequences.
In general, do not be indifferent to your loved ones and look first of all for the reason.
Computer addiction has become one of the main problems among young people today. As soon as I got a computer, I practically didn’t leave it for the first few months. You start browsing social networks and don’t notice how time flies. And it seems to you that a couple of minutes have passed, but you’ve been sitting for hours on end. Over time, this passion faded away for me. I started communicating more with real people.
Computer addiction among teenagers has been a very relevant and painful topic for a long time. I believe that the parents and only them are to blame for the fact that a child spends half a day at the computer. At first they try in this way to simply occupy the child with something so as not to distract him from his work, and then they cannot tear their child away from the computer. And sometimes you can’t do without the help of specialists. There is only one piece of advice for parents - pay more attention to the problems of your children and pay more attention to them. And then the child will not seek solace on the Internet or in games.
My eldest son is 9.5 years old, I am very worried about his classmates’ addiction to computer games, I pay a lot of attention to him, just so that he does not become the same, and computer addiction bypasses him. But sometimes it seems to me that this is not possible. He reproaches me that I don’t allow what others are allowed, which means I’m “bad”. I hope that I, as a mother, can find a way out, since computer addiction is a much more complex problem than it seems.
Oh, this virtual world, as they say, absorbs our children, although we ourselves are to blame for this, we fuss all the time and forget to pay attention to children (it’s much simpler - I bought an expensive computer and “shrug9raquo; away from communicating with the child, while you continue to study "by their own" affairs). There is something to think about; the presence of money (as is the case with a large cash prize) is not always pleasing in the end.
Yes, indeed, computer addiction is the plague of the 21st century))) This is a drug that makes our children distance themselves from reality and live in some kind of unreal world in which there is no verbality, food, or peace. Thank you very much for the article))) It’s good that there are reasons why this problem can be identified. But I agree with the author of the article that it is possible to solve this problem. You just need to pay a little more attention to your children and the problem will be solved))))
I myself got a computer at what I think is a fairly early age. But, thank God, not as early as with modern youth. But now, in parallel with the computer addiction, some kind of telephone addiction is also developing. Teenagers run around with a phone in their hands all day long, always writing something to someone. They look like zombies. Naturally, both the computer and the phone are bad, but I don’t even know which is less scary. Children sit at home at the computer, go out for a walk; and sit on their phones. A terrible generation is growing up. I have two younger cousins. One is 10 years old, the other is 4. Both of them know how to use all the new technologies better than I do. Perhaps this is not too bad, they keep up with the times. But if this knowledge were just knowledge, and did not require regular practice in order to play on the computer or ask for a new tablet.
In our time of computer technology, this article could not come at a better time. The problems of the younger generation’s dependence on the computer are well described. Although, I think that it is the parents who should first of all control and not lead to this dependence; it is bad when the child devotes all his free time to PC, and not, for example, walks in the fresh air or games in the yard.
It was almost impossible to kick our son out because of the computer. Especially on weekends, when I wanted to be alone with my wife for at least an hour for intimacy. In winter and summer, we managed to do this with great difficulty, and then after a maximum of half an hour we were waiting for the doorbell to ring from him. But now he works at a computer company, earns decent money and often helps us financially. So the addiction turned into a plus, to the benefit of the matter. That also happens.
It's good that I found this article. I have a computer addiction and to be honest, I thought there was no way I could cope with it. But after reading all the recommendations and trying them on yourself. I can say with confidence that this can be treated. Previously, I sat at the computer for 6 hours a day, but now I can not turn it on for weeks and everything is fine.
Slide. Today, computer games and surfing the Internet have become one of the popular leisure activities for teenagers. We must admit that the computer is our present and future. The undoubted advantages of modern computerization are the development of the most important thinking operations in children: generalization and classification, improvement of memory and attention. Computer games develop both children's intelligence and hand-eye coordination. The Internet offers an educational and useful experience, makes the content of the material being learned meaningful and vivid, which not only speeds up memorization, but also makes it meaningful and long-lasting. Many parents are familiar with the problem of how to get a schoolchild to do homework. And on the computer, serious activities are performed with pleasure and take on an element of play. Working with it teaches children a new, simpler way of receiving and processing information. Thus, the interest that computer classes generate underlies the formation of cognitive motivation and many intellectual skills. But parents must understand that everything must be within reasonable limits, otherwise the “pros” will begin to turn into “cons.”
In Russia, they are increasingly talking about the negative impact of computer games on the child’s psyche. Uncontrolled use of the Internet and excessive passion for computer games can lead to computer and gaming addiction, a complete disruption of social connections, which is expressed in the fact that children do not know how and are afraid to communicate with each other, they separate themselves from the real world and go into their own - virtual. In the virtual computer world you can easily become anyone. You don’t need to make a lot of effort for this, you don’t need to follow the rules of adults, you don’t need to hide aggression. You just need to “download” the game. And if the computer is connected to the Internet, then the possibilities become completely limitless. Unfortunately, there are also problems... On the one hand, the virtual world provides enormous opportunities; today it has turned out to be, in fact, the main source of information.
Slide. But the information impact of the Internet can cause irreparable harm to a child, since on a computer network it is impossible to track the quality and content of information received and updated every second. Parents should know that there are sites dedicated to pornography, pyrotechnics, suicide, and discussions of the effects of certain drugs. Modern children often visit unwanted sites, get involved in communication with strangers, when they use a computer at home in the absence of their parents.
Especially if the relationship with the parents is alienated, and the child feels lonely, he, without hesitation, trusts any attacker who seems to him to be a supportive and sympathetic interlocutor. Unfortunately, a real meeting with such a “well-wisher” can end in tragedy.
Addiction to activities related to the use of a computer, leading to a sharp reduction in all other activities, limiting communication with other people.
Most often observed in children and adolescents, especially boys.
The main importance is not the time spent at the computer itself, but the concentration of all the child’s interests around the computer and the abandonment of other activities.
Slide. Computer addiction is a person’s pathological addiction to working or spending time on the computer.
Excessive use of the computer can have negative consequences for both physical and mental health.
Computer addiction usually occurs in children between the ages of 10 and 16. And this is not surprising - the teenage psyche is not yet stable enough. However, medical statistics are disappointing - among gambling addicts you can increasingly find younger schoolchildren and even preschool children. How to recognize computer addiction in children?
Slide. The presence of this disease in a child can be refuted or confirmed only after consultation with a psychologist. However, even at home, parents can pay attention to obvious symptoms of addiction.
The child sits in front of the monitor for more than three hours a day, not including homework.
A teenager needs the computer to run in the background. Therefore, the child turns it on immediately after waking up and returning from classes.
Any attempts by adults to limit screen time often end in quarrels, scandals and acute conflicts with the teenager.
Schoolchildren have a sharp decrease in the number of social contacts, since communication takes place in instant messengers and social networks.
Children are unable to occupy themselves without gadgets. Board games, books and other entertainment are simply not interesting to them.
Often, the child neglects household responsibilities and homework in favor of another play session.
Almost all interaction with peers comes down to discussing new products in the gaming industry and computer technology.
The most obvious consequence of constant screen time is visual impairment. According to the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation, “computer vision syndrome” is widespread among today’s teenagers, the symptoms of which include pain in the eyes, tearing and constant headaches.
Slide. However, there are many more health problems caused by the computer. Computer addiction in children can cause:
obesity, because children, staring at the screen, do not walk or play, but mechanically eat what is on their plate;
weakened immunity, which means susceptibility to colds and infectious diseases;
problems with memory, concentration, and, as a result, difficulties with studying;
insomnia;
Slide. Main types of computer addiction in children
Before discussing ways to solve the problem, you need to understand what type of addiction the child has. According to experts, there are three main types of unhealthy computer addiction.
Gaming addiction in children (cyberaddiction) manifests itself in an unhealthy attraction to computer toys.
online surfing, or the irresistible need for a constant flow of information, forces a person to endlessly surf the Internet.
Slide. Computer addiction
Cyberaddiction (eng. addiction - addiction, addiction, cyber - abbreviated word cybernetic) - addiction to computer games
In 2012, the term “Cybernetic gambling addiction” was officially introduced into world medical practice.
The only classification of computer games developed by a psychologist that we have today is Shmelev’s classification, created by him in 1988. However, this is a genre rather than a psychological classification of computer games; In addition, we are forced to note that it is not complete even as a genre - it does not contain games of the “strategy” type, which are currently very widespread.
Slide. It looks like this:
I. Role-playing computer games.
3. Leadership games.
1. Arcades.
2. Puzzles.
3. Games for speed of reaction.
Slide. I. Role-playing computer games . Their main feature is the greatest influence on the psyche of the player, the greatest depth of “entry” into the game, as well as the motivation of gaming activity, based on the needs of accepting a role and escaping reality. Here, three subtypes are distinguished mainly by the nature of their influence on the player, the strength of “dragment” into the game, and the degree of “depth” of psychological dependence.
1. Games with a view “from the eyes” of “your” computer hero. This type of games is characterized by the greatest strength of “dragging” or “entering” into the game. The specificity here is that the view “from the eyes” provokes the player to fully identify with the computer character, to fully enter into the role. After a few minutes of play (the time varies depending on the individual psychological characteristics and gaming experience of the player), a person begins to lose touch with real life, completely concentrating on the game, transferring himself to the virtual world. The player can take the virtual world completely seriously and considers the actions of his hero to be his own. A person becomes motivated to be involved in the plot of the game.
2. Games with an outside view of “your” computer hero. This type of games is characterized by less strength in entering the role compared to the previous one. The player sees “himself” from the outside, controlling the actions of this hero. Identifying oneself with a computer character is less pronounced, as a result of which motivational involvement and emotional manifestations are also less pronounced compared to games with a view from the eyes. If, in the case of the latter, a person in the critical seconds of his hero’s life can turn pale and fidget in his chair, trying to dodge the blows or shots of computer “enemies”, then in the case of an outside view, external manifestations are more moderate, however, failures or death of “oneself” “in the guise of a computer hero is experienced no less strongly by the player.
3. Leadership games. The type is so named because in these games the player is given the right to direct the activities of the computer characters subordinate to him. In this case, the player can act as a leader of various specifications: the commander of a special forces detachment, the commander-in-chief of armies, the head of state, even a “god” who leads the historical process. In this case, the person does not see his computer hero on the screen, but invents a role for himself. This is the only class of role-playing games where the role is not given specifically, but is imagined by the player. As a result, the “depth of immersion” into the game and one’s role will be significant only for people with a good imagination. However, motivational involvement in the game process and the mechanism of formation of psychological dependence on the game are no less strong than in the case of other role-playing games. Focusing on the preferences of the player on games of this type can be used in diagnostics, considering them as compensation for the need for dominance and power.
II. Not role-playing computer games. The basis for distinguishing this type is that the player does not take on the role of a computer character, as a result of which the psychological mechanisms of addiction formation and the influence of games on a person’s personality have their own specifics and are generally less strong. The motivation for gaming activity is based on the excitement of “passing” and (or) gaining points. There are several subtypes:
1. Arcade games. This type coincides with the analogous one in the genre classification. Such games are also called “console games”, because, due to their low demands on computer resources, they are widespread on game consoles. The plot is usually weak and linear. All the player needs to do is move quickly, shoot and collect various prizes while driving a computer character or vehicle. In most cases, these games are very harmless in terms of influencing the personality of the player, because Psychological dependence on them is most often short-term.
2. Puzzles. This type of games includes computer versions of various board games (chess, checkers, backgammon, etc.), as well as various kinds of puzzles implemented in the form of computer programs. Motivation based on passion is associated here with the desire to beat the computer, to prove one’s superiority over the machine.
3. Games for speed of reaction. This includes all games in which the player needs to show dexterity and quick reaction. The difference from arcade games is that they have no plot at all and, as a rule, are completely abstract and have no connection with real life. Motivation based on passion, the need to “pass” the game, to score more points, can form a completely stable psychological dependence of a person on this type of game.
4. Traditional gambling. We use the word “traditional” in the name, since the type cannot be called simply “gambling”, because Almost all non-role-playing computer games are gambling in nature. This includes computer versions of card games, roulettes, slot machine simulators, in a word - computer versions of the casino gaming repertoire. The psychological aspects of the formation of addiction to these computer games and their real analogues are very similar and, therefore, we will not focus on this.
Slide. The most dangerous games!!!
(according to The Youth Care Foundation, Sweden)
World Of Warcraft (11.5 million users)
Grand Theft Auto 4, Manhunt, Postal, DOOM,seriesMortal Kombat
Lineage 2 Resident Evil 4 Condemned Clive Barker's Jericho
Slide. Why does computer addiction form?
The first and necessary condition for the formation of any addiction is a feeling of internal anxiety and a feeling of dissatisfaction. There are two ways to get out of a state of anxiety: a person either becomes aggressive or strives to “leave”. And you can go into alcoholism, drug addiction, religious sects, and finally, into a game... In a computer game, a person can simultaneously “throw out” his aggression on virtual characters and hide from the joyless reality for him. But where does increased anxiety and dissatisfaction come from? Often the reason is problems in the family, misunderstandings between parents and the child, “abandonment” of children, and excessive demands that adults place on the child.
The second condition for the formation of gambling addiction is pleasure. During the game, adrenaline is released. And if he also wins, the body produces joy hormones - endorphins. You want to experience this feeling again and again, and for this you need to repeat the game. This is how addiction arises. Therefore, it is children who lack positive emotions in life who most often become victims of the computer.
Moreover, computer addiction develops very quickly (one and a half to two months is enough!) and subsequently has a huge impact on the development of the individual, especially children.
Causes of computer addiction:
lack of warm, trusting relationships and understanding in the family;
inability to get along with others, lack of friends;
lack of hobbies, hobbies not related to the computer;
general unluckiness of the child.
Prevention of computer addiction:
creating warm relationships with your own child;
spending time together and taking an interest in his life and leisure time;
limiting the time spent in front of the computer;
the child's passion for sports, books, art.
It is important to know!!! A severe form of computer addiction is being treated by a psychiatrist!!!
In all cases, these are people maniacally dependent on the virtual world.
According to experts, gambling addiction is as harmful as alcoholism or drug addiction, and leads to profound personality changes - self-isolation, mental imbalance, pathological forgetfulness and untidiness, indifference to loved ones. The sick person experiences an irresistible desire to stay in virtual reality for as long as possible, forgetting about everything.
In the game, the child gains power over the world, turning into any fairy-tale character or movie hero. While playing, he can replay some plot with one movement of the computer mouse, go back, or redo part of the game. This especially sucks in children who in real life understand their failure.
In addition, one cannot ignore that almost all teenage games are built on aggression and murder. In many cases there is total homocide—permitted murder.
But role-playing is not just entertainment. In these types of games, behavior patterns are quickly learned. Therefore, in a number of countries, children under 18 years of age are prohibited from playing some particularly aggressive computer games, since they can encourage an undeveloped personality to implement aggressive impulses in real life.
The Internet also poses a danger to the psyche. You can go to the World Wide Web under any name, come up with any biography or image. Some mentally unstable teenagers have problems with self-identification due to this. For computer addicts, the “I” becomes alienated and a split personality begins. The second pathology is that children begin to frantically scour websites, pointlessly downloading information. For them, surfing the Internet is an end in itself.
The only currently proven way to prevent a teenager from “getting hooked” on computer games is to involve him in processes not related to virtual reality. Show a growing person a lot of existing exciting activities: sports clubs, hobby groups, tourism, dancing, etc., which allow you to experience thrills and self-realization, but at the same time train the body and normalize the psychological state.
You should always remember that a computer can become a friend, help in trouble, find like-minded people, or it can add a huge number of problems, lead to loneliness, becoming a sworn enemy.
Slide. Teenagers' addiction to social networks
Increasingly, teenagers are becoming addicted to them. You've probably been told such an expression as: “The VKontakte website is like a refrigerator, you know that it’s empty, but you’ll still look at it ten times.” It’s the same with schoolchildren: at first they show curiosity, then it’s completely impossible to separate them from the computer.
Among young people there is a game like “Who has more friends?” After all, their number sometimes reaches five thousand. Why do they need so many friends? Theoretically, the circle of acquaintances of any person does not exceed two hundred people, and the closest friends are about 5-10. We simply cannot remember more than five hundred people. Having 2000 people as friends, a person still feels lonely
Teenagers are spending their parents' money to give virtual gifts to their "friends." But on a social network anything is possible:
- think through the phrases that you will write to “friends”;
- upload your best photos;
- talk about an event that didn’t actually happen, but you really want it to happen;
- create your own virtual world.
Frequent visits to social networks for a teenager’s completely unformed psyche can negatively affect his health. The student will communicate less with his real friends, and will also withdraw into himself. If a child has developed complexes, they will begin to develop at high speed.
The danger of social networks is anonymity and the ability to hide your identity, trying on different roles at will. Teenagers play the role of who they would like to be, escaping reality and living someone else’s life online, completely different from reality. In some cases, this leads to a split personality and loss of sense of reality.
Slide. Signs of Internet addiction in teenagers:
Decreased academic performance, systematic absenteeism,
Frequent, causeless changes in mood, from lethargic to elevated, from indifferent-depressed to elevated-euphoric.
Painful and inadequate reaction to criticism, comments, advice.
Increasing opposition to parents, relatives, old friends.
Significant emotional detachment.
Deterioration of memory and attention.
Attacks of depression, fear, anxiety, the appearance of phobias.
Limited communication with friends, parents, relatives, significant change in social circle.
Avoiding activities in which there was interest, giving up hobbies.
Loss of valuables or money from home, appearance of other people's belongings, financial debts.
Resourcefulness, deceit, untidiness, sloppiness, previously uncharacteristic
Slide. There are four degrees of Internet addiction in children and adolescents.
1. The child spends less than 7 hours a week at the computer, his online activities are varied, and he willingly talks about what he is doing. He turns off the computer himself, he takes “separation” from the Internet and the need to take a break (for lessons, conversation, etc.) calmly, there are no problems with sleep or appetite. School is normal, he dresses as usual, the room is tidy.
2. The child is at the computer up to 15 hours a week, the activities are varied, but one-directional (games, social networks, etc.), and does not talk about everything. The computer turns off after a reminder; the need to take a break is perceived in different ways, including negatively. Sometimes he overeats at the computer or forgets to eat, and occasionally has nightmares. Study is normal, he may dress sloppily and clutter the room.
3. The child spends up to 22 hours a week at the computer, the activity is narrowly focused (3-4 chats, social networks or games), and is reluctant to talk about it. The computer turns off after several reminders and takes breaks negatively. Appetite is noticeably decreased or increased, sleep is disturbed - he sleeps either little or a lot, screams and rushes about in his sleep. Studying suffers, clothes are often sloppy, the room is a mess. My social circle and interests change somewhat.
4. The child sits at the computer for more than 3 hours a day, every day, without stopping, preferring 1-2 games or social networks or random surfing. He tries not to turn off the computer at all, constantly checks his email and instant messengers, and reacts aggressively to requests to take a break or tell him what he’s doing. Appetite and sleep are severely disturbed, academic performance has dropped significantly, clothes and room are in disarray, social circles and interests have changed.
The first and second stages require almost no intervention - this is a natural interest necessary for life in the modern world. It is enough to talk with children about their hobbies and unobtrusively monitor what they are doing, what they write about on social networks, and what they play. A good way to raise parental authority is to beat a child at his game or support a flash mob on a social network.
The third stage indicates the need for serious intervention and consultation with a psychologist. It is necessary to “pull out the electrode”, providing the child with a full life in reality - strong impressions, friendly company, a useful activity. Let him climb rope ladders and climbing walls, learn to fence or ride a horse, play KVN, or, as a last resort, use computer skills to design or write programs. Agree on limiting your time at the computer with the right to play to your heart’s content once a week or once a month.
The fourth stage, unfortunately, without the intervention of professionals can end sadly. To determine the severity of the disease, the scope of intervention and treatment, contact those specialists to whom you will be referred by a school psychologist, a doctor from a clinic or a private clinic.
Slide.
3) Internet surfing
called visiting pages of websites. While reading news, watching movies, playing online games, people surf in the virtual space. To surf, you need to install a browser on your computer. This is a special program that provides the ability to connect to web sites and listen, read and watch the information contained in them. Thanks to it, you can also navigate to other nodes by clicking on hyperlinks.
The web document that opens may contain other links. As a result, the user “swims” through an ocean of information. That's why the name "surfing" is used.
The presence of a computer in any, even the poorest apartment, will not surprise anyone now. The rapid development of computer technology and the Internet has led to the fact that such a convenient thing can replace almost any pleasure and human need: play computer games, download and watch any TV series, communicate on social networks, on forums and various chats, listen to music , order groceries and clothes.
In other words, this relatively small machine can replace almost the whole world for a person, communication with people and any hobbies, because everything is inside the computer.
The saddest thing about this whole situation is that most people do not understand that, in addition to the advantages, widespread computerization has a negative impact on human health, both physical and mental.
A large number of different games and social networks leads to the fact that a person becomes psychologically dependent on the computer world created in front of him; he begins to live his real life in a “different” world, where everything is subject to his personal laws and rules.
Children from 11 to 18 years of age are most at risk; during this period the nervous system is still too fragile, unstable, and easily influenced.
However, there are many cases of computer addiction among adults who, because of games, even neglect their work and their main responsibilities.
Adults are much less responsive to treatment in such cases, but children can still be saved and convinced that they are now living incorrectly.
Computer addiction among teenagers is a very big problem in modern society, which has more than once led to tragic endings.
If it may seem to someone that this is all an exaggeration, then let's remember those recent cases when children came to school with pistols and shot their classmates there, or at least that Chinese girl who died of exhaustion after playing with one of the computer toys . And these are far from the only cases, the picture, as you see, is far from being the most favorable, what will happen next?
How does computer addiction occur?
In fact, it is quite simple to explain the cause of computer addiction. The most dangerous in this entire environment are considered to be role-playing games, where a child or teenager is transported to a virtual reality, in which he plays his role, has certain skills, a level of strength and skill, and the game itself is filled with a serious plot, real enemies and threats.
Toys such as puzzles, speed of reaction, arcade games do not cause such a reaction, they, in principle, are not dangerous for the human psyche. But a game in which the player sees the computer world through the eyes of his character contributes to the loss of the connection between virtuality and reality; going through it becomes almost the meaning of life.
But why does this still happen? Why does a child get so hooked on this type of entertainment? Psychologists have the same opinion on this matter; they believe that a person gets used to the feeling of happiness.
The thing is that during the game the child experiences only strong and positive emotions - the joy of victory, adrenaline, which lead to the release of a real hormone of pleasure.
It causes very similar processes that occur in the head of an ordinary drug addict. By the way, it is boys who are more susceptible to computer addiction, who have a more developed sense of leadership, competition and passion than girls.
How does a child develop gambling addiction?
In scientific terms, gaming addiction is called cyberaddiction. Most often, it affects those children who experience a lack of attention from their parents, as well as a lack of communication with their peers.
Every day, being more and more in the world of a computer game, the child forgets how to communicate in the real world, they are more comfortable in the game, because there they can be the strongest, most powerful and uncontrollable, something that you will not find among their peers. If such a process progresses, the child’s unstable psyche experiences problems with self-identification, after which a split personality begins, the person begins to confuse the real and virtual world.
Another symptom of gaming addiction is nervous breakdowns, anger and aggression on the part of the child, when they try to distract him from the game, he is not interested or wants anything, and when he returns to the computer, one can observe an increase in mood and state of mind.
In addition to psychological problems, physical problems may also arise: spinal curvature, vision problems, frequent headaches and back pain. An addicted person tries to devote all his available time to the game, he begins to neglect hygiene, neglects household chores and responsibilities, begins to study poorly, skips training and clubs, and also tries to compensate for the lack of game at the expense of his own sleep.
All this leads to the fact that the child becomes completely alienated from the real world, he completely loses the ability to communicate with other people.
How to get rid of computer addiction?
- The most interesting thing is that in this situation the best assistant is conversations. Of course, you cannot do without introducing restrictions and developing a new daily diet, but all this can be done by constantly communicating with the child, explaining why now everything will be different.
- Of course, if your child is only 10-12 years old, then you can still try to prohibit him from doing something, but if we are dealing with a teenager, then prohibitions are unlikely to work here.
- As we have already said, children’s immersion in virtual reality is mainly due to a lack of attention from their parents; they may be constantly busy at work or solving their life’s worries, but not a single excuse from an adult can help in treating computer addiction.
Surprisingly, most older children are aware of their problem, sometimes even try to fight it, but they will not succeed alone.
- Try to keep your child busy, organize family lunches and dinners, outings into nature and the sea, take up sports education for your child, because when playing sports, all the same hormones of joy are released as when playing computer games.
- Introduce a limit on computer games, for example, no more than one hour a day, and the main activity behind it is preparing homework and essays.
- Lead by example, don’t sit at the computer more than you should, spend more time with your family. If you see that you cannot cope on your own, then seek help from a psychologist. Set your child up in a positive way in advance; this trip should not be a punishment for him, but rather another learning moment.
Don’t worry, your case is far from the first, so professionals know exactly how to work with such children.