Is your child addicted to technology?
Cyber addiction is a modern-day addiction to computer and video games, where children are becoming increasingly addicted to playing video games to the detriment of their normal life responsibilities.
“Research has shown that cyber-addiction is affecting physical, emotional and mental health. Someone who spends more than four hours a day on a continuous basis could be classified as a cyber addict,” said Colleen Johnson, an educational psychologist.
Cyber-addicts have such an obsession with playing video games for hours on end, to the point that they begin to neglect their school work and other aspects of their lives.
She said that they may have an inability to get up in the morning and would rather spend time on the computer as opposed to doing anything else.
“Behavioural changes have been observed in cyber addicts while playing video games.”
Almost a quarter of computer gamers from the Eastern Cape, the Western Cape, Kwazulu-Natal and Gauteng participated in a study and admitted to shouting, screaming, swearing and throwing things around while playing computer games.
“Increased aggression in and out of the classroom has been observed in some cyber-addicts where they start fighting with other children and with their siblings more often.”
Cyber-addiction has a further effect on physical health. Cyber addicts may eat excessively while playing and sitting for long periods at a time.
They may be getting less exercise and spending less time outdoors socialising and playing. According to the American Academy of Paediatrics unstructured play time is more valuable for the developing brain than electronic media.
Children learn to think creatively, problem solve, and develop reasoning and motor skills at early ages through unstructured, unplugged play. Free play also teaches them how to entertain themselves. The academy recommends that children under age 2 should be kept as “screen-free” as possible.
To help curb cyber addiction, children should only be allowed to play video games for a maximum of one and a half hours to two hours a day.
“They should take frequent breaks between games and, if there is a computer in their room, the door should be left open.
“Parents have the responsibility to monitor their children’s computer usage and to ensure that they are playing games that are age appropriate,” Johnson said.
Signs of cyber addiction
* An inability to get up for school in the morning.
* Uncharacteristic or inexplicable aggressive behaviour.
* Reluctance to do homework on time or anything else. They would much prefer to be on the computer than attending to other important things.
* They talk cyber language by using terms, expressions and names of their favourite characters. They are bringing these names and ideas into their daily lives, which shows a very close affinity with these objects.
* Cyber-addicts may also want to constantly buy costumes, suits and toys based on computer games.
* Excessive eating while playing video games for hours on end.
