Do You Know a Child with Internet Addiction Disorder?




Did you know that nearly 23% of youth report that they feel "addicted to video games" (31% of males, 13% of females.)? These are the results of a study of 1,178 U.S. children and teens (ages 8 to 18) conducted by Harris Interactive (2007). 

 Is your child addicted to the internet? Here are a few warning signs to look out for:
  • Loses track of time while online
  • Sacrifices needed hours of sleep to spend time online
  • Becomes agitated or angry when online time is interrupted
  • Checks email or online messages several times a day
  • Becomes irritable if not allowed access to the internet
  • Spends time online in place of homework or chores
  • Prefers to spend time online rather than with friends or family
  • Disobeys time limits that have been set for internet usage
  • Lies about amount of time spent online or "sneaks" online when no one is around
  • Forms new relationships with people he or she has met online
  • Seems preoccupied with getting back online when away from the computer
  • Loses interest in activities that were enjoyable before he or she had online access
  • Becomes irritable, moody or depressed when not online
If any of these sound familiar, it may be time to look at addressing the situation.  I found a great article about Internet Addition Disorder that addresses the problem and what you could do to address it here: https://www.webroot.com/us/en/resources/tips-articles/internet-addiction-what-can-parents-do.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Congratulations to Our 2019 Doodle4Google Contestants

Image
I made the clarion call  and these brave kids answered! We're so proud of these superstar students who rose the occasion and entered the 2019 Doodle for Google contest. The students had to create and submit their entries to Google by March 19, 2019. The entries will be reviewed to select state winners who will then move on to the national round.  The final winner will receive a $30,000 college scholarship, a $50,000 tech package for their school or non-profit organization, and their artwork will be displayed for a day on Google.com! Wow! How did we do it as these kids are in three different states (Illinois, North Carolina and Tennessee)? I asked their parents if they would let them join me on a Google Hangout on Tuesday nights for about 30 minutes.  We met online for a few weeks, going through the process of creating and then submitting the entries online with the help of their parents.  The students really enjoyed connecting online each week and getting to see eac
Read more

Are You Preparing Your Students with the Right Future Job Skills?

Image
One of the major concerns of educators today is that they are preparing their students for a solid financial future when it comes to job preparation.  In our current digital age, technology is moving faster than our ability to keep up when it comes to the education sector. That's why I love the Google for Education platform.  It's Google's effort to equip today's teachers and students with the relevant technology to succeed in today's world.   For example, their Applied Digital Skills program is a set of  free computer literacy courses designed to prepare learners for a growing number of jobs that require basic digital skills.  These are the skills companies are looking for in today's employees.  Use this free resource to add to your digital course curriculum.  All these classes are created by Google and are aligned with ISTE standards.     Visit the Applied Digital Skills Website:  https://applieddigitalskills.withgoogle.com/
Read more

A Note to Parents about the MoMo Challenge

Image
So there's a lot of concern about the MoMo Challenge (this online monster meme & videos that tries to encourage kids to commit suicide) and some even think it's a hoax. My two cents on the subject - don't take these things for granted. Whether it's a hoax or not, we need to pay attention. And as parents, we're just going to have the bite the bullet and learn enough about technology so that we can stay involved with what our kids are being exposed to online and then have real- time, continual conversations with them about it. None of these apps, program, blocking software or restriction settings are fool-proof in keeping our kids safe. As challenging as it is, we have to stay a step ahead of this technology game when it comes to our kids. We have to do the work for the sake of our kids. And if you need help, don't be ashamed to ask someone. Here's one resource that may help:  https://www.commonsensemedia.org/blog/parents-ultimate-guide-to-parental-
Read more