With technology developing day by day, curiosity and interest in technology continues to increase in children as well as adults. Having this interest and curiosity in areas where they will benefit will certainly make a positive contribution to children, but sometimes the increase in time spent on the internet disrupts children's daily routines.
So how can we understand whether children have internet addiction?
We can easily understand this situation by making a brief observation to see whether children have such an addiction. If the time spent on the internet continues to increase day by day, this situation should definitely be taken into consideration. It may often not be accurate to say a certain time interval as it will vary from child to child. What matters is how and why you spend time on the internet. School-age children may sometimes spend a lot of time on the internet for reasons such as researching something for their classes or doing homework. This may not be a problem, but parents should not lose control, especially for people who have just entered puberty or are in adolescence. This control should neither be done in front of children's eyes nor secretly from behind. Because in both cases, children's sense of trust may be damaged. This control can be disrupted in only one case, and that is, if there is any situation that threatens the child's life safety, then it is very important not to give up control. Children should definitely be kept away from games that are dangerous for them, that is, they pose the risk of suicide or physical harm to themselves or others. In such cases, the control should not be secret, but should be in a way that attracts the child's attention, and parents should confront their children and explain the importance and danger of the situation in detail. In games that involve violent tendencies, children generally try to express the distress, tension and anger they experience by playing those games. We often observe this in children who are introverted or have low self-confidence. Children try to relax by expressing their emotions, which they cannot express to the people around them, through the games they play. The heroes in such games are in their own lives. This is how they play those games by putting them in the shoes of one of the people. Leveling up in games or winning various imaginary prizes satisfies them to some extent. Because this situation is very common in children who are not appreciated by those around them for the good things they do in their real lives. Question the styles of games your child plays with them. When doing this, do not be oppressive or accusatory. Because these attitudes may restrict what your child can tell you.
So, what should be done for children with internet addiction?
Taking the internet away from children completely will not be a solution, of course. At least it won't be a healthy solution. The time spent on the internet or playing various games should be gradually reduced. The important thing here is to comply with this reduction. In this regard, it is important for parents to establish authority over their children. This authority should not be oppressive. If reductions in the hours spent on the internet are implemented successfully, children should be provided with new activities at home or outside the home that will benefit them. These activities should be things that your child will love and be interested in, and they should also make him feel good physically, psychologically or mentally. Taking computers, tablets, phones, internet and games completely out of children's hands may seem like a solution, but it may have more negative consequences for your child in the long run. Because the child who will suddenly fall into the void may acquire dangerous and undesirable new habits. Just as we, as adults, have a hard time giving up a habit that makes us uncomfortable, this is also true for children. For all these reasons, we must approach them patiently without losing control.
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