The danger of addiction to computer games among adolescents is increasingly discussed today, and disappointing statistics are presented. What should parents do if a teenager cannot be taken away from the computer?
Signs of addiction to computer games
Today, almost all teenagers play computer games, and in most cases this is a completely harmless hobby. The child should not be deprived of this pleasure as a preventive measure. But, nevertheless, addiction to computer games, unfortunately, is not a myth. You should be alerted if a child regularly spends more than 5-6 hours at a time playing, becomes irritable, aggressive and literally does not find a place for himself, or falls into hysterics if there is no way to continue playing. An especially alarming symptom is if a teenager skips school for the sake of computer games. It is also necessary to take measures if spending a long time at the computer begins to negatively affect the child's health - vision falls, increased fatigue, migraines, problems with the gastrointestinal tract appear.
What is important for parents to know about the causes of addiction to computer games
When faced with such symptoms, first of all, do not panic, and also do not rush to blame and punish the teenager.
Addiction to computer games is the same disease as addiction to alcohol and drugs. Prohibitions alone will not fix anything, and the best means of struggle is prevention. That is, if a wide range of interests has been formed from early childhood, there are various hobbies and hobbies, the child is actively involved in sports - all this will help reduce the risk of addiction. After all, any dependence is a form of escape from the world. And if a teenager is interested, he feels confident in this world, surrounded by understanding close people, then he has no need to run away into the fictional world. Fleeing into a fictional world is a signal of psychological distress.
It is important for you to identify and eliminate the cause - from what the child is running away and what he is looking for in the fictional world. Is he trying to throw out excess aggression, or wants to cope with a hidden resentment, or perhaps compensates for his failures in real life, deftly cracking down on the painted monsters?
You can, of course, throw the computer away, but the real cause of psychological problems will not go anywhere, and most likely, addiction will take a different form - more dangerous: alcohol, drugs.
Trust the help of a specialist
Addiction is a serious psychological problem and it is often difficult for parents to cope with it alone. They do not always have the necessary experience and psychological knowledge. Therefore, it is better to seek the help of a qualified specialist who can identify the root cause of the adolescent's difficulties, and together with him and you will help to find an effective way to overcome addiction.
