INTERNET ADDICTION AND HOW CAN WE HELP

Have you ever thought about how many people are addicted to their phones? All the hours they pass on their devices? If you have not you might be an internet addict... 

Internet addiction is a serious problem that's currently going around the world. This problem is mainly affecting teens. The problem of internet addicts is that they may not notice they are addicted to the internet, and maybe you that are reading this are one of them. To find out, get on your phone and click on one of your options that says “time using my phone”. As a result, you will see the time you currently use your phone per day and if you are above the average user. Instead due to many experts there are several ways that parents can help their teens to stop this addiction, and today I’m going to tell you three.

First of all, we are going to try with the most common sense thing we can do. Talk with him try to explain to them the effects of being an internet addict and making them see reason for it. You can also try to make them do exercise, for example, make them join a soccer team, so instead of using his phone all the time he can play other sports and use it only in his free time. And you may also want to spend time with your kids and show them that you don’t need the phone to have a great time, because believe it or not children are influenced by their parents actions. (Joyce)

The next thing parents can do to help is stopping nighttime texting. These actions are usually linked to bad grades. About 55.3 percent of participants reported texting and using the digital platforms for at least an hour a night before bed, with more than 20 percent reporting three hours or more of use per night. Among the respondents, 61 percent said they felt the usage impacted their schoolwork, and 65.7 percent said it impacted sleep, the study said. (Mazzola) Knowing about these facts we can put a limit of time on their use of phone. For example, from six to eight you can use your phone, and to make sure this happens we can also format the wifi so at 10 pm there is no more internet. 

Finally, we need to separate them from all the social media, since they are the most frequent apps used by the teens. 92% of teens report going online daily including 24% who say they go online “almost constantly,”  according to a new study from Pew Research Center. More than half (56%) of teens defined in this report as those ages 13 to 17. (Lenhart) To do so you can talk with him about it, instead l advise you to get an expert for your kids, because they know how to deal with them in a way where they feel comfortable, maybe by taking their devices or making them do something else, like a hobby. 

In conclusion, technology is one of the most beautiful things that happened on earth, and it has helped us in practically everything. Instead, we have to be self-conscious of the time we use our phone, and always try to prevent being an addict to it, so we can enjoy technology and internet in a safe and fun way.

Joyce, Amy. “Teens Say They’re Addicted to Technology. Here’s how parents can help.”.

Washingtonpost.com. Washingtonpost. 3 May 2016. Web. 15 Mar 2020.

Lenhart, Amanda. “Teens, Social Media & Technology Overview 2015”.

Pewresearch.com. Pew research center. 9 Apr 2015. Web. 15 Mar 2020. 

Mazzola, Jessica. “Nighttime Texting Linked to Bad Grades, N.J. Study Finds”.

Nj.com. Nk advance media. 8 Oct 2015. Web. 15 Mar 2020.