Addiction
Technology Addiction

What is technology
addiction?

There are a great number of benefits of technology in human life. However, lack of control over technology and using technology without limit can cause very serious problems. Internet or technology addiction is defined as a situation in which an addict feels deprivation when s/he is not able to get technological material which s/he is addicted to as other addictions.

Bağımlılık Nedir

The symptoms of technology addiction

  1. Spending hours though saying just a few minutes
  2. Telling a lie about the duration you spent on screen to your acquaintances.
  3. Complaining about physical problems caused by using computer for a long time.
  4. Disguising oneself as an anonymous person, preferring talking with people on internet to talking face to face with people.
  5. Depriving oneself of meals, lessons or appointments.
  6. While feeling regretful about spending hours on screen, you get pleasure on the other hand and go between these two feelings.
  7. Feeling nervous and empty inside when you stay away from your computer.
  8. Staying on computer till late hours at night

Problems caused by technology addiction

Physical complaints

  1. Burn in eye
  2. Pain and sclerosis in neck muscles
  3. Body posture disorder
  4. Numbness in hands
  5. Exhaustion

Complaints in social life

  1. Decline in academic success
  2. Personal, family and school problems
  3. Failure in managing time
  4. Sleep disorders
  5. Malnutrition
  6. Lack of activity
  7. Isolation from people except ones on internet

Ways to control addiction

  1. Change daily internet use hours.
  2. Prepare weekly internet use timetable and make them follow it.
  3. Put methods such as support groups or family therapy into practice.
  4. Make them write on a notebook the activities they want to make but do not find opportunity to do, ask them to do one of what they have written when they desire to use internet.

Addiction prevention of children and teenagers

Confrontation of children under two with internet, television or computer is not advisable. It is enough for pre-school age-groups to use internet for maximum 30 minutes within day. In the first year of primary education, daily 45 minutes can be acceptable for games and entertainment except homeworks. In the following years, one hour is sufficient but it can be flexible at weekends. It is also enough to use internet for two hours for high school age-groups within day.

Okul Öncesi

Yaş grubu günde

30 dakika

İlköğretimin

İlk dört yılında
günde 45 dakika

45 dakika

İlköğretimin

İkinci dört yılında
günde 1 saat

1 saat

Lise Çağında

Günde 2 saat

2 saat

Do you know?

  1. Deprivation is observed in 74, 5 percent of addicted students while it is observed in 10,5 percent of non-addicted students.
  2. Lying to conceal the time spent on internet is seen in 38 percent of addicted students while it is seen in 4 percent of non-addicted students.
  3. Feeling guilty because of the time spent on internet is seen in 33 percent of addicted students while it is seen in 4, 3 percent of non-addicted students.

What should be done?

  1. Lead your children to meet with their friends in an inartificial way, support them to be sociable in peer groups.
  2. Channelize your children sport branches suited to their abilities and interests.
  3. Support your children’s friendships, plan activities which will bring them together.
  4. Control computer use of your children and know whom their friends are in virtual field.
  5. Give importance to whether there are safe internet applications in their computers.
  6. If you are not able to stop your children who uses computer in excess, get expert help without doubt.

What should not be done?

  1. Never use devices such as smart phones, tablets to console or silence them.
  2. Do not allow them to use internet without limit and control.
  3. Do not serve to children on computer at dinner or tea time, make them join you.
  4. Do not design a home based on technologic devices such as television, internet etc.

For more information;

tbm.org.tr