Internet addiction killing personal touch

Internet addiction killing personal touch

Kids spend hours on the computer but have no time to interact with friends & parents

Pallavi Smart ? Mumbai

A Std V student often missed school because he was engrossed in playing games on the internet till late in the night. A Std X student was also addicted to internet gaming. Experts found that the children faced serious emotional and academic issues and that they used the internet to block their anxiety.       Addiction to the internet among schoolchildren is increasingly becoming a cause for concern for parents. Children as young as eight and nine years old spend hours on the computer either surfing the internet or chatting on social networking sites. Technology is a necessity in the changing education system today and the internet cannot be ignored by parents and children.       It is, however, important for parents to inculcate ‘internet hygiene’ among children and ensure they don’t get addicted to it, experts said. “There are three issues — a child first goes to school, then tuition classes followed by another tuition class by his parents at home. Amid all this, the child hardly gets time to meet friends. Facebook then becomes a place for him to meet his friends. It takes over an hour just to say hi to all friends on the chat list,” said Dr Harish Shetty, renowned psychiatrist.       Secondly, Shetty said, downloading from the internet is a common phenomenon. The content can be informative or just for entertainment. But that also takes time. Thirdly, internet gaming is gaining popularity among children. “Instead of being dictators and preventing children from using the internet, parents must understand what’s going on in their mind and take the craze out of them,” Shetty added.      “Internet hygiene is about the appropriate use of the Web. For effective results, one should start early. Children must not be allowed to use the computer late at night. They should not be allowed to use social networking sites for more than half-an-hour,” Dr Shetty said.      Nita Mehta, clinical psychologist from the New Horizon Child Development Centre, agrees. “Internet usage is unavoidable today, but parents need to be aware of what their children are up to. Apart from keeping the computer in a public area at home, there should be a time limitation on using it. Certain websites should be blocked,” she said. “The idea is not to stop internet usage, but understand how to use it effectively. Why can’t parents sit with their children when they need information from the Internet for their projects? It is also important to educate them about the adverse effects of the Internet and the dangers of chatting with strangers,” said Sohini Chatterjee, clinical psychologist and clinical director at New Horizon.     “Children should also be told about the adverse effects of internet gaming. Parents should avoid giving laptops to schoolchildren as they offer a great level of privacy,” Dr Shetty said. He said it is important to consult a counsellor if a child avoids conversations or outings with parents and friends. Appearing bored and losing grades are also signs of internet addiction.      Experts said phone hygiene is also important. “Mobile phones should be kept away from children after 11pm as kids have a tendency to listen to songs while sleeping,” Dr Shetty said.

Published Date:  Jun 26, 2012

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