If your teenager neglects friends, schoolwork and outside activities in favor of spending all of his free time on the computer, he may have an Internet addiction. Children's Hospital Boston's Dream Online Magazine reports that Internet addiction appears to be on the rise in much of the industrialized world. While it may not be practical for your child to stop using the computer completely, reducing computer access can help him combat adolescent Internet addiction.
Addiction Signs
Teenagers who are addicted to the Internet may fail to complete homework or chores because they lose track of time while on the computer. If your child is addicted to the Internet, you may find her on the computer long after she is supposed to be asleep. Using the computer at night can lead to oversleeping in the morning and difficulty waking for school. Your teenager may appear defensive if you question her Internet usage and may try to downplay how much time she spends online. Your teen may spend less time with friends and instead rely on virtual friends for social support. HelpGuide.org reports that people who are addicted to the Internet may feel that their online friends understand them better than people in their real lives.
Addiction Risk Factors
Teenagers who have an Internet addiction may suffer from anxiety or depression and may lack social support, according to HelpGuide.org. If your teenager has trouble making friends or fitting in with his peers, he may find the virtual world more welcoming.
Helping Your Teen
Reducing the amount of time your teenager spends on the computer is the first step in overcoming Internet addiction. The Healthy Place website suggests determining how many hours of computer usage are acceptable and creating an Internet schedule. Keeping the computer in a common area of your home can help you monitor your child's usage. Enrolling your child in sports, clubs or other activities is helpful in reducing computer time and increasing social interactions with other people.
Therapy
If self-help treatment does not help, you might consider taking your teenager to a therapist. Therapists can help your child by recommending ways to change addictive behavior and cope with problems that may have led to the addiction. Identifying triggers that lead to binge behavior and relearning how to use the computer in moderation is the focus of therapy, according to the Healthy Place website.
Considerations
While some teens turn to the Internet because they are depressed, others may become depressed after spending long hours on the computer. A study conducted by Lawrence T. Lam, Ph.D. and Zi-Wen Peng, M.Sc. found that Chinese teenagers who used the Internet pathologically increased their risk of depression by two and a half times when compared to teenagers who did not have an Internet addiction. The study, entitled "Effect of Pathological Use of the Internet on Adolescent Mental Health," was published in the August 2, 2010 edition of Archives of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine.
