Here’s How You Can Help Your Child Overcome Digital Addiction

Gone are the days when people used to enjoy slow exchange of information using STD, ISD, or landlines. With the advent of technology, people have become increasingly dependent on smart devices and gadgets. Certainly, there’s no harm in having speedy exchange of messages until it begins to occupy a major chunk of an individual’s day and life.

 

Apart from other forms of addiction, digital addiction is one such form of addiction that has affected kids globally at a fast pace. Spending most of their time in using smartphones, tablets, playing video games, and watching television, kids have started to ignore their health completely. However, these devices are innocuous till they are used in a certain limit but can lead to digital addiction when used excessively.

Some of the common symptoms of identify the presence of digital addiction in your child are:

• ·       Compromise on sleeping hours to stay online.
• ·       Getting angry when online time is interrupted.
• ·       Reduced interest in other activities once enjoyed.
• ·       Poor performance at school.
• ·       Lies about the time spent online.
• ·       Developing signs of depression.
• ·       Increased mood swings.

To help your child overcome digital addiction, parents and caregivers can take some simple steps. Some of these are as mentioned below: 

1.     Engage in Physical Activities

Try to engage your child in physical activities and outdoor games. This would not only help them to socialize more but can also prove to be a great way to reduce their risk of developing digital addiction. They will also get a chance to interact with the real-world instead of wasting their time on smartphones and playing video games. 

2.     Help Them Fight Away FOMO

The fear of missing out (FOMO) has made children develop a fear of missing out on connection with the real world. But it is the responsibility of parents and teachers to help these kids understand that it is just a term and is not the only way to connect with the real world. Inspire these kids to engage themselves in reading books/newspapers/magazines or listen to their favorite podcasts to improve their concentration level and communication skills.

3.     Set Limit on Screen Time

Establish clear boundaries on the amount of time they can spend using smart devices. Also, establish rules regarding the places where they can’t use these devices such as while having meals or right before going to bed. Setting such limits and using parental control on restricting the usage of these devices can also help in ensuring that the child stays away from watching any sort of inappropriate content.

4.     Use Reward Techniques

Use reward technique to inspire your child to adopt healthy behavior. For instance, tell them that they will go for a vacation if they don’t use the mobile phone for a week. They will get a surprise gift next week if they limit their screen time to only one hour per day. Using tricks like these work wonder to keep the child away from digital gadgets.

5.     Educate Your Kids About Digital Addiction

Educate your kids about the risks associated with digital addiction and the ways it can harm their mental as well as physical health. Let them know the possible impacts it can have on an individual’s relationships (including them) as well as his/her health to inspire them to use these gadgets in a healthy limit.

Cure For Digital Addiction

If none of these tricks work for your child, it is possible that digital addiction has already hit your child and has, in fact, crossed its limits. In case, there’s someone you know who is addicted to any digital gadget or his/her child is and is looking for a facility offering treatment for digital addiction, Athena Behavioral Health can help.

Athena Behavioral Health is one of the leading mental health and addiction treatment centers in Gurgaon. Holding years of experience in treating individuals for various forms of mental illnesses and substance addiction, Athena takes pride in its team of professional experts who hold expertise in this domain. They make sure that the best customized treatment is provided to each patient to ensure their speedy recovery. So, if anyone around you is addicted to any form of substance or is dealing with any mental health issue, contact Athena Behavioral Health for complete treatment. Interested to know more details about our treatment plans and facility? Contact us today at 9289086193 or drop us an email at info@athenabhs.com

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