Internet Addiction: How to Help Protect Your Children

The past two decades have seen a spike in the use of technology, so much so that the internet has become prevalent even in the classroom. A psychologist and internationally known expert on internet addiction argues that parents and teachers should be more careful about how much time children are spending in front of screens.

Unlike the treatment for other addictions like alcohol and drugs, a technology addiction cannot realistically be treated through abstinence in today’s society. Instead, A study suggested treating it more like an eating disorder, where professionals work to increase the addict’s following of healthy use in their everyday life.

Going cold turkey on the Internet isn’t the solution, says Kimberley Young, founder of the US-based Center for Internet Addiction who began studying Internet addiction in 1995. Instead, parents should allow their children to use the Internet for specific time periods and remind them that it is a luxury and not a right, Ms. Young advises.