Is Your Elementary-Aged Child An Internet Addict?

When I was an elementary-aged child, free time was spent in the neighborhood with other kids, and information came from school, the library, the TV, which of course only had a few channels, and from other people. The first time I saw a computer, I didn't understand what the big deal was. It was boring, nothing more than a fancy filing system. 

My generation of parents is raising children in a world completely different than the one they grew up in. While it's now frowned-upon to allow our kids the freedom we had by letting them roam the neighborhood with their friends, a great many kids can proficiently play games on their many internet-connected devices before they can even read and write. 

Though the internet is an integral part of my own life, too, now, I often stop and marvel at the opportunities it is offering my kids — free math lessons, awesome documentaries, whole encyclopedias and dictionaries, easy video contact with friends and relatives in other countries, and the list goes on.

Over-reliance on the internet has a scary downside too, however, yes, even if you install all those parental-control apps, have your computer in a public area of the house, and are very sure that your own children aren't being cyber-bullied or approached by child predators. With some stats suggesting that your average child spends 17 hours a week in front of a screen, about double the amount they spend playing outside, it's clear that the internet is taking over lives. That is a scary thought. 

The Internet: The Good, The Bad And The Ugly

While there aren't any nearly-organized, flawlessly-conducted studies and meta-analyses of the global effect of internet use on children, what we do have is a random collection of research conducted in different countries. From the pool of research, we can draw the conclusion that about six percent of Chinese minors are addicted to the web, as well as 3.3 percent of Nigerian university students, and 3.9 percent of Italian high schoolers. We also know that that "in real life" problems are a risk factor for internet addiction, that depressed girls have a higher risk of developing a web addiction than depressed boys. 

While common sense already suggests that being glued to a screen much of the time leads to a decrease in physical movement. research confirms this. Spending too much time online also leads to poor eating and sleeping habits and even increases the risk that a child will self-harm. In addition, screen time also has a negative impact on grades, and the more time a child spends online, the more severely their academic success is impacted.

READ Keeping Kids Safe From Sexual Predators - And Criminal Activity - On The Internet

Children classified as internet addicts — based on different criteria since no universally accepted checklists are available yet — were also shown to be more likely to come from families in which parents had divorced, from single-parent families, and to be only children.

Is Your Child Addicted To The Internet?

Back in 1995, Ivan Goldberg MD proposed "Internet Addiction Disorder" for inclusion in the DSM, the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders — as satire. The latest version of the DSM, the DSM-5, actually notes a condition it termed Internet Gaming Disorder as a disorder that warrants more research so it may be included in future versions of the manual. As yet, though, there are no universal diagnostic criteria to pinpoint an internet addition as such. 

Nonetheless, as parents, we can ask ourselves some tough questions. All addictions have similar warning signs, and based on the red flags that identify other non-substance addictions, positive answers to the following questions point to a serious problem:

• Does your child's internet use interfere with daily responsibilities such as personal hygiene, homework, chores, eating, and socializing?
• Does your child constantly ask to access the internet?
• Does your child become aggressive or irritated when the internet is not available or you tell them they can't use it?
• Does your child prefer being online to spending time with real-life people?
• Does your child lie about time spent online, or do they seek to access the internet secretly when you are not looking?
• Does your child think and talk about the internet even when engaged in other activities?
• Does your child self-soothe using the internet when faced with problems?

While this isn't a comprehensive list, and symptoms will differ slightly from case to case, this list of questions is enough to allow parents to evaluate whether a problem exists — and to intervene if it does.

Nipping A Child's Internet Addiction In The Bud

Step one should consist of taking a good, hard look at the reasons for which your elementary child has developed an over-reliance on the web. A 2015 survey of British mothers revealed that 85 per cent of mothers admitted to using technology as a convenient means to keep their two to 12 year old kids occupied so they could do other stuff. I do it too, and I bet you can join me in admitting to this.

Kids who have become accustomed to easy entertainment through the web may have grown to lack the skills they need to keeping themselves occupied through activities such as free play, drawing, and reading. They'll need time to rediscover these skills. If you have decided to decimate your kids' screen time, I suggest:

• Tapering down gradually and making sure that you're there to offer alternative forms of entertainment, such as screen-free play dates, cooking together, drawing, scavenger hunts, and hobby projects.
• Letting your child know exactly how much screen time they will be allowed, and offering screen time only after the child's other responsibilities have been completed.
• Encouraging your child to use the internet in an intellectually stimulating manner, by watching documentaries, listening to audiobooks, and learning math on Khan Academy, for instance. 
• Increasing time spent outdoors. 
• In addition, examine your own internet use and commit to cutting down on leisurely browsing time yourself. 

READ Internet And Your Brain: Psychological Effects Of Online World

Be prepared — as you alter your screen-time rules, you may have grumpy kids for a while. It does get better, however, even if you have a kid who was completely obsessed with playing Minecraft and watching other people play it on YouTube (no, not speaking from experience or anything...). Helping out kids develop a healthy relationship with the technology that's here to stay is a challenge today's parents face, but elementary age is the perfect time to do this. By cutting your kids' internet use down to responsible levels now, you are actively fostering their emotional and physical health, their relationship with you, and their academic success.