Does your kid use electronic devices for extended periods of time? When does it start to be an issue? And what can you do about it?
Singaporean youth have among the highest rates of Internet proficiency worldwide. According to the Statista (2022), 100 percent of households with children under 15 years old in Singapore had access to the internet in 2021. This figure was slightly lower for households without children under 15, at 99 percent. Overall, the share of households with access to the internet has increased since 2016. Their favorite ways to use their mobile devices are for social networking (on sites like Instagram) and for instant messaging (using apps like Snapchat) and email.
It’s easy to lose track of time while engaging in online activities because they’re interesting. Your child’s desire to devote more time to something that piques their interest is perfectly natural; in fact, doing so can be a great way to encourage their development in these areas.
However, your child may have a cyber addiction problem if any activity takes over their entire life to the point that it becomes hazardous to them physically, intellectually, or socially. The National Institute of Education and the Media Development Authority conducted a study[1] in 2010 that indicated that young people in Singapore spend an average of 20 hours per week playing video games, whereas young people in the United States spend an average of 13 hours per week playing video games. The same research also found that nearly 9% of Singaporean youth are “pathological gamers,” spending an average of 37.5 hours per week playing video games.
While the Institute of Mental Health’s National Addictions Management Service (NAMS) agrees that there is nothing inherently harmful about computers and technology, it cautions users to be wary of their devices’ addictive potential and to establish reasonable boundaries on their use.
NAMS includes certain warning flags related to excessive Internet use and some of these are:
- Your kid needs longer and longer sessions of gaming or surfing the web to feel content;
- If game or Internet use is restricted, he or she becomes agitated or even violent;
- His or her health and academic performance are suffering as a result of too much time spent playing video games or surfing the web.
- He or she no longer participates in offline activities in favor of virtual ones;
- Your kid can’t control his or her gaming or online habits even if he or she really wants to.
The NAMS resource brochure provides parents with information on how to monitor their children’s online activity. Methods include making basic “to-do” lists to limit computer usage, discussing and agreeing on weekly schedules for activities (including Internet and game time), and associating specific behaviors that need to be addressed with appropriate rewards.
The following are some suggestions for parents:
1. Be a good example of what you preach
Do you have a bad habit of constantly checking your phone or playing video games? It’s important to watch the example you set for your kids. Stop staring at your phone and get the family together to play some board games or cook dinner. Use these suggestions to organize an exciting weekend for the little ones. Consider watching an excellent TV show together and discussing it later.
2. Be in Command
As a parent, you are the authority figure. Don’t give your kid full control of the internet and gadgets. Think about getting some sort of program that can filter or restrict content if you have kids. Don’t forget to safeguard the password to the family Wi-Fi and don’t ever let your kids have an unlimited data plan on their smartphone.
3. Exhibit Compassion
Put yourself in your adolescent’s position. Those days of kids hanging out on soccer fields and “catching spiders” are long gone, replaced by an entirely new reality in which they participate. Take into account that teenagers desire for acceptance and may feel pressured to “keep up” with their online “life” to appear popular. Set reasonable limits on how much time each person can spend online, and stick to them.
4. Keep your guard up
With laptops, it may be harder to adhere to the age-old recommendation of keeping the computer in the living room. The living room may have the strongest Wi-Fi signals so that it would be the most inviting spot to access the web. Check user activity logs on a regular basis and at random, but be honest about it. (Of course, today’s children are so tech-savvy that they will immediately discover a solution online, so it’s up to the parents to keep up with the times as well.)
5. Establish Reasonable Regulations
Expecting your child to suddenly stop using technology is unrealistic. Set reasonable rules and penalties, and then be ready to follow through with them.
Teens between the ages of 13 and 18 who suffer from severe cases of internet gaming addiction can attend NAMS’ Internet Gaming Day Group, which consists of eight sessions of group counseling. Call NAMS at 6389 2200 for help with cyber-addiction or the All Addictions Helpline at 6-RECOVER (6-7326837) for information.
Though the internet can be a great tool for learning, it can also be a distraction from the real world. Help your child untangle from the web and explore the beauty of the world outside of their screen. Encourage them to take a break from the cyber world and discover the power of real life experiences and interactions. Let them explore their creativity, curiosity and imagination. Let them understand the importance of living life beyond the virtual space and create memories to cherish forever.
References:
Choo, H., Gentile, D. A., Sim, T., Li, D., Khoo, A., Liau, A. K. (Date). Pathological video-gaming among Singaporean youth. Annals Academy of Medicine, 39(11), 822-829.
Retrieved August 2023 from https://annals.edu.sg/pdf/39VolNo11Nov2010/V39N11p822.pdf