Many people use the word “addiction” casually to describe something they do often and somewhat compulsively. We hear people say things like, “I’m addicted to chocolate or I’m addicted to my cell phone.” Clinical addiction is a different matter. A clinical diagnosis is defined by:
The American Association of Psychiatry (APA) is considering adding Internet Gaming Disorder as an official diagnosis. This is based on studies that show psychological and physiological patterns similar to those exhibited by a person with a drug addiction. For example, MRI studies of the brains of people who play twenty hours or more of video games a week show similar imaging patterns as people addicted to drugs. Internet use that is not gaming related, but rather related to social media and other things, is also a problem for many people but it is less understood from a psychological and physiological perspective.
If you are concerned about addiction in yourself or someone else, or you want to teach your kids about this issue, take a look at these two questionnaires that screen for problematic use.
For Tech Talk Tuesday this week let's talk about the difference between addiction and compulsion:
As well as our weekly blog, we publish videos like this one every week on the Screenagers YouTube channel
Many people use the word “addiction” casually to describe something they do often and somewhat compulsively. We hear people say things like, “I’m addicted to chocolate or I’m addicted to my cell phone.” Clinical addiction is a different matter. A clinical diagnosis is defined by:
The American Association of Psychiatry (APA) is considering adding Internet Gaming Disorder as an official diagnosis. This is based on studies that show psychological and physiological patterns similar to those exhibited by a person with a drug addiction. For example, MRI studies of the brains of people who play twenty hours or more of video games a week show similar imaging patterns as people addicted to drugs. Internet use that is not gaming related, but rather related to social media and other things, is also a problem for many people but it is less understood from a psychological and physiological perspective.
If you are concerned about addiction in yourself or someone else, or you want to teach your kids about this issue, take a look at these two questionnaires that screen for problematic use.
For Tech Talk Tuesday this week let's talk about the difference between addiction and compulsion:
As well as our weekly blog, we publish videos like this one every week on the Screenagers YouTube channel
What are the potential costs of loads of certain screen time activities on our kids’ brain health and mood? Today we talk about ways to changes tech time that might help them feel better — even while keeping the same total amount of screen time?
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In some homes, managing screen time is the source of a lot of stress and tension. It can often be downright toxic. If you are at your wits' end about screen time issues, seeking the help of a professional coach or counselor can be beneficial.
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Remember Andrew from Screenagers? The college student who struggled with an addiction to video gaming. We recently checked in with him to find out how he has been and what he is up to today.
READ MORE >for more like this, DR. DELANEY RUSTON'S NEW BOOK, PARENTING IN THE SCREEN AGE, IS THE DEFINITIVE GUIDE FOR TODAY’S PARENTS. WITH INSIGHTS ON SCREEN TIME FROM RESEARCHERS, INPUT FROM KIDS & TEENS, THIS BOOK IS PACKED WITH SOLUTIONS FOR HOW TO START AND SUSTAIN PRODUCTIVE FAMILY TALKS ABOUT TECHNOLOGY AND IT’S IMPACT ON OUR MENTAL WELLBEING.
