Cyberaddiction
It's normal to wonder about your teen's screen usage. Is their online time too high? Is it cyberaddiction? Few teens are considered cyberaddicted, but some may have excessive or inappropriate usage leading to negative consequences in their lives.
In collaboration with PAUSE.
To remember
👉 Cyberaddiction is not scientifically defined, and high screen usage time by teens does not necessarily indicate addiction.
👉 It is crucial to check if your teen's screen usage has significant negative impacts on their daily life, such as sleep and relationships.
👉 Engaging in open discussions about screens and emotions with your teen, while avoiding demonizing technology, helps maintain a healthy balance between online and offline life.
Cyberaddiction or excessive use?
First, it's important to know that there is no scientific consensus on what is called cyberaddiction. Your teen spending many hours on screens does not automatically mean they are cyberaddicted. The omnipresence of screens, techniques to capture young people's attention, their need to connect with friends, etc., often leads them to spend many hours online. This can lead to isolation, neglecting homework, refusing family involvement, and behaviors displeasing to parents.
Questions to consider
Does your child:
Have an excessive focus on screens, thinking only about them? Are there obsessive thoughts? Can they neglect other interests, friendships, family, homework, or work?
Use screens excessively, losing control, trying to change their behavior, make promises to change but failing?
Face problems in one or more life areas? For example, neglecting sleep, hygiene, diet, etc.
Experience significant clinical distress? Are they not only inconvenienced by screen use but also overwhelmed by it?
As a parent, it's challenging to know if your teen is just engaging in a hobby, using screens excessively, or has a real problem. To better understand, evaluate if this usage negatively impacts their overall life (sleep, school, relationships, etc.). Only health professionals can determine if it's truly cyberaddiction. If in doubt, consult rather than stay anxious.
Advice for parents
Engage with your teen's online life
It's normal to worry and feel unsure about your teen's digital life. It's legitimate to question the role screens play. Thus, engage by understanding their interests, benefits they gain, and what it brings them. Keep in mind elements to supervise to offer healthy guidance and awareness of risks.
Talk to your teen
It's not always easy to discuss screens with your teen. As parents, choose prudence and avoid demonizing screens or only praising "real life." Such discourse may not resonate with teens, who live in a world where these two realities intertwine and the line between them is thin. This world offers many tools for communication, learning, and growth.
Online and offline life
To prevent your teen from using technology in isolation or exclusion from offline social life, compare their online and offline lives. Are they using social media to pretend or authentic with their identity? Do they maintain offline relationships as much as online ones? Are they engaging in other hobbies or activities without screens?
Your teen's emotions
Question your teen's emotions before, during, or after screen use. Is screen refuge a way to avoid issues? We can try to find other solutions to better support their emotions. Identify if screen use leads to increased sadness and anxiety, or affects behavior and interactions. Observe your teen's emotions and behaviors, and keep dialogue open on this topic.
