We know that technology can be addictive, mainly because that is where almost everything is happening these days.
You can’t go anywhere without hearing polyphonic ring tones from mobiles or seeing someone engrossed in a textual conversation. Enter any gaming shop and you’ll find hordes of youngsters eagerly queuing up for the latest offers.
Mobile phone apps are exploding, social networking sites like Facebook, Twitter and Bebo are booming, and even when it comes to homework, there’s nothing like a quick Google to get you the info you need.
Like it or not, technology is a major part of everyday life and naturally we want to be a part of it. However, there is healthy use and unhealthy use of technology and many kids (adults too for that matter) don’t know the difference.
Now in response to cries of help from parents concerned about their kid’s obsession with gaming, mobile phones and the internet, doctors from Capio Nightingale Hospital in London have introduced what they claim is the first dedicated clinic to deal with technology addiction in young people.
The centre is targeting kids from around the ages of 15 to 17 but children as young as 12 will be accepted.
Dr Richard Graham who is heading up the new service, told the London Evening Standard that services had to “adapt quickly” to deal with this growing problem.
He added that some parents said their child “flew into a rage” when told to switch off their computers and in some cases they had resorted to calling the police to sort out disputes.
“Mental health services need to adapt quickly to the changing worlds that young people inhabit, and understand just how seriously their lives can be impaired by unregulated time online, on-screen or in-game,” he said.
Graham would like to see clarification on what could be considered healthy or unhealthy use of technology.
Kids addicted to technology will go “cold turkey” at the clinic and the new service will also teach these kids face to face social skills and will try to address other issues a child may have.
They don’t want to curb technology use altogether, but will attempt to help kids know when it’s time to turn off.
Dr Graham who is an expert in teenage disorders refers to these techno addicts who refuse to switch off as “screenagers” and wants to turn them back into teenagers again. He reckons technology addiction is just like any other addiction, and kids can suffer withdrawal effects such as agitation when they stop.
