One of the biggest aspects of the internet which is what makes it so problematic for parents is that there is a combination of characteristics of the internet that is rare to find anywhere else:
1. you can contact or access anyone anywhere
2. you can be anywhere and have access to the internet
3. you can do so in almost total secrecy
Now, let’s look at these three characteristics one by one.
Now you can see why the internet is such a perfect medium to “feed” someone’s obsession, since all of the above criteria are satisfied. Same goes for your kids. So when psychologists are trying to help parents whose kids have an internet addiction problem, one of the things they try to do is to tackle some of these issues of obsession which a parent can control.
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Mostly it’s about the first 3 in the list- computers should be kept in open public places in the home, like in the living room or the family room. Everyone should have quotas on how long they can use the computer for. And parents should also try to help the child deal with the community- most children join a community out of an emotional need, sometimes because there is something lacking in the family, like parental attention or such. Often with the right counselling or expertise these problems can be overcome.
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