Corona virus and the risk of technological addiction in children

by Roberto Pino
PhD in Pharmacology and Toxicology University of Florence

Technological dependence has greatly increased in the days of distancing, tells us Giuseppe Lavenia psychotherapist, university professor at the University of Ancona, and president of the National Association Di.Te. which deals precisely with technological addictions.

What are the data? Are children’s addictions growing?

I would say yes. In the period of the lockdown, we conducted several researches. For example, we have seen that everything related to cyberbullying has tripled along with requests for help compared to the months before the lockdown.

We have also seen an increase in eating disorders, generalized anxiety disorders, children who contact us on the toll-free number for situations of panic attacks , so we must pay attention to the mental health of our children.

Why has this problem increased so much?

Certainly because they are scared, the information is conflicting, it is not clear which path to take, which is the correct information, and we cannot calm them down, says Prof. Lavenia. We are underestimating the trauma they have lived and are experiencing and that we will surely live for a while longer, so we need to focus on this.

A fact that has emerged from the research we have conducted in recent months on 7,000 children between 11 and 19 years, therefore an important sample, is that children cannot imagine a future, not even design it, they lack desire and this means to create a generation of kids who have lost the engine, the pleasure in life.

Not going to school creates problems both for adolescents who feel isolated from their peers but also for younger children who can grow up with the idea that the other can hurt us, can infect us, the perception therefore that ” it’s dangerous outside “. When they grow up, they will probably be kids who will be increasingly afraid of going outside so they will want to stay indoors, but staying at home behind a screen brings other risks such as social isolation .

Which ages are most at risk?

Previously, teenagers between 16 and 19 years old contacted us. Now the age has dropped considerably. We have parents who call us for 9 or 10 year olds with anxiety disorders but also cases of regression, for example, 9-10 year old children with enuresis (bedwetting) and this indicates that we are probably underestimating the trauma our children are undergoing in this period. We parents have to take care of it and take care of it .

What would you recommend to parents?

Always ask our children as well as how their day went, how their day went online . We parents have to get used to the new normal. The new normal wants our children to spend 8 hours a day online (we adults are no different), so a good part of our identity and their identity passes through there. We must therefore take care .

Let’s start asking how are you doing? While the answer is likely to be hasty, they will certainly feel that we are taking care of them, learning about their world. The risk is that being at home, behind the screen, we think that everything is fine and we do not worry about this virtual world, which instead hides many pitfalls but also many beautiful things but we must be aware of the use which therefore pay maximum attention .

Once it was said, be careful to cross the street, now you have to be told what they live on the net but above all take them out on the street because otherwise they remain too isolated behind a computer.

At what age should children be given their first smartphone?

The recommended age is 13, let’s say the transition could be between middle school and high school. Unfortunately, this age is increasingly reduced and normally the first mobile phone is given around the age of 10 as a gift for the first communion even if the manufacturers recommend using the first smartphone around 13 years of age.

When is the time when kids know how to settle for themselves?

We know that up to the age of 21 their brain structure is not fully formed, in particular the limbic system, responsible for impulse control, so up to about 21 they are more prone to risks. This does not mean that you have to give your smartphone to 21 but you have to do a correct digital education to protect children but also parents. So you have to give your smartphone but assist them by establishing rules of behavior and times of use.

Let us also remember that passive exposure can also be addictive. It is not uncommon to see 2-year-olds being exposed to smartphones .

The guidelines of the American Association of Pediatrics establish that smartphones should not be used before the age of two and subsequently no more than an hour a day as the passive screen carries risks. One study establishes that children under the age of two exposed to a passive screen for one hour a day have a 10 times higher risk of having an attention disorder than a child who has not been moved to a passive screen.

We can therefore get our children used to using technology, perhaps by establishing a sort of contract that must be valid for children and parents. So if I give a smartphone I have to inform myself about its use, establishing behavioral rules, for example, at the table you don’t use a mobile phone, or in the morning I don’t turn it on as soon as I get out of bed. But this must also apply to parents who have to lead by example, that is a sort of behavioral model .

How can a typical day be?

Lunch and dinner all without smartphones, a sort of technological detox for the family .

Until he has his first smartphone, we can let him use ours to see if he can respect the time of use we have established.

When he has his smartphone, an important rule is to have access to your child’s phone passwords , not because we have to check but because our child needs to know that we have them. Let us remember that we are responsible up to the age of 18 for what our children do to protect children but also for us adults because what they do online is also our responsibility.

How do I know if my child is addicted to technology?

Addiction shows itself through compulsion , that is, something that I can no longer control, it takes me away from social life and I experience it as pervasive and invasive, I live it badly. It reduces social contact and undermines relationships. The risk is social isolation , the kids who slowly shut themselves up in a room and never go out. This is a syndrome that we will have to face more carefully because the cases are increasing, there are about 150,000 of them every year, and very little is said about it. Lockdown isolation can exacerbate this condition .

My 11 year old cannot concentrate on homework due to his addiction, what should I do?

A useful rule can be to turn off notifications . Research claims that every time we receive a notification, for example from WhatsApp or a social network, or a call, it takes us 64 seconds to regain focus on what we were doing previously. This makes us understand that in a week we lose half a day to regain concentration, so we should at least advise our children to turn off notifications.

The notifications activate a brain circuit called the “dopamine process “. Dopamine is a substance in the brain that is activated when we are waiting for a response. For example, when we put a post on a social network, we wait for a like, a comment, in short, an answer. This waiting mechanism activates dopamine which subsequently tends to release endorphins, a physiological mechanism, which is called the reward mechanism that is activated for example with the use of substances such as cocaine or in pathological gambling. This mechanism also occurs with the use of social networks but not being aware we think it is normal and for this reason when we receive a notification we adults too go to check immediately.

What must an adult do to break free from this addiction?

In the adult, there can be many types of dependencies, we need to understand what kind of application we are addicted to. In adults, for example, there is the addiction of online relationships, porn addiction, etc., but the same rule applies to adults as well as to adolescents. If we realize that we are losing control, social relations, we no longer have hobbies, we no longer have friends and we live it badly, it is first and foremost important to know ask for help . Many times it is partners or family members who raise the issue and ask for help. The first thing to do is to establish rules and ask those around us to help us enforce them.

How do you avoid addiction without leaving social media?

We need to understand how we use social media. In itself this new world is not bad but it all depends on how you use it. Let’s ask ourselves the question, how do I use social media? How long do I expose my identity online? The more I expose it, the more I myself am a creator of virtual reality and I expose myself to risks.

For this reason, children are more exposed to risk because a part of their identity becomes a virtual identity. The important thing is not to move much of our “offline” life into virtual “reality”. Freedom lies in relationships and not in exposing oneself behind a screen .

One of the things that is fashionable in the United States, but which is also coming here, is to give “followers” to children for their birthday. This makes us understand how fragile the identity of the children is and how much parents enter this toxic circuit thinking that by giving followers they will improve the acceptance and appreciation of their friends. Thus the wrong message is given that the virtual is more important than the real and this is extremely harmful.

How to re-establish a healthy routine without excessive use of the smartphone?

A healthy routine is not to turn on the phone as soon as you wake up . Maybe turn it on an hour after getting out of bed.

Do not use the phone during lunch and dinner . All without smartphones, and thus we set a good example for our children.

On Sundays, a technological detox for everyone. Not a small challenge, even for adults.

We hug our children and thus strengthen the relationship by showing our affection physically.

By following the advice listed above, you could manage your general condition well but we can also help you with some natural remedies based on medicinal plants. In fact, phytotherapy can be a valid help. The important thing is to start the therapy well in advance and continuously as being natural products, they exert their effect gradually and respecting the biological systems of the organism.

Memorens® (oral solution or tablets ) are food supplements developed to improve memory and cognitive functions .
Their neuroprotective and tonic-adaptogenic properties increase the body’s resistance in moments of fatigue and weakness and when concentration and attention levels are lowered.

Ansirens® was developed specifically for the needs of children and adolescents experiencing anxiety symptoms with or without somatic manifestations . Its drop formulation allows greater handling and action of its components.

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