Parents can take steps to intervene early and help prevent problems from growing

Bruce Ballon B.Sc. MD E.S.P. FRCPC
Head, Advanced Clinical and Educational Services (A.C.E.S.) for Problem Gambling, Gaming and Internet Use

The Internet is part of our world. Many youth use it for doing school projects, maintaining relationships with distant friends and playing games. Similarly, your children’s PlayStation isn’t just for gaming—it’s a portal to the World Wide Web, allowing contact with the outside world, and a centrepiece in their social network.

Parents used to worry about their children watching too much television or spending too much time on the phone. Now parents also have to be aware of how much time their kids spend at the computer and who they’re in contact with while surfing the Web—which they can be doing while chatting and watching TV, all at the same time.

How can a parent tell if a child's Internet use is healthy or not?

Many youth are going to experiment with clothing, friendships and other behaviours. Part of adolescence can involve staking out one’s own individual territory separate from the family. The Internet provides one way to do this.

Internet use becomes a problem when it begins to cause a decline in terms of what healthy adolescents are expected to achieve, such as maintaining grades and school attendance, participating in family life and keeping up friendships outside of cyberspace.

Healthy youth don’t usually get into trouble with the law or sneak out for secretive meetings with people they meet through Internet chats. They don’t post inappropriate pictures of themselves online or lose sleep from spending excessive hours glued to their computer. Most of our Web-connected youth don’t go on to develop unhealthy behaviours as a result of Internet use. Basically, it isn’t a problem unless it’s a problem.

Steps parents can take to intervene early and help prevent such problems from growing:

• Be aware of your children’s Internet activities.
• Spend time learning about Internet and gaming materials popular with youth. Become credible so your children take you seriously.
• Consider using a shared computer in the family room of your home.
• Encourage “offline” activities such as sports and social meetings with peers.
• Communicate openly and honestly with your children. Discuss possible dangers and impacts of Internet use, and take the time to know what they’re doing online.
• Parents who know their children have pre-existing psychiatric conditions should monitor computer use even more closely and discuss possible Internet risks and dangers.
• Resist the temptation to break into personal e-documents, e-mail or browser history. You might find evidence of a significant problem, but you will also create a serious breach of trust that could inhibit open communication between you and your child. If you feel driven to this extreme, chances are you have already seen enough clues to attempt talking to your child about your concerns or even to consider approaching a health-care professional.
• When in doubt, call a youth agency or addiction program for guidance and support for the entire family.

Can a parent figure out what's causing this behaviour and get the child to stop?

Youth may be experiencing significant and tumultuous events in their lives such as feeling lonely, being bullied, or dealing with parental divorce. In short, the technology is not the sole issue—it’s really how Internet use and online habits interact with a person’s unique makeup that determines what behaviours may become problematic over time.

Internet and gaming problem behaviours may possibly arise out of a failure to find a coping strategy for differing underlying mental health problems.

As previously mentioned, most of our youth do not go on to develop unhealthy behaviours as a result of their Web connections. For those who do, it’s important that they be assessed by health-care professionals.

Youth Assessment and Treatment Information

Contact:

Youth Concurrent Disorders Service (Centre for Addiction and Mental Health)

(416) 535-8501 ex. 1730

Youth presenting with Internet, gaming or problem gambling concerns will be referred to the Advanced Clinical and Educational Services (A.C.E.S.) stream but may also be eligible for services other than the general youth-addiction service that CAMH offers.  More….