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Teen internet addiction? Here's how not to get into one inspireconversation.com

TEEN INTERNET ADDICTION AND HOW TO FIX IT

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Many of us are so busy working and providing for our families, that we may not even notice at times that our children may be feeling lonely. When a child feels lonely they will find a way to fill the void and their time with something. And many go to the internet, and spend days or even weeks online, consumed by the virtual reality of the internet.

The problem is that once your teen decides that they are lonely and he or she goes online to fill that void – their reality changes. If they spend all their free time online – that virtual reality just becomes reality.

Don’t Let The Internet Become Your Teen’s Reality

Look at China. I was shocked when I saw that they already have military style rehabilitation centers in place where teens with internet addiction are treated.

For some parents the problem became so severe, that they had to drug their kids with sleeping pills and carry them over to the rehab facility. Watch the video – it is quite scary, and sad. According to the video, so many of these teens became addicted to the internet because the teens were lonely and felt unconnected to their family.

What will the future look like for our kids if we don’t pay attention to this growing problem? Kids and teens who use the internet too much will have limited human interaction skills, few real friends, no desire to go outside and play, and little drive to do much of anything of value in life.

While China’s way to deal with teen online addiction may be harsh and extreme – we need to see this as a sign of a big change in our society. We need to pay close attention NOW and look for signs to see if this problem may already be in our homes, today. Right now.

Don’t let your children drift into the online abyss and lose their connection with you and reality. An addiction takes time to develop, and it does not happen in a moment, so it’s never too late to intervene.

Do This To Connect With Your Child And Teen More, So They Don’t Feel Lonely:

  • Talk to your children and teens often, and ask questions when you speak with them.
  • Play with them. Not on the internet.
  • Joke with them. Humor is a huge part of a great relationship and a real stress reliever.
  • If you are really busy one day, and don’t think you can have a proper meal with them, then take them on errands with you. Try to make it interesting for them to come with you – maybe they need an errand also? Or take them out for a quick bite, or to a more fun supermarket where they can buy some food they might like.

And don’t forget to make sure they leave their laptop at home and that they aren’t on their smart phone when they are with you, or you may find yourself talking to yourself in the car, because your child may be tempted to go online for just a little more….

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