Technology obsessions in youth on the Morning Show, Channel 7

Educational Specialist Yana Belogiannis was invited again to speak on the Morning Show, Channel 7 with Larry Emdur and Kylie Gillies about obsessional technology usage among youth.

The footage from The Morning Show is embedded below. If you would like more information on the workshops and seminars that The Kids and Teens Group offer, please contact us.

Important points from the talk:

• Children’s development is being impaired by excessive online gaming or internet use (e.g. disrupted eating and sleeping routines, poor social skills, decreased motivation and goal setting)
• In Australia, we know that it is a rising problem, but online/internet obsession has yet to classified as an "addiction" and we have yet to conduct large scale studies.
• It is an emerging problem in many countries, research in Asia has revealed that 1 in 10 teens are at risk of developing this problem and children as young as 12 are exhibiting the symptoms.
• Online gaming and internet use has definitely increased since the introduction of these technological mediums for a number of resons which include:
  • The direct and immediate reinforcement obtained through games
  • The sense of control and achievement
  • Lack of physical presence in social interactions, making it less confronting
• There are several warning signs that parents should look for:
  • Low self esteem
  • Giving up sleep for online gaming
  • Being deceptive of the type of online use
  • Neglecting homework and household responsibilities
  • Reduced interaction with family, poor social skills and breakdown in relationships
• The “cold turkey” approach is unlikely to work with today’s adolescents, as a large part of their social identity is to be engaged with online mediums.
• This obsessional behaviour is often a manifestation of underlying mental health conditions (e.g anxiety, depression) relevant to youth that engage online as well as those that do not.

Programmes that support families in dealing with obsessional online behaviours in Australia:

• In Sydney there is the Brain and Mind Research Institute, Clinical Centre - where children and adolescents are treated in a counselling capacity for these type of behaviours.
• The Kids and Teens Group run educational workshops and seminars addressing cyber use and safety (including cyber bullying), and the underlying emotional and behavioural difficulties experienced by youth.
• The National service of the Kids Help Line also provides support in how to deal with this emerging problem.