Beware of Digital Addiction among Kids

By Queena N. Lee-Chua

Students should learn to use digital technology wisely. They should be the master of technology
and not let it control them. Wired societies are currently struggling with the ill effects of
technology addiction among the youth. Lets take three examples: South Korea, Japan and the
United States.
South Korea
As the worlds most digitally connected society, nearly two-thirds of the population of South
Korea own a smartphone and 98 percent of households have broadband Internet. A government
survey showed that about 2.55 million people are addicted to smartphones, using the device for
eight or more hours per day. South Korea National Information Agency reports that about
160,000 children aged 5 to 9 are addicted to the Internet, accessed through smartphones,
tablets or personal computers.
Associated Press technology writer Youkyung Lee describes how the digital lifestyle has taken
its toll on kids. She says a typical 11-year-old girl sleeps with her android smartphone instead
of a teddy bear. The first thing that the youngsters eyes latch on when she wakes up is her
smartphone. Her first task for the day is managing messages from friends. The gadget has
become a semipermanent appendage of her hand as it goes with her to the streets, the school
and even the bathroom. Catastrophe means not having wireless Internet connection and a
phone battery that is less than 20 percent full.
Kim Jun-hee, a kindergarten teacher for 10 years, carried out an eight-month survey on Internet
addiction among preschool children. Early exposure to high-tech gadgets, she says, has made
kids as young as 4 and 5 indifferent, fidgety and impulsive. Kim teaches her students to take
tech breaks such as resting the eyes and stretching. She tells them stories about Internet
addiction and encourages them to play nondigital games. According to Kim, parent cooperation
is vital, and the best way to teach the kids is for adults to set a good example.
Treatment
Several South Korean medical practitioners have chosen to treat digital addiction more as an
illness rather than just a social problem. Lee Hae-koo, a psychiatry professor at Catholic
University of Koreas College of Medicine, says the country, along with Taiwan and China, is
actively researching whether Internet addiction should truly be diagnosed as a mental illness.
In 2010, the unsettling story of a 3-month-old baby girl who died from neglect stirred the
hearts of South Koreans. The parents were avid gamers who were so engrossed with marathon
online gaming that they fed their baby only once a day. Some teachers in Seoul require students
to surrender their gadgets when they get to school. The gadgets are returned to them at the end
of classes.
The South Korean government intends to take proactive measures and now provides counselors
for young people who are obsessed with online gaming or Internet use. The Ministry of Public
Administration and Security is studying the issue of compulsory instruction on the dangers of
Internet addiction starting from preschool, with kids as young as 3.

Japan
Japan and the United States are following suit. More than half a million kids aged 12 to 18 in
Japan are believed to be Internet addicts, so Japans Ministry of Education plans to create
fasting camps where kids will have no access to computers, smartphones, gaming devices or

the Internet. We want to get them out of the virtual world and to encourage them to have real
communication with other children and adults, ministry spokesperson Akifumi Sekine tells
The Telegraph. Children will be encouraged to do outdoor activities and, should the transition
prove traumatic, they will have access to psychiatrists and psychotherapists.
US
In September, the Behavioral Health Services at Bradford Regional Medical Center in
Pennsylvania opened the first Internet addiction clinic in the United States. The voluntary,
inpatient program lasts for 10 days. Patients refrain from using phones, tablets or the Net for at
least three days. Therapy and educational sessions help them control their compulsion.
According to the programs founder, US psychologist Kimberly Young, typical addicts are
young, male, intelligent, struggle socially and have low self-esteem. Most are obsessed with
games such as World of Warcraft. Like any other addiction, we look at whether it has
jeopardized their career, whether they lie about their usage or whether it interferes with
relationships, Young tells Good Morning, America. The program costs $14,000, which is not
covered by insurance. Patients are trained to return eventually to computer use, but in a healthy
way. The goal is not to completely turn away from computers (which is impossible in todays
wired world), but to use them wisely.
Many Filipinos, particularly the youth, are also digital addicts. Parents, teachers and our
government should address this problem before the majority of our youth fall into the gadget
trap like their South Korean and Japanese counterparts.

Philippine Daily Inquirer

January 27th, 2014
http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/570149/beware-of-digital-addiction-among-kids

58 Percent of Smartphone Users Don't Go 1 Hour

Without Checking It Are You One Of Them?
By Jed Boal

SALT LAKE CITY Smartphones and tablets have changed the way people work, play and keep
in touch with families. Ongoing research shows they can also detract from peoples lives,
increase their stress levels, and get in the way of their relationships. But does that behavior rise
to the level of an addiction?
For many people, its the last thing they see before going to sleep and the first thing they reach
for when they wake up. "I actually think it's a good way to communicate with others and
collaborate with others," said high school freshman Nithin Chalapathi. "There are times when it
gets overwhelming, like when you have to do homework."
"It's been fantastic," Jim Grant said about his smartphone. "I love every minute of it." Grand said
he uses his phone every day, all day, on the job checking work licenses for the state. He said he
likes the speed and efficiency it gives him while working. He also uses a map app to get where
he's going. Grant said he likes being connected all of the time, and he does not consider it an
addiction. "No, I love every aspect of my iPhone," he said.
A number of people at a TRAX station also talked about their smartphone usage, including how
often they check their devices. "Probably more often than I should," Alex Fisher said. Kelly Mai
said she checks her phone every five minutes and believes that's pretty typical in her high
school peer group. According to a recent Mobile Mindset Study by Lookout, nearly 60 percent of
Americans check their phones at least once an hour.
"Every time it buzzes, I'm checking it, if I'm not at my desk," Ryan Ostler said. Ostler said he
wishes he wasn't so tied to his phone, but it's a professional necessity for him. "It seems like
that's just the way it is now," he said. "You just have to be on-call 24/7 for work." According to
the study, young people are the most plugged in, with 63 percent of women and 73 percent of
men ages 18 to 34 saying they don't go an hour without checking their phones.
The study also showed that many will break the law and rules of etiquette to stay connected.
Twenty-four percent said they check their phones while driving; 9 percent said they check their
phones during religious services at a house of worship; 30 percent admit they check their
phones during meals with others. "Only if I get a notification, and I know something is going
on," Ostler said about checking his phone at meals. "I'll take a quick peek and quickly put it
away afterward."
Dr. David Strayer, who directs the Applied Cognition Lab at the University of Utah, has become
a national authority on the topic over the past 12 years. "I have all the gadgets just like
everyone else," Strayer said, but there's a time and place for using them."
Many people may be too plugged in to the detriment of their emotional health, he said. In a
way, they've become "a slave to technology," said Strayer, who conducts research to better
understand how and why people can become overloaded while multitasking. "The phone rings,
we have to answer it," he said, "If we get a text message, we need to reply."
Strayer pointed out that most people feel socially and professionally obligated to respond to
text messages, emails and alerts on social media.

Deseret News:
February. 10 2014
http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865596120/58-percent-of-smartphone-users-dont-go-1hour-without-checking-it-2-are-you-one-of-them.html

Too Much Social Media Bad for Kids, Experts Say

By Jason Ashley Wright

Jennifer Esau has house rules regarding social media. "Ask parents before making any account
online," began her list. "Parents must have passwords, access to any account. Kids can only post
images that they would feel OK with parents viewing. No selfies on social media, no identifiers
last name, phone number, etc."
A few years ago, when Facebook was becoming more popular, her oldest daughter asked her for
a Facebook account. "My husband and I used the age thing to say no for a while, and she just
quit asking about it," said Esau, adding that her oldest uses Wattpad for reading fan fiction, as
well as We Heart It and Instagram. The youngest girl is allowed to look at Pinterest, but Esau
realized how "bad" social media could be sometimes.
"For kids, I really question what good can come from kids accessing such media," she said. But
she feels she's being "realistic," acknowledging kids will still find ways to access it
hence the
need for setting boundaries, as she also acknowledges potential harmful effects of too much
time with social media. Debating the pros and cons of social media websites that offer social
interaction and networking, such as Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, blogs, game sites is nothing
new. But we recently asked local mental-health experts to weigh in, as discussion increases in
newspapers, books and online
specifically, conversations about the irony of social media
potentially leading to antisocial behavior.
"There is a balance to social media," said local child and adolescent psychiatrist Dr. Tara R.
Buck, who is also an assistant professor and the Oxley chair of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
at the University of Oklahoma School of Community Medicine. "It's a big part of our lives," Buck
said. "It's been a huge change in our culture over the past several years." In a five-year period, a
dramatic increase in the use of social media sites has been noted among preadolescents and
adolescents, according to a 2011 clinical report from the American Academy of Pediatrics
(AAP), "The Impact of Social Media on Children, Adolescents and Families."
The same report cited a poll that 22 percent of teenagers log on to their favorite social media
site more than 10 times daily, and more than half of adolescents log on to a social media site
multiple times a day. Admittedly, we're a phone-centric, text-savvy society. Among teens, 75
percent have cell phones, and one-fourth of them use their phones for social media, the AAP
report continued 54 percent for texting, 24 percent for instant messaging. "Thus, a large part
of this generation's social and emotional development is occurring while on the Internet and on
cell phones," the AAP's report said. That's not necessarily a good thing, some experts say.
In 2012, psychologist and M.I.T. professor Sherry Turkle wrote an opinion piece for The New
York Times titled "The Flight from Conversation. We live in a technological universe in which
we are always communicating," she began. "And yet we have sacrificed conversation for mere
connection." Her book, "Alone Together: Why We Expect More From Technology and Less From
Each Other" ($16.99, Basic Books), was called a "chilling examination of what our iPods and
iPads are doing to our relationships" in a Publishers Weekly review Turkle wrote that more
people are going about their lives sans face-to-face interaction, the review said.
"For all the talk of convenience and connection derived from texting, e-mailing and social
networking, Turkle reaffirms that what humans still instinctively need is each other," the review
continued, "and she encounters dissatisfaction and alienation among users: teenagers whose
identities are shaped not by self-exploration but by how they are perceived by the online
collective, mothers who feel texting makes communicating with their children more frequent
yet less substantive, Facebook users who feel shallow status updates devalue the true
intimacies of friendships."

The review said Turkle's work made "a strong case" that the technologies invented to boost
communication between people has actually drawn them closer to the technological devices
"and further away from each other."
Pros, cons of social media
Dr. Bill Cleary is on Facebook five, maybe 10 minutes a day, max. Sometimes, he doesn't check
the site for a while, and his status updates aren't that frequent. "They're usually about my
granddaughter because I'm so crazy about her," said Cleary, a clinical psychologist at Parkside
Psychiatric Hospital & Clinic, 1620 E. 12th St. He texts "quite a bit," he said. "It's handy," as he
frequently texts his daughters and best friend.
Obvious benefits to social media, as well as texting, include the convenience of making brief
contact with people without the need of a longer phone conversation, Cleary said
especially
when a telephone chat isn't possible. You can take quick looks on Facebook at what friends and
loved ones are doing, whether they're next-door neighbors or overseas. "It's really helped in
terms of making access so easy to know what's going on in other people's lives," he said.
Evidence has suggested that introverted teens using social media might establish contacts, with
the technology providing a buffer to ease them into social contact, said Cleary. Over time, it can
help them develop better social skills. Still, Cleary pointed out preteens who "hypernetwork," or
spend three or more hours a day on the phone, as well as "hypertext," sending 120-plus texts a
day. Going into adulthood, these kids tend to have more anxiety, aggression, antisocial
behaviors and depression. "They can become more introverted and isolated socially," Esau said.
"It discourages personal contact, connection with others. If your child is already quiet and has
social problems, it could make things worse. They might not understand the value in having
that personal connection with peers. They think they are getting it by being online."
The key for parents is to familiarize themselves with the sites their children visit and help their
kids navigate them, Buck said. Be up front about household rules for using social media, and
monitor internet usage. Also, don't let social media interfere with family time, she continued,
and place restrictions on sites your children can visit. And remind your kids that whatever they
post online might be seen by everyone. If parents feel their kids are accessing social media too
much and notice symptoms such as social isolation or failing grades, then contact your family
physician about an assessment, Buck suggested.
Cleary has counseled moms and dads of students with bad grades, and he's suggested the
parents revoke the kids' cell phone privileges, allowing the devices at certain times. Homework
and chores come first, then they earn the privilege of using cell phones. When those parents
tried that, their kids' grades improved.

World Scene Writer

February 10, 2014
http://www.tulsaworld.com/scene/features/too-much-social-media-bad-for-kids-expertssay/article_160ec8cb-f303-5abd-a5f7-9f7bbe1458c4.html

Do you own your smartphone,

or does your smartphone own you?
By Hayley Harmon

KNOXVILLE (WATE) - Are you addicted to your smartphone? A shocking number of people
could probably answer yes to that question. Are you on it all hours of the day and feel anxious
if you accidentally leave it behind or can't use it for a while?
These could all be signs of addiction to your smartphone, and experts say the constant need to
be on your phone could actually be causing real harm. So it begs the question, do you own your
smartphone, or does your smartphone own you? 6 News met two East Tennesseans who say
they are addicted to their smartphones, Ginger Roberts of Harriman and Timothy Dennis of
Powell.
"I look at it so much, it's like breathing," said Roberts, 37. "Basically, anytime I have a chance,
I'm on it," said Dennis, 18. "If I didn't have my phone, I'd go crazy." They are consumed with
their phones every second of the day, from the moment they wake up to the moment they go to
bed, checking their iPhones up to 100 times a day. "I roll over and pick up my phone," said
Dennis. They use them for normal texting and calling, but they say it's the endless capabilities
right in the palm of their hands that keeps them glued. They're talking about social media. "I'll
wake up at 2:00 or 3:00 in the morning because I thought I heard a Facebook notification and
I'll get on and check it," said Dennis. "Somebody liked it. I'm not sure who," said Roberts,
showing us the often used Facebook app on her phone.
Roberts estimates she is on her phone more than 15 hours every day, often without even
realizing it. "I will automatically, without thought, automatically go to my phone," said Roberts.
Dennis says he exhibits the same compulsive behavior.
So is this really addiction?
Addiction specialist and interventionist Bill Lee, of Cornerstone of Recovery, says the true test
is whether or not they can stop the behavior for any real period of time without worrying
obsessively about it. Both Roberts and Dennis say no. They get anxious even after just one hour
away from their phones. "[The feeling is] that somehow if I don't have my phone with me, then I
am missing something, like an arm or a leg. The more prevalent that is, the unhealthier it is,"
said Lee, describing how those suffering from addiction feel.
Lee says another thing to consider is consequences. "Anytime there are negative or adverse
consequences, and the behavior is repeated, that tends to look like addiction," said Lee. Both
Roberts and Dennis say they see real life problems as a result of their smartphone use. Roberts
says it puts a strain on her relationships when she chooses her phone over conversation with
friends or family she's spending time with. "It keeps me from really talking to people. I mean,
really talking to people," said Roberts.
Dennis' smartphone use is affecting his schoolwork. When he should be listening in class or
doing homework, instead he's checking updates or playing games on his phone. "I can't live
without my phone. I've tried," said Dennis. Lee says setting boundaries is the way to break this
addiction. He suggests setting times of day when phone use will simply not be allowed.
So how hard of a task is this smartphone disconnect, and what kind of changes could it really
bring to smartphone addicts' lives? To find out, we asked the team at Knoxville creative agency
JAO PRO. They went smartphone free for three weeks, filming their experience in the
documentary "Voyage." The film follows their 1,000 mile river trip from Knoxville to the Gulf of
Mexico. Locking their phones into a waterproof box, they set sail.
It was a tough adjustment to go phone-less for the group of 15 people. "The first couple days of
the trip were definitely hard as far as just resisting that impulse to reach in your pocket and

pull out your phone and see what's going on," said Blake Waring, production manager of
"Voyage" and vice president of operations at JAO PRO. By the end of week one though, the onceoverwhelming, urgent need to check their phones went away, replaced with relief from the
constant bombardment. Waring says they were amazed at the difference they saw in the quality
of their conversations. "It was really interesting to see how people interacted with each other
and got to know people and got to know people that we met," said Waring. Since returning,
they've all got their phones back.
However, they say the results they saw from the trip have made them cut down significantly on
how much they use them. They recommend everyone try cutting back a little bit, even if it's just
an hour a day. "I think moderation is key when it comes to that, and I think everyone has been
able to understand that better and realize that we don't have to have it every second," said
Waring. It's something Roberts and Dennis say they are more than willing to try.
Lee says start small when trying to cut back, setting boundaries when it comes to phone use. He
suggests trying things like not using your phone in the middle of school or work, before
bedtime or when spending time with friends or family.
Wate.com
Feb 06, 2014
http://www.wate.com/story/24642447/do-you-own-your-smartphone-or-does-yoursmartphone-own-you

FB is 10: Stalking and addiction part of the downside

By D. Kanyakumari

THE free social media network, which has been around for a decade now, was founded by a
student in 2004, and stream-rolled all its rivals to take the online world by storm.
Unfortunately, as much as Facebook has become a large part of the lives of many, some people
out there have let it take over completely.
Over the last decade, we have heard many stories of people being obsessed with Facebook, and
about three years ago, the term Facebook Addiction Disorder (FAD) was born. FAD is a
condition that is defined by the amount of hours spent by an individual on Facebook, and is
usually considered serious when the healthy balance of the individual's life is affected.
According to the official page of FAD, approximately 350 million people around the globe
suffer from the disorder. Symptoms include reduced social activities, virtual dates and fake
friends, ultimately leading to severe social isolation.
It is not uncommon to come across people who stay completely glued to their phones and other
devices even when they are in the company of someone else. People who experience this
isolation, in the midst of "socialising", eventually fail to face reality. This reinforces an
unhealthy way of living which does not only affect an individual mentally but physically as well.
And then there's Facebook stalking. This issue has become prominent in the last five years,
where people, especially young girls have been badly affected or even murdered by their
Facebook stalkers.
One can't expect the police or even Facebook's management to immediately identify and
prevent a dangerous person from having a Facebook account. Therefore, the onus is on users to
ensure that we do not post any information that may jeopardise our safety. Facebook was once
an avenue for people who live far apart to keep in touch and perhaps share some photos, but
appears to have involved into a device where people share their entire lives. In fact, it's as
if something doesn't really happen unless it's displayed on your timeline!
Posting up your activities, even when you are just in a restaurant near your home having
dinner, is sometimes not a very good idea. An app called Foursquare, which is used by many to
tell others exactly where they are, is a convenient source for any stalker. Countless times, we
have all encountered some girl or even guy who posts inappropriate photos on Facebook.
Exposing their body, in an attempt to get attention, and ending up getting into trouble more
often than not.
There are cases where such images have been misused for porn websites, and recently, a local
psycho created a blog about young Malaysian girls. and posted pictures of girls believed to have
been extracted from Facebook. Take, for example, the case of a model from Los Angeles,
Kourtney Reppert, who was stalked and threatened through Facebook in 2012. The then 27year-old Kourtney was stalked and threatened by Luis Plascencia, a 47-year-old man from
Chicago who sent her nasty messages, sometimes describing how he would like to have her and
her family killed.
The Chicago Sun Times reported that Plascencia, in his threats, outlined that in order for the
threats to cease, Kourtney needed to stop modelling and head back to college! There was also a
season back in 2011 in the United States, when prisoners used social networks to harass their
victims or accusers and intimidate witnesses. California corrections officials who monitor social
networking sites said they had found many instances when had inmates taunted victims or
made sexual advances.

Many might say "I only add or accept friend requests from people I know" or "I have beefed up
my privacy settings", but there's this little thing which pops out on the right side of your screen
while you are on Facebook known as the 'Activity Ticker" and this allows people (even those
who aren't on your friends list) to be able to view your activities. All you need is one mutual
friend.
So do not post anything that you wouldn't want to be in the public domain. There is only so
much you can do, and in a case where there is a stalker after you, he or she might find whatever
means to get that information. Facebook is still a great way for people to communicate with
one another and share their lives with friends and family ... but beware the addicts and stalkers!

The Star
February 4, 2014
http://www.thestar.com.my/News/Nation/2014/02/04/FB-is-10-stalking/