In the current digital age, many youngsters are sleeping with smartphones rather than teddy bears.
This is the case in South Korea at least, where the government provides counselling programs for about 2 million people who find it difficult to wean themselves off of technology.
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Children as young as age three are among this group, having been flagged as addicts after taking psychological tests. Teachers say these afflicted youngsters are less focused and considerate, and often suffer from stress if kept away from their phones or tablets.
In fact, the problem is so serious the Korean government has made it mandatory for children to be schooled in controlling their device and Internet use. Starting next year, their teachers will instruct them on how to control their exposure to digital devices, as well as discuss the dangers of staying online for long periods of time.
They’ll also learn “computer exercises”, which will encourage them to stretch after playing video and computer games to prevent neck, back and hand aches.
Further, though Internet addiction is not recognized as a mental illness, there is a growing call from health officials worldwide to treat it as such. Both the American Psychiatric Association’s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders have listed it as meriting further study.
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