The ease of technology makes children adept at using gadgets and the internet from an early age. If managed properly, the use of the internet can help children's development and education, but if children spend too much time with devices or the internet excessively, this can lead to internet addiction.

Signs of Internet Addiction in Children

As published by Verywell Mind, internet addiction is a behavior in which a person experiences dependence on the internet or gadgets. Internet addiction can be a form of maladaptive behavior when someone is under stress. In one study, it was said that children aged 8–18 spent more than 40 hours each week looking at the screen. Children spend too much time on the internet, such as instant messaging, playing games, social media, and others.

Along with the development of technology, the problem of internet addiction is becoming more widely known and recognized. In 2020, WHO officially recognized addiction to digital technology as a worldwide problem, where online activities and excessive internet use cause difficulties in managing time, sleep, and energy.

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Despite this, the problem of internet addiction is not a mental health problem listed in the DSM-5. However, experts agree that online gaming addiction is included as a condition for further study. At least three types of internet addiction have been identified: video game addiction, cybersex addiction, and online gambling addiction.

Since internet addiction is not considered an addiction disorder, it may be more difficult to diagnose. However, some behaviors can be categorized as signs of internet addiction in children, namely:

• Excessive internet usage, more than 2 hours per day
• Showing negative behaviors if they do not have internet access, such as anger, anxiety, nervousness, lack of enthusiasm, and boredom.
• Experienced a decline in academic performance at school
• Only excited when in front of a computer or devices

Internet addiction can affect a child's social life, for example:

• Children who use the internet for too long will find it difficult to connect with the world around them.
• Children have a higher risk of being both perpetrators and victims of cyberbullying, engaging in cybersex, and being at risk of online sexual abuse.
  
  

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How to Manage Children's 

Internet addiction in children can cause them to lose their social skills and exhibit aggressive behavior. Some ways that parents can overcome internet addiction in children include:

• Make your children aware of how much time they spend using the internet or gadgets. You can encourage them to set a timer so that they can measure how long they have spent on the internet.
• Be disciplined in applying the rules. Avoid being too strict with your child, but make sure you can enforce the rules of device use properly. For example, don't allow devices after dinner or limit device use to 1 hour. Beyond that, withdraw children's access to devices and explain that the usage period has exceeded the agreement.
• Encourage your children to do fun physical activities with your family. You can invite your child to play board games, color, or do other fun activities. For teenagers, introduce them to teen books or novels that catch their attention.
• Introduce children to other hobbies such as cooking, painting, handicrafts, and other activities that can distract from gadgets.

Internet and gadget use in children does not always lead to addiction. By setting firm boundaries, you can prevent your child from getting addicted to the internet and its negative side effects.

If you need medical advice or consultation, you can either visit a doctor or make use of the consultation features that are available in the Ai Care application by downloading the Ai Care application from the App Store or Play Store.

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