How to distract your teenager from the computer and tablet. How to wean a teenager from a computer - important advice to parents for the prevention of computer addiction in children. How to wean a teenager from computer games

Computer addiction among children and adolescents has long become rampant. Schoolchildren can spend day and night on the Web, chatting on social networks or playing. To dull the vigilance of parents, they easily declare that they are looking for information necessary for school on the Internet or they are going through a quest that develops their logical thinking.

As a rule, adolescents' gambling addiction appears in the event that they do not have an interesting and meaningful activity. Parents should provide the child with the opportunity to choose an activity that would captivate him.

What to do if a teenager is addicted to a computer

In order to fight computer addiction as effectively as possible, find another fun activity for your teenager. After sports training, dancing, attending circles and additional activities, shooting objects moving on the screen will definitely not be interesting. And most importantly, the teenager will be sorry to waste time on these actions. If the next day he has to discuss with his friends not the way to pass the next level of the game, but some more serious things, then this is exactly what he will prepare for. Of course, for this the child must have friends who also have something to do.

Only in adolescence is it possible to learn how to play a musical instrument, master the complex skills of sports and dance actions, compose compositions and feel the color.

How many children drowned in their teens because they couldn't swim and were ashamed to show it?

How many adolescents became addicted because they did not have the opportunity to play sports, music, painting, theater and much more?

Computer addiction does not threaten the teenager who has an important occupation and assigned tasks.

However, it is worth taking some precautions.

In order not to face the problem of computer addiction in adolescents, make sure that the Internet is only on the computer that is in the common room. Then, passing by, you could always catch a glimpse of the sites that a teenager visits.

A lonely girl can meet a young man who will write tenderly and for a long time about what is so close to her. In every sentence, he will show her that he understands her well. He may even buy her a ticket to Turkey or Syria and offer to come to him in secret from his parents. What to do in this case? If you have an understanding with your daughter, and you regularly talk to her, then you will catch a change in her behavior in time, find the reason and prevent her from falling into the networks of sexual slavery or ISIS, and save her from meeting strangers. In addition, it is necessary to talk with adolescent girls about the existence of such threats. It is easy to find information on the Internet that Russia is one of the main sources of sex slaves for the Middle East. The new threat is ISIS, the Islamic state is not a virtual reality, but a reality in which highly qualified specialists work, recruiting young people into their ranks.

For example, tell the girl that you have learned this scary statistic. Ask to find evidence to support it. The teenager should not look for refutation (this will weaken the result), but rather for evidence. Then you can be more calm about this issue. Of course, other problems require different specific solutions, but the general sequence of actions may be the same.

Let's say a teenager in your family has a computer addiction. You came home from work in the evening, and the teenager did not complete his homework because yesterday you started doing it with him after dinner. You realize that he will not get enough sleep tomorrow, and therefore quickly sit down with him and decide examples yourself. This is very convenient for a teenager: he played on the computer all day, and in the evening you did his homework for him.

In order to wean a teenager from a computer, as practice shows, you need to change tactics. Put your teen to bed at ten in the evening with unlearned lessons. Let him either get up the next day early in the morning and finish them himself, or go to school with an unfulfilled task and answer to the teacher for the result. Quite often this also leads to a change in the adolescent's tactics. It must be remembered that if he did not do the lessons himself, then he may no longer understand the given material. Therefore, on the weekend, instead of the planned entertainment, it is worth explaining to the child several topics in order to make sure that the son or daughter understands the essence of the tasks. Then the tactic of going to bed at 10 o'clock in the evening will work.

As a rule, it is extremely difficult for a teenager to get rid of computer addiction on his own. Therefore, it is worth transferring responsibility for completing the lessons to the child early enough. At the same time, it is necessary to constantly monitor the adolescent's awareness of what he is doing, and if he does not understand something, go through the material with him.

Tips for parents on how to get rid of a teenager from computer addiction:

1. A computer with an Internet connection should be in the common room so that you can see, as you pass by, which site the teenager is on.
2. Give your teen the responsibility of doing homework.
3. Ask your child what interesting things he learned over the past day, and listen carefully, asking clarifying questions. Encourage his interest in knowledge and encourage him to critically assess what he has read.

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In the 70-80s of the twentieth century, there were no computers and mobile phones, but there were not many sports and creative sections, and not every parent's pocket could afford to study in them. However, it seems to us that we were then completely different children: perhaps more sociable, more open, more independent and purposeful. For days we drove a huge company around the yard, built and stormed snow fortresses, made toys for ourselves with our own hands, read books under a blanket with a flashlight ...

Tell me, have you seen this wonderful and snowy winter at least one snowman or a snow fortress? I - no ... And in spring or summer girls jumping in rubber bands or classics? ...

Now almost everything is available to children: any educational games and toys, books, films, all kinds of sports, music and creative sections and circles. However, many children (even if their parents are financially secure) do not want to study in these sections and circles, they cannot be driven out into the street, they live in their own world of computer games, social networks and chats ...

What's the matter? How and with what to interest your beloved child?

Recipe number 1: it is necessary to communicate with the child

Computer games are a kind of escape from real life, everyday problems, it is a kind of parallel world in which you can live without dying, be a hero or a villain, build and conquer entire civilizations, where you can talk heart to heart in chats and social networks.

The child lacks in real life elementary communication and understanding of his personal problems, ideas, losses, successes and dreams. At school, teachers, unfortunately, hardly talk to children, but only ask heaps of homework assignments, ask them and scold them for not doing them.

Children are the same people as adults. As we need help, support, advice, conversation, so do they.

Try at least once, after returning home from work, to behave outside the box. For example, you can ask your teenage son for advice on what is the best tactic to use when talking with your boss, and with your daughter, ask for advice on which suit (tie) or dress to choose for a corporate event. They are great experts in such matters. Just don't argue with them, just take their advice.

First, start sharing your problems and joys with the children yourself, and then the children will begin to trust more and will also begin to talk about everything, everything in the world. Free yourself from the habit of scolding and criticizing them for everything, and if you do not agree, then be sure to listen to the child's point of view, and then give reasons in defense of yours. Axioms from the category "it will be so because I said so" - do not fit here. Only dialogue on an equal footing, but with the authority of you as an adult, with examples from family history, from books, politics, etc. etc. Please talk to your children!

Come up with some kind of secret family council meeting, at which the whole family will discuss issues in a day or a week at a round table, resolve conflicts. Give the child only the idea of ​​such a collegial body, and he will gladly come up with the name, the rules of the meetings himself, he will keep the minutes himself ...

In one of the children's camps near Moscow, in which I happened to work, the guys hold the so-called general training camps every morning and evening. At the morning training camp, things are planned for the day, the participants and winners of yesterday's events are being awarded. At the evening training camp, which is sometimes held in the form of "candles", the day is summed up. Children can always express their delight out loud, assess what is happening, express their displeasure in each other's eyes, or, conversely, thank. They learn to listen to each other, together or one-on-one (in the presence of an adult), they are always ready to solve a conflict situation. And they do it. They turn "candles" from a pleasantly mysterious end to the day into a very subtle psychological training. Adults constantly communicate with children, children constantly communicate with each other, learn to listen, and most importantly - to hear and be heard. And this applies equally to children 7-11 years old, so to adolescents 12-17 years old.

As the experience of holding such "candles" shows, as a result of passing games and trainings on leadership and rallying, acting classes, children begin to better understand each other and adults, become more sociable, kinder and more tolerant of each other, they develop skills in team, they are not afraid to express their opinion, to take responsibility. The cooperative relationships that are established in the camp are then carried over to the school and the family. But they need to be supported, otherwise the child may become even more isolated and even hardened.

Therefore, dear parents, communicate with your children as much as possible, share your innermost with them, be extremely sincere with them. And then the child will not need a parallel world, no matter how tempting it appears. In the form of a computer toy or in some other guise. He will treat a computer toy exactly as a toy that you can sometimes play in your free time or as a reward for good studies (maybe even with your parents - why not, if this is a game of civilization or an interesting quest). Believe me, the child will not play for long, since he will already have more important things and interests.

Recipe number 2: the child needs to be interested in his example

Surely you can remember a couple of examples from your own childhood, when you suddenly wanted to get carried away with something.

The experience of work in the same children's camp again comes as an example. Remember your childhood. Who was a really good counselor for you in the camp? Authority. Round-the-clock communication with children, games, conversations, participation in a wide variety of competitions and shows. Together with counselors - students of 18-25 years old, children learn new things, become interested in the most common (such as football, fine arts, vocals, guitar) or completely unusual (poi, geocaching, testoplasty and pottery, Chinese and Feng Shui ) sports and creativity. A counselor as an authoritative adult not only stimulates interest in a particular occupation by his example, but also explains the meaning and usefulness of each hobby, the possibility of its practical application in life.

Can you imagine that a schoolboy, and far from being an excellent student, would be happy to study at the Department of Russian Language and Literature during the summer holidays? And it is possible, the children themselves enroll in this department, because the counselor leading this discipline interested them. And children are just interested in communicating with her. And besides, she is a wonderful teacher of Russian literature.

If you yourself are not yet involved in sports, pop vocals, making postcards from beads, photography - sign up for the appropriate courses urgently! Not sure where exactly? Great - ask your child for advice and go to study with him !! Yes, exactly together!

If you yourself are not interested in anything other than your work, how can you become an example for a child ?! And do not say that you are terribly tired at work and therefore you need a can of beer, a TV remote control and complete rest. Active rest is the best rest! By the way, in many children's centers and children's camps, various workshops and master classes are held on weekends, where both children and adults can take part.

Go skiing, ice skating, rollerblading with your children, shoot a bow and crossbow, go horseback riding or curling, learn Old Church Slavonic or the ancient Mayan language together.

Remember what you dreamed about in childhood, but did not realize this dream. Go to the circle of modeling, embroidery, playing percussion instruments. Play at home and in the country in twister, monopoly, dominoes, run faster with the whole family into the yard to make a snowman or start paper boats in streams! And invite all the neighbors before they come to their senses from your shocking proposal! Buy table hockey and join the Olympic Games, create your own standings - it's awfully interesting!

By the way, even the most ordinary naval combat and tic-tac-toe may well be included in the list of Olympic disciplines .. And be sure to assign prizes to all participants and the main prize to the winner. Let it be badges or small toys, and the main prize is grandma's branded pie. You will see how this will stimulate all players, both children and adults.

Arrange family holidays with quizzes and picnics, celebrate with the whole yard Shrovetide, Valentine's Day, February 23 and March 8. For example, for 5 years, all the yard and friends go out to the nearest forest for a picnic on Maslenitsa: with a mountain of pancakes and tea in thermos. We jump over the fire, arrange contests and carry out the ritual of burning a scarecrow. We also hold a competition for the best scarecrow - we prepare at home in advance.

Of course, you won't be able to switch a child from a computer in one day. You will have to make some effort and, first of all, overcome your own habits, anger, laziness, unwillingness to change.

Change yourself, dear parents, and your children will change with you.

Discussion

How to distract your child from computer games?
Computer games are a kind of withdrawal from real life, from children's and adult problems, this is a kind of parallel world in which you can live without dying, be a hero or a villain.
But you can smoothly take your child out of this world without taking his eyes off the monitor!
Without creating conflicts!
It is enough just to give him a six-string guitar and contact the teacher who gives guitar lessons via Skype.

The result will be noticeable after 2 lessons. Your child will be completely distracted from the virtual world and will be involved in the world of harmony and art while playing the guitar.

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You know, there is still no escape from the computer and PSP. Imagine a child in a first grader - a second grader and his parents working together. There is no grandmother. The greatest thing that is available to them (parents) is to quickly pick up the child from school, bring home and again to work, leaving him alone at home - yes, with a lot of instructions on behavior in everyday life, doing homework, food and ... a computer. His only entertainment in anticipation of you after completing the lessons will be precisely this technique, because you will not dare to let the child out into the street at this age alone, but what else can he do? Not every child can read books at this age, watching TV quickly gets bored, he can occupy himself with what is more accessible and interesting to him - a PC. And this is 5 days a week, the entire academic year. And sometimes I'm even glad that he has at least this occupation, in our childhood we just sat under lock and key ... understand, I'm not at all for the fact that children sit at the PC for days. Attentive attitude to the child and interest in his life is our parental responsibility in general, and not as a means of replacing computer games. It does not interfere. The computer has a developmental value, by the way. You just need to try to protect the eyes of your child. In today's digital world, staying away from these digital technologies is nonsense.

And you can turn the child's interest in the direction of "useful" use of the computer. Our child loves photography, and especially photographing animals and flowers, but at school this cannot be expressed in any way, and this hobby does not affect the grades. And I want to express something ... And there was a way out - this is the ability to create a site - your own about what is interesting. Our baby's first steps - [link-1] Look, maybe it's worth a try?

Comment on the article "How to distract a child from computer games?"

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And I would be greatly alarmed by the combination of isolation and secrecy and aggressive computer games for hours every day. And we have to help distract. And how can you distract him if he is not interested in anything. The girl, when she first appeared, from the computer ...

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Is your child addicted to computer games? Ira began to gradually replace his daily joys and meetings with friends, and you don't know how to get your son's attention back? Only after leaving school, he looks for an opportunity to immediately play on the phone, and at home he forgets to do his homework, because playing counter-strike makes him forget about real life? What happened to the child and how to cure him of addiction, read the link below.

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Together with counselors - students of 18-25 years old, children learn new things, become interested in the most common (such as football, art, vocals, guitar) or completely unusual (poi, geocaching, testoplasty and pottery, Chinese and feng shui) sports and creativity. A counselor as an authoritative adult not only shows interest in a particular occupation by his own example, but also explains the meaning and usefulness of each object, the possibility of its practical application in life. And the most important thing...

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Psychologists distinguish the following classification of computer games according to the degree of danger: I. Role-playing computer games. They began to communicate less, because he is constantly on the computer, you cannot be distracted - in response to aggression.

The girls, a 5-year-old boy, decided to choose some interesting and informative computer games for him. There is obvious harm from the computer, which distracts the child from studying.

By changing the timbre of the voice from low to high and vice versa, you can maintain the child's interest for a long time. Daddy's Games Mom and Dad play differently with the child. An abstract, philosophical, very serious lady Kersh from work.

Section: Wife and husband (instead of sex, a computer game, what to do). There must be interests beyond the child. Moreover, the child is still small and does not take much time. 12/19/2002 18:29:43, Scarlett.

I was faced with a situation here that the teacher did not hide the fact that she had left my child alone in the room, went out with another boy to the hall to play, since mine does not know how to play this game and interfered with the teacher and that boy.

In the last article, we talked about the rules for working at a computer, as well as parental controls, only in passing touched on the topic of computer addiction in children. Today we will talk about it in detail and give you, dear parents, effective recommendations that will help you cope with this scourge.

What is computer addiction?

Computer addiction is one of the forms of psychological addiction, manifested in the obsession with computer and video games (gambling addiction), as well as pathological craving for the Internet (Internet addiction). In other words, this is the very state when a child or an adult “cannot live without a computer” and spends all his free time in front of the monitor, often refusing even sleep and food.

Computer addiction symptoms

Children with computer addiction are distinguished by slovenliness, disregard for their appearance and lack of any interests not related to the computer. Parents should pay attention to the following symptoms:

• improved mood, significant psycho-emotional arousal when working on a computer;
• anticipation of the next "session";
• an obsessive desire to be constantly online (including using mobile devices);
• a constant increase in the time spent in front of the monitor;
• unwillingness to leave the computer;
• aggressive behavior in response to attempts by loved ones to distract the child from the game or the Internet session;
• neglect of household chores for the sake of a computer;
• neglect of sleep, personal hygiene, or food for the sake of a computer;
• reducing any conversation when communicating to a computer topic;
• a sharp deterioration in school performance;
• giving up hobbies not related to the computer;
• refusal to communicate with friends outside the computer.

In addition to the "behavioral" symptoms, the child may have the following health problems:

• deterioration of vision;
• headache;
• back pain;
• pain in the wrist (the so-called "tunnel syndrome");
• sleep disturbances, including insomnia and obsessive nightmares;
• decreased immunity;
• increased fatigue.

Naturally, it is not worthwhile to diagnose a child on your own, however, the above symptoms are a good reason for consulting a child psychologist.

How does computer addiction arise?

One of the dangers of computer addiction is that it arises quickly and imperceptibly: yesterday a child spent in front of the monitor no more than an hour a day, and today you cannot drag him away from the computer by the ears. However, it is a mistake to think that the root of all troubles is the computer. By itself, a smart machine does not cause any dependence, and communication between a child and a computer (of course, subject to certain rules) does not mean that soon your heir will turn into a “computer maniac”.

Psychological dependence develops as a result of the child's desire to "escape" from the real world, and the computer here is only one of the possible means of escape. The reasons for the appearance of such a desire in a child are different, among them:

• problems and conflicts in the family. Sadly, but most of the child's problems stem from the family. When there is no mutual understanding in the house, when there is no warmth and love, when all that the child sees and hears in the house is scandals and swearing, he wants to run away and hide in a safe place. Before the era of computers, children ran away from family problems in the backyards (and often associated with “bad” companies) or found shelter in books. Now the virtual world provides a safe refuge from all the troubles of life for the child. By the way, this is not so much about asocial families of alcoholic drug addicts. The reason for the escape from reality can be serious problems, for example, the divorce of parents, and quite common situations in our time, such as the excessive workload of adults.
• lack of communication. If the parents do not have enough time for full-fledged communication with the child, if they are not very interested in his feelings and thoughts, the child quickly finds a “replacement” for them. For children who are sociable and self-confident, peers or other adults from their environment (educators, teachers, leaders of circles and sections) can become such a "substitute", but for children who are closed and shy, the computer becomes the only outlet. As for adolescents, they are more likely to be pushed towards computer addiction by problems in communicating with peers than with their parents. In this case, the task of the parents is to gently and as delicately as possible help the teenager find friends in the real world.
• low self-esteem. Today, the competition between children has increased many times over. And it’s not only about school performance - now, in order to become “one” in the company of peers, a child must have a variety of modern gadgets and a bunch of things that are relevant for the current generation, besides, he must be the leader and “soul” of the company. Unfortunately, not all children are leaders by nature, and not all parents can afford to buy an iPhone of the latest model or a “smart” watch for a first-grader. As a result, without receiving recognition in the company of peers, the child looks for her elsewhere. And he finds it. After all, the virtual world can be subordinated to your own rules, turning from a lonely loser into the savior of the universe in a few hours.

Note: A completely successful child who lives with loving and attentive parents and easily makes friends with peers can also fall under the charm of virtual worlds. Multiplayer role-playing games are especially dangerous for a fragile child's psyche. Quite often the whole companies "get hooked" on such games, completely throwing out communication outside the virtual world. The "use" of such games should be strictly dosed!

How to take your child away from the computer?

It is easier to prevent the development of computer addiction and prevent the child from spending all his free time “on the computer” than then to deal with the consequences. The solution to this problem requires an integrated approach, often in order to cope with addiction, the child needs the help of a psychologist, and in especially severe cases, drug therapy. However, if the parents noticed the first "bells" in time, they can distract the child from the computer without outside help.

First of all, parents should understand that the methods of weaning a child from a computer directly depend on his age. So, from a very small child, as well as from a child of younger preschool age, it is enough to hide the coveted toy and he will forget about it. Especially if the parents spend some of their precious time playing and communicating with the child.

With younger students, such a number will no longer work, and in order to get their beloved child out of the virtual world, parents will have to show some ingenuity:

• start family traditions. For example, cooking dinner together every day, pizza and movie nights on Friday, going to the zoo or amusement park on Saturday, etc.
• regularly take the child out of town... And preferably not to the dacha for planting / harvesting potatoes! Let it be hiking trails in the vicinity of your city, horseback riding or cycling, spending the night in nature with a tent and scary stories around the fire. In general, show your child how bright and wonderful the world surrounds him!
• help your child find a hobby. Drawing, modeling, sports, dancing, photography, it can be anything. Only, please, take this as seriously as possible and do not leave the child alone with his new hobby. For example, if a child has chosen photography, learn this art together. It is not necessary to immediately acquire two expensive DSLRs; for a start, a couple of budget "soap dishes" will do. Make joint trips to hunt for new shots, read literature about photography together, visit exhibitions. The same applies to other hobbies of the child. By the way, if your heir wants to connect his future with a computer, becoming, for example, a computer game developer, programmer or designer, do not dismiss this desire. Your task is to channel energy into a peaceful channel.

The hardest thing to deal with is a teenager's computer addiction. In no case do not forbid a teenager to sit at the computer, do not defiantly turn off the Internet and do not refuse to pay for a subscription to your favorite online game because he finished a quarter of school already than you expected. All these methods, due to the peculiarities of the transitional period in a child, will lead to exactly the opposite result.

Now your first priority is to learn to listen and hear your child. You must be his friend, and not turn into a punishing hand of the law. It is very important to understand why a teenager prefers virtual life to real. Maybe he has problems with peers, maybe he met his first love in that very online game, and evil parents prevent him from communicating with her, forbidding him to enter the game, maybe he just has nothing else to do and thus kills time, and maybe he doesn’t draw "stupid" moving devils all day long, but is trying to create a cartoon. In any case, before diagnosing a child “cannot live without a computer”, it is necessary to understand the reasons.

If a teenager is just bored, help him find something to do - sign up for a sports section or a cross-stitch circle, a tourist club or a macrame lovers club - no matter how prestigious this hobby turns out to be or how much you like it, the main thing is that the activity is in the interests of the child.

If he is seriously interested in programming, animation, design or electronic music creation, support him, if necessary, not only morally, but also financially. Enroll in paid professional courses or hire a private tutor, provide relevant literature, etc.

Well, if it's about first love, try to pull yourself together and not interfere. And in no case make fun of your child, do not tell him or her that all this is nonsense and yet he will have a thousand more "loves".

Summary

If the matter has taken a serious turn, there are all the signs of computer addiction and you cannot get the child out of the virtual world on your own, do not waste time and do not hope that the problem will disappear by itself - seek help from a qualified child psychologist.

Remember: personal example is much more effective than soul-saving conversations, prohibitions or tricks. If you yourself cannot tear yourself away from the monitor for hours, start by educating yourself, and only then take on the child.

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While computers are very useful and convenient devices, they are often addictive. Nowadays, many children spend too much time at the computer. If this problem affects your child, it is likely that it is upsetting for you as a parent. Computer addiction is so strong that it has been compared to drug addiction, and excessive computer use can lead to serious problems in the future. Help your child overcome computer addiction by setting a limit on spending time at the computer, talk to your child and together find an alternative activity that will pique his interest.

Steps

Limit your time at the computer

Set a password on your computer that only you will know. The child will have to ask your permission to turn on the computer and spend time at it. This method is especially good if the child is still young and does not need a computer for homework. But for older children, this method is also useful, especially if the child has a strong computer addiction.

• If you are not at home, you can simply change the password on the computer every day and send it to your child (for example, by SMS) when he can spend time at the computer.

1. Install parental control software on your computer. You may be worried about the fact that your child may be sitting at the computer while you are not at home. However, you can install a parental control program (or mode) on your computer, thereby limiting access to websites. You can set these options on your router, Windows preferences, or a website (such as Norton).

   Allow your child to sit at the computer only after he finishes the rest of the business. Teach your child to prioritize by asking him to do homework and chores before sitting down at the computer. Make a checklist of all the responsibilities and tasks your child has to do each day, and hang the list on the refrigerator. Teach your child to treat computer time as a privilege, not a right.

   • In addition, you can organize some kind of activity - a family evening or some interesting family game - that you need to do before you sit down at the computer.
   • Tell your child to complete the list of tasks before playing the computer. When you get home from work, check to see if your child has followed all of your errands. If the tasks from the list are not completed, come up with some small punishment.
   • It is important to agree with all relatives (including the second parent or guardian) about these rules, as well as discuss the system of rewards and punishments for the child.

2. Try creating zones without a computer. Allow your child to use the computer only in shared rooms (for example, in the break room or living room). Do not allow your child to sit at the computer in their room or during dinner, or when the family is spending time together.

   • If possible, arrange for your child to have one computer for homework (if necessary) and a second for relaxation and play. This way, you can be sure that your child is not cheating on you and is actually doing his homework. All gaming sites, social networks and so on must be blocked on the "working" computer.
   • If you are worried about your child using the laptop in their room when you are not at home, take or hide the charger or battery and give it to the child only when you get home.

3. Set a limit on the use of your computer. Limit spending time at the computer by setting a limit of no more than two hours a day (if the child is over two years old). Children under two years old should not spend a lot of time in front of a computer or TV monitor. This rule may apply if the child spends time at the computer for non-educational purposes. Set a timer to let your child know how much more time he can play with the computer.

   • At first, you can try to warn the child 15 minutes in advance, announcing to him that time is gradually coming to an end.

Find alternative activities

1. Offer your child alternative activities. Play board games with him, go to the library or visit friends to chat. If your child has become addicted to the computer, prepare for a difficult time (several days or weeks), because the child's brain no longer responds to your calls, and you will have to re-educate him. Even if you offer your child alternative activities, he may simply not respond to them.

   • Allow your child to choose a game for themselves or to share their ideas about what they would like to do.
   • Remember that it is quite normal for a child to feel bored, it is even useful, because it encourages the child to engage in creativity and his own development.

2. Spend time with your family, leaving phones and computers aside. Spend time together every day, and during this time all family members should stop using electronic devices. These include telephones, computers, and televisions. Have a family dinner regularly so you can socialize with your family, relax, and have a good laugh.

Computer technology has become a part of human life. This cannot be denied and cannot be changed. Children who have known her from an early age perceive her as something that has always been and without which a person's life, if possible, is very difficult.

It is as difficult for them to imagine a world without digital technology as it is for adults - without television, telephone, or automobile transport. The fact that a teenager is “friends” with her should not be alarming, but when he plays on a computer or console all day long, this is already an extremely serious symptom that can signal the presence of a non-chemical addiction, which is as dangerous and difficult to cure as any another. Therefore, it is necessary to take measures to prevent computer addiction and cure it.

Why are children addicted to computer games?

Every person, even not ambitious, dreams of love and respect, success, prosperity, power. These desires are especially acute in a transitional age, when a growing child wants to prove his worth to himself and the world around him. In life, not everyone manages to prove their extraordinary intellectual abilities by studying, strength and dexterity - by sports records, talent - by creating real masterpieces, leadership qualities - in real communication with peers.

Virtual reality provides the opportunity to feel like a hero, a skillful warrior or commander, a robber who neglects generally accepted norms and conquers wealth and love of the most courageous and dexterous of all the beauties of the world, an architect who builds cities or some other outstanding person. The opportunity to feel independent, leaving everyone in the virtual world, where it is not scary to make mistakes, trying different ways is also very attractive.

A modest, shy child may experience emotional hunger, as he lacks communication with peers. Playing on a computer or console, he can experience fear, grief, excitement from battle, the sweetness of victory - all without leaving home.

Many of the modern computer games involve the possibility of communication between players. Teens who don't make good contact with their peers in the real world find it much easier to connect with other players - just like them. This increases their ability for social adaptation, self-esteem.

In addition to games, teenagers use a computer to find answers to their questions, to communicate on social networks. For some members of the younger generation, this aspect is no less important than the opportunity to play.

Why is it harmful?

Excessive passion for computer games O danger of distortion of the adolescent's ideas about reality. Repeatedly in the news programs they showed stories about how children "intoxicated" with computer dope killed people close to them.

Dangerous hobby for games on a computer or console and formation computer addiction... The gambler loses touch with the world, is not interested in family problems, does not communicate with friends, abandons school, sports, does not want to break away from the game even to eat. All this negatively affects his mental and physical health.

When a teenager sits at the computer a lot, he forms "Clip-like" thinking, he becomes unable to solve tasks requiring concentration. Scientific studies have shown that adolescents who work at a computer for more than two hours a day have twice as many problems concentrating as their peers who spend less time at it.

There are more teenagers suffering from myopia every year. To refuse to associate this with gazing at the screen would be strange.

It should also be noted that the rejection of real communication, study, sports are no less sad consequences of gambling addiction.

How do you make a computer useful?

However, you shouldn't deny the fact that a computer can be useful. It helps to keep abreast of current events, quickly find information of interest, communicate, and learn useful skills.

If parents manage to switch the teenager's attention from computer games to studying programs, for example, graphic editors, to creating their own programs, websites, then working at a computer will bring him more benefit than harm.

By sending their child to educational sites, forums, parents will also do a good deed for him.

Reading e-books about teenagers, watching film adaptations of world classics is not a waste of time either.

When redirecting a teenager in the right direction, do not forget that everything is fine in moderation. It is worth agreeing in advance that he spends no more than two hours "at the computer" during the day.

How can I make my child spend less time in front of the monitor screen?

It is easy to put the condition: "at the computer - no more than two hours." It is impossible to achieve its fulfillment without offering the teenager an alternative.

Such an alternative could be engagement in a circle or section where the child will be interested. Today there are circles where they are engaged in robotics, the creation of aircraft models - they will appeal to "techies". Sports sections are an excellent choice for those who want to be a "hero" and win. There are art and music circles for creative people. There he will meet those who share his hobbies, and it will be easy and pleasant for him to communicate with them.

Family leisure is another alternative. It can be active recreation: hiking, fishing, cycling, kayaking, skiing. These can be "creative" evenings: a visit to the theater, exhibitions, photo hunting. Picnics in nature, travel, visiting friends and relatives are not canceled.

For a small group of teenagers who turn on their computers to read, a regular book may be an alternative. They will find some books in the library where you enroll them, others they will have to buy. It will not be cheap, but the child's health is more expensive.

In other words, it is possible to wean a teenager from a computer, but for this, parents will have to make certain efforts, sometimes considerable. First of all, they themselves will have to give up the hours of sitting at the computer.