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The era before the "computer"

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    Who remembers the times when computer games were played in arcades? Or maybe you remember a small gaming device, the size of a smartphone, and catching falling eggs into a basket? It was the pinnacle of Russian technology. Back then, addiction to computer games or the Internet did not exist. Nobody has heard of children spending their days in front of tablet or computer screens. Nobody wrote about how to prevent it or, worse, to treat it. Not to mention Facebook, Istagram, Twiter and other social media, and they can also be very addictive and lower the quality of our lives.  

How is it today?

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    Today we all have smartphones and tablets, even our children, who often get them as Holy Communion gifts at the age of 8. Of course, the point is not to isolate the child from electronics, pretending that the world is as it used to be, because it is not. Each of us is more or less dependent on phones and computers. Today, electronics accompany us practically all day long. It is important, however, why our child reaches for  electronic device (smartphone, tablet, computer)  and how long has he been using it.  

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Addiction to games.

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    If he reaches for a computer to play, the beginnings are innocent. The child has an interesting game about which his peers tell. However, even then, the vigilant giving birth will notice that his child after a long time with the game (30 minutes and more) starts to behave differently than usual. Has a problem with concentration, lacks normal contact with him - seems absent with thoughts, tears tearful or nervous. Attempting to pick up the game ends up upsetting the child.  He is like a movie Zombie.  With each subsequent approach to the game, the child slowly begins to lose himself in virtual reality, losing control of real life. In the game, he achieves his goals (often with violence),  gains new levels, a point, competes with his peers who is better, who has gone higher. It happens that he has the feeling that he can do more in the game. It may turn out that he is doing better in this computer world than in the real world. Until one day virtual reality completely takes over our child's brain and life. Then nothing matters but the gameplay. Rest, food, school, contacts with peers, hobbies ... all lose to the virtual world of games.  

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What are the risks?

      Playing video games compulsively, that is, playing video games that are difficult to learn and stop, can have a negative effect on your developing mind and body. Adult gamers too can suffer from hours spent on the couch or desk with a computer.

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A few key issues for younger players are:

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• A sedentary lifestyle : hours spent "sitting" in front of a computer or other electronic device can take a toll on a young person's body. Lack of exercise and exercise often leads to weight gain, poor posture, and an increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes in children and adolescents.

• Lack of social involvement : although many video games require the involvement of others in a virtual world,  and even playing online with friends, they do not teach children to interact or cooperate with their peers in the real world. Learning to interact with others in the real world is an important social skill and requires listening, eye contact, and understanding what others are trying to convey. These skills are hard to acquire by spending too much time playing video games.

• Concentration and attention problems : The fast action of video games causes the players to lose concentration. For example, children who spend a lot of time playing video games may be less interested in reading books because it requires more concentration and long-term attention. Thus, they may have worse results at school.

• Avoiding Developmental Tasks : Adolescence is a time of self-discovery and personal development. To become mature adults who can face and solve problems, teens must learn to confront painful emotions and awkward social experiences. Often times, a video game is an escape and a way to avoid difficulties in real life.

• Increased aggression or violence : Children and teens who spend a lot of time playing video games that focus on combat or violence may show more signs of aggression than those who don't.  

• Neglecting duties : Long hours spent playing, sometimes also at night, cause chronic fatigue and lack of time for duties such as study, help at home, and even hobbies.   

• Spending large amounts of money : although most games are free, you can buy virtual accessories in the game to complete a level faster or to improve your avatar. If the child's guardian is not in control of expenses, and the device on which the child is playing is linked to a credit card, it may turn out  sure that the parent discovers a significant charge on his card after the fact.  

• Seizures and Repetitive Stress Injuries : The blinking lights of graphics may cause seizure activity in some players suffering from epilepsy or other seizure disorders. There is also evidence that compulsive gaming can lead to repeated injuries to the wrists or hands.

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Signs of computer game addiction:

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1. problems with concentration;

2. neglect and forgetfulness of daily duties;

3. school neglect - poorer academic performance;

4. truancy;

5. forgetting to rest , often caused by playing late into the night;

6. neglect of personal hygiene;

7. poorly eating , not eating, or eating while gaming;

8. playing for longer than scheduled;

9. nervousness caused by not being able to play;

10. increase in aggression;

11. limiting meetings with peers and less time for the family;

12. abandonment of previous interests and hobbies;

13. hyperactivity;  

14. depression;

15. anxiety disorders ;

16. isolating oneself;

17. constantly thinking about gaming and the things the addict will do after sitting down in front of them       screen;

18. spending large amounts of money on new games, game accessories, or character equipment w  the game;

19. stealing money on games.

How to fix it?

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Dr. Larry Rosen, a professor of psychology at California State University, says that instead of worrying about how much time our children spend in front of the screen each day, cut back on that time.  Frequent breaks from electronics keep the brain from over-stimulating and becoming addicted to the screen.  

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Rosen suggests:

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• for children under the age of 10, the limit of 40 minutes , followed by an hour of break;

• for the younger ones  teenagers , it should be a maximum of an hour, followed by an hour off.

• for older teenagers , it should be a maximum of one and a half hours and a break.

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Before the screen time runs out, give the children a few minutes' warning that they will be quitting in five minutes. If the child does not want to tear himself away from the screen, count this time from future sessions.  

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It is also important not only how much time children and teenagers spend in front of the screen, but when and where they spend this time on electronics ( 1 ).  In one sentence, it is about communication and metacognition ("reasoning"). Common Sense Media has conducted research ( 2 ),  which shows that in 2012, 35% of teenagers used social media more than  once a day. Six years later, in 2018, the number of users increased to 70% of teenagers using social media more than once a day. Other studies ( 3 ) show that the typical young adult was actively present on nearly six social networking sites, which of course would require constant checking. So how much time did he spend on virtual life?

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The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends ( 4 ) that:  

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• kids  under 18 months of age completely  avoiding screens,  other than video call. This kind of contact  with the screen is treated as building relationships;

• parents of children between 18 and 24 months of age who want to show their child electronic media should choose a high-quality program and accompany the child all the time to explain what the child sees.

• for children between 2 and 5 years of age, the limit for using the screens is 1 hour a day of a high-quality program in the company of a parent who helps the child understand  what he watches and connect it with the world around them;

You should also remember what our great-grandmothers used to say that "the child grows by running and while sleeping" and provide the child with  enough exercise and sleep for the young body to thrive and grow.  It is also important that the child has time without a screen before going to bed (no TV, no computer, no tablet, no smartphone) so that the brain can calm down before going to bed.  

What about these social media?

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Social media is not any better or less addictive.  

  Shirley Cramer, CEO of the Royal Society for Public Health, said:  

  “Social media has become a space in which we create and build relationships, shape our own identity, express ourselves and learn about the world around us; these media are inseparable from mental health. "

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  “Social media has been described as more addictive  than cigarettes and alcohol, and now they are so entrenched in the lives of young people that they can no longer be ignored when talking about the mental health problems of young people. Thanks to our Young Health Movement  young people told us that social media has both positive and negative effects on their mental health. It's interesting to see Instagram and Snapchat's rankings as the worst in terms of mental health and wellness - both platforms are very image-centered, and it seems like they can create feelings of deprivation and anxiety in young people. "

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Researchers from the Royal Society for Public Health in Great Britain ( 5 ) studied almost 1,500 people aged 16-24, because it is in this age group that over 90 percent of people use social media. The research concerned YouTube, Instagram, Snapchat, Facebook and Twitter. The respondents' task was to answer how they feel after using each of the above-mentioned media.  

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14 health and well-being issues investigated by researchers:

1. Awareness and understanding of other people's health experiences .

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2.  Access to expert health information you can trust.

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3.  Emotional support (empathy and compassion from family and friends).

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4.  Restlessness (feeling worried, nervous or anxious).

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5.  Depression (feeling extremely down and unhappy).

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6.  Loneliness (feeling of loneliness and isolation).

7.  Sleep (quality and quantity of sleep).

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8.  Self -advertising (an expression of your feelings, thoughts and ideas).

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9.  Identity (the ability to define who you are).

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10.  Body image (how you feel, what you look like).

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11.  Real-world relationships (maintaining relationships with others  people).

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12.  Building a community (feeling of community of like-minded people).

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13.  Bullying (behavior that is threatening or offensive to you).

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14.  FoMO (Fear Of Missing Out - the feeling that you need to stay connected because       

      you are worried that anything can happen without you).

Researchers wanted to verify how the use of social media affects feelings considered negative, such as:

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• anxiety

• depressed mood,

• isolation,

• solitude,

• decline in self-esteem.

According to this study, the medium that causes the worst frame of mind is Instagram. It is there that users publish photos, showing "perfect" moments from their lives.  If the photo is not enchanting enough, you can always use a filter that will slim the figure, smooth the skin, enlarge the muscles, all in the perfect scenery. It is this unrealistic idealism that causes a drop in mood, and even despondency, in people browsing Instagram. Their own lives seem boring and dull to them. We all know that photos posted on social media are not real. Perfect light, filters, perfect moment, and yet our brain, seeing these nice pictures, compares us with others  we are gray in this confrontation. We are not so slim, so pretty, or so perfect, and our life is far from the fairy tale we see in other Instagram users.  Young people who, as a result of such comparisons, have distorted body image and emotional problems are most at risk here. It is worth remembering the words Cindy Crawford once said:  "Even I don't look like Cindy Crawford when I wake up."

HERE   you can see how each of us is able to create the perfect life in social media.   

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Dutch Rianna Meijer, an influencer who cares about the perfection of her photos on a daily basis, decided to show how they look in unsuccessful photos. Which is great  daily life vs photos for instagram.

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