How to Protect Your Child From Internet and Video Game Addiction

Kids need limits and boundaries to know what is normal and healthy for them. Limiting the amount of time that your children spend sitting in front of a television, playing video games and surfing the Internet is important, especially in today's world of technology. Here are some great tips for placing such limits, so your children do not become screen addicts.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Things You’ll Need:

• Paper
• Pen or pencil

1. To protect your children from screen addiction, place a schedule in an easy-to-see place, such as on the refrigerator or in front of the television or computer, that states when your children are allowed to use the equipment. Stick to your guns and do not sway from the rules you set.
2. Place the computer that your children use in a high-traffic area in your home--for instance, the living room. Also make sure that their game console is in this same room. This will help you keep tabs on their time and better hold them to the rules.
3. As a parent, you must stop yourself from using the television, video games and computer as a babysitter. It is too easy to let your children play video games for hours, so you can get work done around the house. Take the initiative to provide other activities for your children while you are completing chores.
4. While you want to give your children some freedoms in their life, it is okay for you to know what they are doing when they are not with you. Ask them where they will be going, who they will be with and what they will be doing whenever they make plans with friends. This shows that you care about their well-being.
5. Consider purchasing monitoring software that will tell you what sites your children have visited in a given time range. Also be sure to set parental controls on the television and the computer to lessen the chances that your children will see any unfriendly content.
6. Be "in the know" about the rating systems used for video games, movies and television shows, as well as songs that your children have on their MP3 players or iPods. No one else will track what your children are exposed to. It is your responsibility as the parent.
7. Lastly, talk with your children about why you are limiting their time on the above activities. Make sure they understand the consequences of being addicted to these activities. Let them know that you care.

Tips & Warnings

• Kids might need a longer allotment of time on the computer if they are working on school projects. This is probably okay, as long as they are being productive with their time.
• Too much exposure to the Internet can cause children to find unfriendly sites.
• Answer these questions. Does my child spend less than 3 hours a day watching television or playing video games? Do I know the last three websites my child visited? Do I know what songs are on my child's MP3 player or iPod? If you answered "No" to any of these questions, your child may be at risk for screen addiction.
• The trend for kids becoming screen addicts is rising.