Internet addiction is a growing problem among adolescents

Addiction factor Internet: Excessive use of media among young people
On the occasion of the ongoing computer games fair "gamescom", the Federal Center for Health Education (BZgA) warns against the risks of excessive media use. Not infrequently, an addictive behavior develops that can have far-reaching effects on the psychological well-being and social relationships of those affected. More and more young people are affected by internet addiction or computer game dependency, according to the BZgA.

On average, young people between the ages of 12 and 17 spend around 22 hours a week playing computer games or using the Internet, reports the BZgA. Meanwhile, 5.8 percent of all adolescents between the ages of 12 and 17 years show a disturbed Internet or computer game behavior, according to the Drug Commissioner of the Federal Government, Marlene Mortler. Those affected have difficulty controlling their play and show veritable withdrawal symptoms such as aggression, withdrawal from everyday life or depression.

According to a recent BZgA communication, more and more teenagers are showing computer game and Internet-related disruptions. (Image: lassedesignen / fotolia.com)

Increase in Internet-related disruptions
Growing internet addiction among adolescents is "a worrying development," according to the Drug Commissioners. The latest figures from the BZgA show that the proportion of computer games and Internet-related disorders among male adolescents increased from 3.0 percent in 2011 to 5.3 percent in 2010 Year 2015 has risen. For the girls, the development is even more worrying. In the same period, the proportion of female adolescents almost doubled from 3.3 percent to 6.2 percent, reports the BZgA. Overall, boys are more interested in computer games, while girls are mainly concerned with social media.

Train young people early in dealing with media
According to the BZgA, excessive usage behavior is characterized by "that those affected have problems controlling their internet usage and react restless or irritated when they can not be online." The head of the BZgA, Dr. med. Heidrun Thaiss, emphasizes that it is crucial for the prevention of excessive media use "to train young people early in the conscious use of media and to draw attention to the associated risks to counteract negative consequences such as loss of control and loneliness."

Encourage media literacy among young people
The BZgA offers schools in Germany with the project "net pilots" support to promote the "media-literate coexistence among young people." Without a "raised index finger" here a concept of "prevention at eye level" is pursued, reports the BZgA. In addition, the LWL University Clinic for Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy at the Ruhr-Universität Bochum (RUB) has been offering the online ambulance service for Internet addicts (OASIS) since last year to people who have already developed problematic online usage patterns ", Reports the BZgA.

Many inquiries at the online ambulance
OASIS, according to the initiator Bert te Wildt has a special advantage. For Internet addicts, "the inhibition threshold to get help on the net itself, apparently lower than to turn directly to a counseling center." Since the online outpatient clinic, more than 10,000 users have already carried out the self-test, "to find out whether they or a relative suffer from Internet addiction. "This shows that although the Internet poses a danger of addiction, it can also be usefully made therapeutically useful.

Parents should be vigilant
Last but not least, in the prevention of Internet addiction parents are also in demand. They must "stay alert, talk about it with their children and be a media-literate role model," emphasizes the BZgA. Anyone who does not put away the smartphone or tablet even at dinner is not credible to the kids and certainly does not give a healthy online / offline balance.

The Federal Center for Health Education (BZgA) is currently informing about the challenges and risks of the virtual world for young people with a joint booth of net pilots and the OASIS portal at the computer games fair "gamescom". (Fp)