Many children spend several hours on the Internet engaging in various activities. This has become a source of concern to several parents particularly because the internet is robbing them of real-life experiences.
Some children don’t know how to make friends in reality because they spend most of their time online. If you know how to spot when your kid is struggling with internet addiction, it becomes easier to set some rules that will reduce their dependence on the internet.
Here are some signs that show your kid is addicted to the internet.
Withdrawal symptoms
You can tell if your kid is struggling with internet addiction when they experience withdrawal symptoms if they spend time away from the internet. Some of these withdrawal symptoms may include fatigue, anxiety, irritability, inability to sleep properly, etc.
Lose track of time when online
When a child is addicted to the internet, they may lose track of them when they are online. This means that they can spend several hours surfing the internet without paying attention to other activities that they have to do.
When they are off the internet for some time, it may seem like they spent a short time, and they will be eager to go back to the internet again.
They focus less on academic work
As a child’s dependence on the internet increases, their interest in school work reduces. Their focus and concentration will reduce and it will be noticeable from the lens of the teacher. Such children may skip assignments, and their performance on tests might not be as expected.
Prefer to spend time alone
When a child is struggling with internet addiction, they will prefer to stay alone instead of being around people. You will notice that their relationship with friends and family will not be smooth because of their aversion to social gatherings.
Lie about Internet use
Anyone who is addicted to the internet is likely to lie and this applies to children too. They may lie about the number of hours spent on the internet so that they won’t get blamed.