Internet Addiction (continued)

Set reasonable rules

Many parents get angry when they see the signs of Internet Addiction in their child and take the computer away as a form of punishment. Others become frightened and force their child to quit cold turkey, believing that is the only way to get rid of the problem. Both approaches invite trouble - your child will internalize the message that they are bad; they will look at you as the enemy instead of an ally; and they will suffer real withdrawal symptoms of nervousness, anger, and irritability. Instead, work with your child to establish clear boundaries for limited Internet usage. Allow perhaps an hour per night after homework, with a few extra weekend hours. Stick to your rules and remember that you're not simply trying to control him or her – you are working to free them of a psychological dependence.

Make the computer visible - Move your child’s personal computer out of his or her bedroom

Encourage other activities

When you cut down your child’s Internet time, he or she will be looking for something to do, not only to fill in the hours but to achieve a comparable “high.” Help him or her find alternative endeavors, whether it be something they used to enjoy or something new, like a chess club at school. Talk to them about what they most enjoy on the Net so you can steer them toward a healthy alternative. If they especially enjoyed taking on many different handles online and acting in the character of those different personalities, encourage them to go out for the school play.

Support, don't enable

Parents often fall into an enabling role with an Internet-addicted child. They cover up or make excuses for their children when they miss school or fail to meet deadlines, and in the name of keeping peace, they give in to their children's demands when they complain loudly. If your child does rebel against your intervention efforts let the first storm subside. Acknowledge their feelings—it is not easy for them to feel that you're tugging at their only lifeline—but stick to your goals. Validate any effort they make to work with you. Remind them that other kids have had problems with the Internet and that they found a new way. Above all, let them know that you support them in making these difficult changes.

Use outside resources when needed.

If your child is unable to moderate his or her Internet usage and the initial problems persist, along with new hostility in your relationship with them, it's best to seek outside help. You might visit a local alcohol and drug treatment program to gather more information about addictions. School counselors can also help alert you to your child's behavior at school. Ultimately, family therapy may be your best bet to help guide your child’s recovery, address family strife, and heal wounds old and new.

To assess your child’s dependence on the Internet, take Dr. Young’s four minute Parent-Child Addiction Test .

Parents’ Concern: Too Much Time Online

With kids ages 8 to 18 spending on average 44.5 hours per week in front of screens, parent are increasingly concerned that screen time is robbing them of real world experiences. Nearly 23% of youth report that they feel "addicted to video games" (31% of males, 13% of females.) These are the results of a new study of 1,178 U.S. children and teens (ages 8 to 18) conducted by Harris Interactive (2007) that documents a national prevalence rate of pathological video game use.

Dr. Douglas Gentile, Director of the Media Research Lab at Iowa State University reports, "Almost one out of every ten youth gamers shows enough symptoms of damage to their school, family, and psychological functioning to merit serious concern."

Beyond gaming, kids are filling their free time with other Internet activities: social networking, instant messaging (IM), blogging, downloading etc.. Dr. Kimberly Young, Director of the Center for Internet Addiction Recovery, identified the following potential warning signs for children