Activities as part of Digital Dek-Dee (The Good Kid’s Digital) programme to tackle issues regarding children’s online addiction.
As we progress into an increasingly digitised world, online resources like social media and games will only become more prominent and accessible, as the cost of entry for these platforms continues to drop. Today, the sight of even a toddler poking and swiping away at an iPad has become commonplace, as technology continues to penetrate many aspects of life at all stages.
This widespread proliferation of technology brings with it the issue of online addiction, an increasingly serious problem that can lead to a plethora of other physical and mental illnesses, especially among children. Just recently, the World Health Organization (WHO) announced its plan to include online addiction in its list of psychological diagnoses. According to the organisation, individuals who spend upwards of three hours in front of a screen without any breaks, to the point of neglecting other responsibilities, are liable to be diagnosed with online addiction when the list is updated in the next couple years.
To combat the growing problem of online addiction among children, Pun Fun Pun Yim, a non-profit organisation working on the health of the underprivileged, in collaboration with Siriraj Hospital’s Healthy Gamer initiative, has recently unveiled its “Digital Dek-Dee” (The Good Kid’s Digital) programme, an amalgamation of activities and workshops for both children with online addiction and their parents, with the aim of nurturing an understandingw among families about the best ways to deal with online addiction.
“Most of the time, when it comes to topics like internet or video-game addiction, parents and children tend to position themselves as opponents, with each side refusing to understand the other,” said Dr Nattapong Mokhaphan, director of Pun Fun Pun Yim and the man behind Digital Dek-Dee.
“This programme was conceived with the goal of creating an understanding and acceptance between parents of children who may be going through this, so that they may come together and candidly communicate about how best to reach a compromise.”
The reception of the event has been overwhelmingly positive so far, said Dr Nattapong, adding that over 300 families nationwide have expressed their interest in joining this programme within the first day of registration, 100 more than the number initially expected. The programme has completed three out of its five camps so far, one for each of the five regions of Thailand.
“I think it’s a good sign that so many people are now aware and interested in addressing the problem, instead of just sweeping it under the rug like it’s no big deal,” said the doctor.
Srisuda Suk-Ngam, one of the parents who have benefited from this programme, commented on how it has changed her perspective on the problem.
“Before this programme, it was like my son and I were on opposing sides of the problem,” she said. “The programme has allowed me to understand the benefits my son has received from gaming. It has allowed me to come to a balanced compromise with my son, and now our relationship is better than it has ever been before. It’s like I’ve finally gotten my son back.”
The problem of internet and video-game addiction — collectively referred to by Dr Nattapong as “screen addiction” — is no doubt a real and present issue, one that’s growing every year. According to Dr Asara Vasupanrajit, a clinical psychologist from Siriraj Hospital’s Department of Child and Adolescent Behavior, as many as 3 million children (one out of seven, or about 15% of the total child population) are addicted to some form of online media, be it games or social media.
“Statistically, the number of screen-addicted children in Thailand increases by about 15% annually. This rate of growth will continue to get more severe, as smartphones and tablets continue to become ever more accessible,” said Dr Asara, who has also been involved in many of Healthy Gamer’s programmes, such as the famous “Let Me Grow” camp.
“Many parents tend to give these devices to their children as rewards for good academic performance, or simply just to get their children to sit still. Little do they know, they’re contributing to the problem.”
Due to the nature of online media, which offers a wide range of subjects in various easily accessed forms, Dr Asara says that children who are exposed to too much online media can develop problems with social anxiety, as they must make the transition from the digital space — where everything is under their control — to the real world, where everyone has their own ideas, wants and needs. “Children who have grown accustomed to the control offered by online video streaming or games may find it challenging to interact with others in a real-world setting, where they have no idea how to take control of the situation,” she said.
“But this problem isn’t directly caused by internet addiction itself. The real cause is the lack of interactivity among family members that tends to be a consequence of online addiction. Parents who totally forbid their children from accessing online media but fail to communicate with them enough may still run into the same problem.”
Dr Nanthakorn Eu-ahsunthornwattana of Samitivej Hospital’s Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics department also gave some general ground rules for when parents should allow their children to be exposed to digital media, saying that children under the age of two should not be exposed to any kind of digital media whatsoever, be it from the TV or from a computer. Children under the age of six are allowed to watch TV, though they should not yet have access to the Internet. Lastly, children under the age of 13 should not be allowed to have any kind of social media presence at all.
“Young children who are exposed to digital media too quickly may not develop the communication skills required to function in the future, while children under the age of 13 lack the maturity to understand the hazards of social media.”
Dr Nanthakorn also stressed the role parents have in helping children avoid or recover from screen addiction.
“Parents today should — at the very least — try to understand how to use these social media or other online platforms their children use, so that they can monitor or advise their children’s online activities,” said the doctor, who added that media literacy is something that all parents should strive to understand.
“We can’t realistically forbid our children from ever accessing these online resources. Instead, parents should try their best to at least know what their child is doing online, and how they are doing it, so that they can steer them in the right direction if necessary. You can rely on parental-control software if you really struggle, though parents who don’t understand media literacy and make no effort to change will have to accept the idea that they may need to bring their child to doctors like me some day.”
This source first appeared on Bangkok Post Lifestyle.