What to do if your child is developing addiction to mobile

If your child is keeping improper and/or misuse of mobile for a long period of time, it can be said that has already developed this habit and as such has to unlearn. It is not to ban mobile or tablet but that learn to use these tools in a controlled and safe, replacing inadequate habits with better ones.

child addiction to mobile

As parents it is essential to establish rules and clear boundaries so that our children use mobile phones and tablets properly, not devoting all his spare time and still do other activities or duties. It is necessary to promote different leisure options and try to get involved in them.

And it is not forced to remember that we are an example for our children, so it is important to be consistent with our behavior. It is difficult to establish healthy habits of use if we are the ones who spent the lunch or the dinner by answering the whatsapps friends…

It is recommended that you put in the hands of a specialist but the technique we will use is going to be to break the habits of connection of the minor.

  • Practicing otherwise at the time of use of the tool. For example: if it was getting connected after coming from the school, we will have lunch first. It is postponed and adapt to a new schedule.
  • Establish external switches. Use signals that indicate it must be disconnected (clocks, alarms…)
  • Set goals. Ask small realistic challenges so will recover control over time.
  • Withdrawal of a particular application. You must quit the application that generates more problems to the adolescent.
  • Use reminder cards. Ask him to make a list of 5 main problems caused by addiction to mobile and another with the main benefits of not connected or refrain from an application.
  • Develop a personal inventory. That point things no longer make to use Internet and classify them: “very important”, “important”, “not very important”. You must examine the first to make you aware of what he missed or would like to recover.
  • Educating on the use of Internet as a source of information and training.
  • Learn about the tools and resources for prevention. For example, using parental control programs, content filters to limit the connection time and access to harmful content.
  • Speaking of mobile with the teen. Contrast the advantages and disadvantages of its use, without making personal appraisals.
  • Understand the abuse of mobile as a way of reacting to the psychological discomfort. Ask yourself why the teenager focuses his life of leisure and relationship on his mobile or tablet.
  • Family therapy. If the familiar relation has turned out to be damaged also. Thus the family is educated in the above mentioned addiction, diminishing the fault of the adolescent for his behavior, communication is promoted in the problems of origin, encourages collaboration and recovery of the child.