Screen Time: Internet Addiction and How Much Is Too Much

Andrew is a depressed 13-year-old boy whose grades are slipping. He knows his parents would not approve of the way he spends most of his free time, but he doesn’t know how to stop the habit.

When Andrew's parents express concern or want to understand the problem, Andrew snaps at them. If pressed, he admits he has tried to stop. He falls asleep in class because he’s sleep deprived, but he continues to stay up late—and hides his behaviors from his family.

What’s going on with Andrew? The behaviors Andrew is exhibiting—lack of motivation, mood changes, secretive behavior, changes in grades and social interaction—are commonly seen in people who overuse drugs or alcohol. Overuse of gambling and gaming can cause similar behaviors. But the source of Andrew’s problem is the amount of time he spends online.

Is Andrew’s overuse of the internet an addiction? Though there is still much to learn about the ways use of the internet can affect a person’s life, a limited number of studies do suggest that substance use disorders and behavioral addictions, including overuse of the internet, affect the same neural pathways in the brain.

What’s wrong with the internet?

The world that opens when we log on is a fascinating place, filled with a seemingly infinite amount of information and imagery. It’s a valuable tool for research and a creative place for entertainment. But overuse can be detrimental to young, developing minds. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends no more than two hours of screen time a day—and that includes laptops, cell phones and televisions, as well as the computer games, console games, social-media interactions and other activities that these devices deliver via a screen.

Multiple studies have shown that as the amount of time a child spends looking at a screen increases, so does the risk for sleeping, attention and aggression problems, and difficulty with interpersonal relationships. Some of these effects may be due to the rapidly changing and intense imagery screens flash before us, while others can be attributed to the way screen time can decrease the time spent interacting with people in real life.

Though internet addiction is not a condition universally recognized as a psychiatric disorder, an increasing number of psychiatric professionals advocate for such recognition. As is true with other recognized addictions, the behavior becomes a problem when it interferes with daily life.

Signs of internet overuse or addition include:

• Spending excessive amounts of time on the internet, leaving little time for other experiences
• Exhibiting withdrawal behaviors, including feelings of anger, tension and depression, when access to the internet is removed
• Expressing a need for even more time online and for new devices, apps and other accessories
• Exhibiting signs of depression and anxiety, as well as lying, poor school or vocational achievement, social isolation and excessive fatigue

We don’t know how many people suffer from overuse of or addiction to the internet. Some studies suggest that among adolescents, the rate could be 10% or higher. We do know that teens who overuse the internet also often have increased rates of depression, ADHD and excessive alcohol use. In some situations, overuse of the internet is a coping mechanism for disorders already present; in others, overuse can elicit these problems in susceptible individuals.

We also don’t know enough about how to treat someone who is suffering from overuse of the internet. But we do know that when parents home-monitor internet use to prevent negative consequences—including exposure to predators and bullies, loss of personal privacy and the risk of addiction—their children are safer.

How to help

As parents, one of our primary responsibilities is to keep our children safe and healthy. Monitoring internet use is simply another way of helping to ensure the wellbeing of those we love.

Here are some ways you can help prevent overuse of the internet in your home:

• Offer your children internet access via computers and laptop in the public areas of your home only. Limit use of screens to these areas, keeping them out of your children’s bedrooms.
• Limit your child’s access to a cellphone—or choose not to offer one. If your child’s ability to access a cellphone is important to your family, you can place controls on it that will limit the number of hours and times of day it can be used. You can also decide that cellphones are to be used only for ease of communication when your child is not at home and configure it to perform that way.
• Plan for screen time, whether for internet use or for television-watching. Watch a show, then turn off the screen. For internet use and computer games, use a timer.
• Discuss the value of privacy—and the absence of privacy on the internet.
• Delete games, apps and other programs, including social media platforms—or change their passwords—to prevent them from becoming distractions during exam times or other times when temptation might derail success.

Contact your pediatrician for more tips to reduce kids screen time and for additional resources if you suspect your child is having difficulty controlling the amount of time spent online.

Written by Dr. John Madden, Pediatrician & Adolescent Medicine with Esse Health Pediatrics. Esse Health Pediatrics offers six locations to make pediatric visits as easy as possible for you and your family. Learn more by exploring the website or listen to our podcast “Pediatric Housecalls.”