4 year old girl gets psychiatric treatment for iPad addiction

[iJamesH]

At the DMV today, one parent ignores what appeared to be about 3 year old girl who is walking around staring at an iPod trying to talk to it for more than 20 minutes while another hands her little girl an iPad and tells her to go over there and leave mommy alone (pointing across the waiting area).

Far cry from when I was a kid. My mother would never let me go off anywhere without her or another adult to supervise. And you wonder why there is an increase of Amber Alerts always happening.

 

[Kaykaykay]

Far cry from when I was a kid. My mother would never let me go off anywhere without her or another adult to supervise. And you wonder why there is an increase of Amber Alerts always happening.

Well, Amber Alerts are relatively new, and they took time to get used and spread after introduction, so any increase is not because people leave their kids untended. Lots of people grew up left to play on their own, or with other kids, without an adult watching, and don't get kidnapped, so let's not blow that out of proportion. It would be unnatural for kids to be watched every waking moment.

AMBER Alert - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

What we're talking about here is people who use gadgets as babysitters.

 

[KevinJS]

iPads make great babysitters. You can use "Find my iPhone" to find out where they are, and iMessage to call them in for dinner.

 

[jollyxier]

Your little girl... a few hours... and can't control herself? Yes, I believe it may be time for you to pay more attention. Do you think she may have been conditioned beyond the point of what is normal by watching you play games? Just a thought, not meaning to preach.

Thanks for you concern! But I don't like playing games. Anyway, I know I have the responsibility to set a good example for her. So, I'll do my best to lead her to the right track.

 

[s2mikey]

We have actually instituted a " screen free" time period after dinner where our girls have to read or do something productive for an hour or so. Not homework time either, something else altogether. They whined at first but now they have settled into it. It's working OK so far. I think it's worth people doing something like this.

 

[AQ_OC]

The child has been using the device since she was three and she usually plays games on it. But when her parents or doctors take it away, instructing her to do other things, she exhibits the classic addict behavior. Doctors have even spotted withdrawal symptoms in her.​​
http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/te...r-ipad-addiction/story-fn5phsnt-1226625697938

Addict behavior? Really? We are talking about a kid here, right? Brains aren't fully formed yet. They whine and cry all the time....it's how they express themselves when they don't like something...I don't see why this is called addict behavior...maybe in an adult, but in a kid? Give me a break!!! I think someone is looking for another way to get funding or to draw attention to themselves.... Most reasonable parents should just say "No" and let the child run off and cry...until they get ready to move on.

 

[Kaykaykay]

Addict behavior? Really? We are talking about a kid here, right? Brains aren't fully formed yet. They whine and cry all the time....it's how they express themselves when they don't like something...I don't see why this is called addict behavior...maybe in an adult, but in a kid? Give me a break!!! I think someone is looking for another way to get funding or to draw attention to themselves.... Most reasonable parents should just say "No" and let the child run off and cry...until they get ready to move on.

We can go on only the info provided, but children can show symptoms of suffering, addiction, etc., even if they're young. They're humans, even though they're not fully formed yet. I don't know how much time you spend around young kids, but from what I've seen of them, I could see a kid getting hooked and having withdrawl vs. just being a brat and being denied something.

Young kids especially love repetition -- they can get a lot of enjoyment watching the same thing over and over, listening to the same music over and over, till their parents are driven crazy, lol. Kids become obsessed, so it wouldn't be surprising that suddenly losing what they obsess about would be painful. They have little emotional control or ways to express or understand their emotions, they can't reason things out, or know how to redirect their energy.

 

[zstairlessone]

When a young brain is developing, one of the tools built in is to develop pathways to reinforce behavior that brings about positive feedback. This is how we learn to 'get along' with others and accept a social system. IPads and iPhones give an incredible amount of feedback - causing an abnormal (for the previous generation) behavioral pattern which can lead to an inability to function together in a group environment as was normal and necessary for survival. The resultant behavior contains tools like the tantrum, physical violence, the 'gimme gimme' and a loss of the sense of others as individuals with rights and expectations. sadly we will diagnose these as defects in the child or adult and provide another escape from the reality of societal requirements.

Or not, this is just my humble $0.02

 

[AQ_OC]

We can go on only the info provided, but children can show symptoms of suffering, addiction, etc., even if they're young. They're humans, even though they're not fully formed yet. I don't know how much time you spend around young kids, but from what I've seen of them, I could see a kid getting hooked and having withdrawl vs. just being a brat and being denied something.

Young kids especially love repetition -- they can get a lot of enjoyment watching the same thing over and over, listening to the same music over and over, till their parents are driven crazy, lol. Kids become obsessed, so it wouldn't be surprising that suddenly losing what they obsess about would be painful. They have little emotional control or ways to express or understand their emotions, they can't reason things out, or know how to redirect their energy.

Your last paragraph is exactly the behavior I'm referring to....I don't call that addiction, I call that being a normal kid. They grow out of it.

 

[Kaykaykay]

We can go on only the info provided, but children can show symptoms of suffering, addiction, etc., even if they're young. They're humans, even though they're not fully formed yet. I don't know how much time you spend around young kids, but from what I've seen of them, I could see a kid getting hooked and having withdrawl vs. just being a brat and being denied something.

Young kids especially love repetition -- they can get a lot of enjoyment watching the same thing over and over, listening to the same music over and over, till their parents are driven crazy, lol. Kids become obsessed, so it wouldn't be surprising that suddenly losing what they obsess about would be painful. They have little emotional control or ways to express or understand their emotions, they can't reason things out, or know how to redirect their energy.

Your last paragraph is exactly the behavior I'm referring to....I don't call that addiction, I call that being a normal kid. They grow out of it.

I don't agree that all kids are the same, any more than I'd agree that all adults are the same. Some of us have more addiction-prone personalities than others, unfortunately.

 

[Kaykaykay]

How Preschool Behavior Can Predict Addiction and Problem Gambling in Adulthood | TIME.com

 

[I_luv_Apple]

I think as a society we are being far too judgemental. Addictions happen at different levels and to different things. I remember a time when there was concerns about book worms (people who read books for too long lol). Everything in moderation. I do not restrict my toddler from iPhones or iPads but there is moderation on the length of time he uses the devices and it has to be with an adult to restrict content. Technology is way forward. I'm a teacher and we use smart boards to teach (similar to iPads) for practically every lesson. We are preparing the next generation for jobs and to use technology that has not even been invented yet so it's best they get to grips with what we have.

 

[KevinJS]

It's funny. What we praise in other cultures, we are so quick to condemn in our own.

"Wow, those Japanese kids, they embrace technology so young. How wonderful."

"Aaaarrrrgghhhh. Those lazy little American kids. Can't get 'em off iPads long enough to learn their own name."


Hmmmm.

 

[Kaykaykay]

It's funny. What we praise in other cultures, we are so quick to condemn in our own.

"Wow, those Japanese kids, they embrace technology so young. How wonderful."

"Aaaarrrrgghhhh. Those lazy little American kids. Can't get 'em off iPads long enough to learn their own name."


Hmmmm.

We know there's a healthy middle ground to be struck. And Japanese have plenty of probs with their education system as well, just different ones.

 

[zstairlessone]

We know there's a healthy middle ground to be struck. And Japanese have plenty of probs with their education system as well, just different ones.

When I was there they went to school 6 days a week. They do take to technology, but also take to learning so they use the tech for fun and work.