Almost a million young Spaniards at risk of Internet addiction
Internet it's something wonderful, it puts all the knowledge of the world at your fingertips and breaks down the spatial barriers allowing people to communicate with people on the other side of the world. However, like everything in this life, abuse of new technologies is harmful and spending too much time in front of the screens of these electronic devices ends up generating a dependency that is very difficult to overcome.
In fact, the European Union project Eu.net.adb warns of the risk that young people in Spain have of developing an addiction to new technologies. Computer games, social networks and smartphones are the culprits that in our country there is this growing dependence on Internet and electronic devices. It seems that the new generations would not know how to live without these digital advantages.
45,300 Spanish young people addicted to the internet
The Eu.net.adb project data reveals that around the almost 40% of these people devote two hours a day to social networks on a normal school day. Trend that increases on weekends. This organism warns that exceeding 2 hours in these portals is a clear indication of Internet addiction.
And is that as indicated by another study Kelisto comparator today at least 45.3002 young people They are addicted to the internet. But what really worries about this work is that in our country approximately 32% of those who are between 12 and 18 years old are at risk of becoming addicted to new technologies since they recognize dedicating at least 3 hours a day to surfing the net. This means that at least 967.454 Spaniards of these ages are at risk of developing this dependency.
It is also alarming that 62% of young people in our country say that do not plan your web browsing since they simply sit in front of the screen of their electronic device and "let go". One explanation for the increased risk of addiction is the proliferation of smartphones, because although the vast majority of adolescents still mostly use the computer to use the internet, the use of smartphones to visit the network has grown a lot.
Kelisto warns that currently more than half of children already receive their first Smartphone at 10 years and that approximately 80% of young people of 12 years old already has one of these devices. Percentage that goes up to 90% in adolescents of 14 years. By sex, it is the girls who tend to use the smartphone the most, since they exceed the percentage of men by 8 percentage points.
Computer games
Not only social networks and the proliferation of the internet are the culprits of this increased risk of addiction. The Computer games online also explain that more and more young people in our country do not know how to live without a connection to the network. Kelisto points out that approximately those who are between 12 and 18 years old dedicate more than 18 hours a day to video games online.
The Eu.net.adb study also warns that almost 62% of the people surveyed are online players. And that dedicating more than two and a half hours to video games online is already considered an addictive trend.
Tips to prevent addiction
Given this situation, Kelisto points out that it is necessary to promote responsible use of the Internet and new technologies. For this, it offers a series of tips with which to make young people live their online experience in a correct way and be protected from this possible addiction.
1. Control Internet access points. Make sure you know all the devices that allow you to connect to the internet to know when your child might be using them.
2. Use parental control software. Many browsers and operating systems offer options to limit and control the use of minors on the Internet.
3. Protect equipment with passwords.
4. Create several user profiles. Each family member must have their own user account on the computer from which they connect to the Internet and each of these profiles with certain functionalities related to surfing the Internet
5. Do not share personal information. It is important to make children see the dangers of providing certain data publicly and advise them to exercise caution when a website asks for personal information to access a certain service.
6. Unknown links. You have to warn young people not to click on any link of unknown origin and have been able to get to your email.
7. Limit downloads. Games, free music, animated toolbars, children's apps and other apparently attractive downloads for the youngest can infect the computer with malicious software. You have to teach safe download websites and reliable portals.
8. Use of chats and messaging programs. It is important to make young people understand that the anonymity of the Internet entails the danger of contacting impostors. To avoid this it is good to take precautions such as using a pseudonym instead of your personal name, never providing personal information such as phone numbers or address, as well as not sending your photographs.
9. Use of social networks. Although Facebook pages are very popular among the youngest, we must remember that legally in Spain it takes 14 years to open a profile in any social network. Before opening an account on these websites, it is advisable to remind them of the dangers of talking to strangers and sharing private information, as well as giving them a hand in configuring their profile.
10. Acts before any irregularity. If you suspect that your child or any teenager is in danger on the Internet, go to the telematic crime unit of the Police or the Civil Guard and report the situation.
Damián Montero
