Digitalisation is an integral part of life, but despite all its advantages, it poses se... — 20 июня 2026 г. в 09:13:00.566
Digitalisation is an integral part of life, but despite all its advantages, it poses serious risks to children’s mental health. Lada Ivanovna Lozhkina, Candidate of Psychological Sciences and Associate Professor at the Department of Pedagogy and Psychology of the Northern State Medical University (NSMU), spoke about the warning signs of gadget addiction and how to avoid it. Constant messaging with emojis and short phrases trains teenagers to think in stereotypes. They lose the ability to sense the emotional nuances of their interlocutor and often misinterpret texts, which leads to conflicts. As a result, face‑to‑face communication becomes difficult and anxiety‑inducing for them, which hinders their emotional development. ❓ How to tell if a child has an addiction? In clinical practice, addiction is viewed as pathological behaviour where a person cannot control the time spent online. Eventually, the online world becomes more important than reality, and relationships with loved ones, health, and emotional well‑being suffer as a result. A teenager with gadget addiction may show the following signs: 🔹 Strong craving. The child constantly thinks about the device and cannot distract themselves. «What do you want to do?» — «Just scroll on my phone». 🔹 Loss of control. They cannot manage their screen time. Persuasion and timers don’t work. 🔹 Withdrawal symptoms. When access is restricted, they show emotional outbursts, aggression, or withdrawal. 🔹 Tolerance build‑up. Screen time increases while pleasure decreases — old content no longer interests them; they need new, more striking (often shocking) content. 🔹 Neglect of other interests. Previous hobbies and friends become uninteresting. 🔹 Continued use despite negative consequences. They keep using gadgets despite academic problems, sleep issues, and arguments with parents. ❓ What should parents do? Two signs are a reason to be alert and adjust the routine: 🔹 Agree on rules for gadget use that everyone in the family follows. 🔹 Offer engaging real‑life activities as an alternative to screen time. 🔹 Show interest in what the child does online so they don’t hide their digital life from you. If you notice three or more signs, it’s time to seek help from a specialist. ✅ This publication was created as part of Gadget Addiction Prevention Week.