Palak Vyas

What works best in the cases of addiction is that a similar kind of less harmful or useful thing should be replaced in place of the previous addiction. For example, if a child is addicted to sugar, you can provide him/her with raisins or dates in place of sugar. <ul><li>When you see your child is obsessed with a fictional character like spider-man or superman, try showing him/her the positive and humanly traits of the character.</li><li>Try and incorporate or relate those with your daily incidences.</li><li>Give them more humanly touch.</li><li>Eventually, you can identify a similar character from your family and relate their human traits with that of the fictional character your child is obsessed with. For example, you can relate your child’s father with Superman, tell them, “The way Superman saves the world and fights evil, your father does the same. He built us this house, he works and earns, takes care of us when we are sick so basically he also protects us”.</li><li>Give them the idea that these are imaginary or fictional characters inspired by real-life, science and technology.</li><li>It is okay for a child to be attracted to superheroes as long as (s)he is learning something good from them. This is where they enjoy their little innocent world of imagination. Let them feel happy and enjoy their world of superheroes and other characters. Eventually, when they grow up, they will come to know the difference between real and imaginary.</li><li>These characters are made in such a way that not only children but young and old everyone is inclined towards them.</li><li>All you have to see that their addiction does not come in their way of studies or their growth.</li><li>If you feel that because of this (s)he keeps getting distracted, explain to them that there is a time and place for everything. One cannot talk about the same thing all day long. There are several more things to explore so take them for visits at the zoo or a museum to keep them away from the imaginative world for a while.</li></ul>

Addiction/obsession is not something which can be immediately worked upon.

Dealing with fictional character addiction in children

Ravina Sewani

Prachi Shah

Seema Ganatra

Digital addiction is an impulse control disorder which involves obsessive use of devices/screens despite the negative effects on the user. Children, especially between the age of 2 to 10 years of age, do not know that excessive screen time has negative effects on them. Hence, we cannot claim that our children have digital addiction. Addiction, in general, is when an individual knows that something has a negative impact on them and yet they cannot stop themselves from doing/using that particular thing. Kids use screens for entertainment. When they look at a screen, a hormone called "dopamine" is released in their body. Dopamine is also called as a "feel good" hormone. Not going very deep into scientific know-hows, long story short, if we can replace our kids' screen time which excites them and keeps them occupied or entertained equally as screens do, we can effectively reduce the screen time in our children. How much screen time is OK for a child?<ul><li>According to World Health Organisation (WHO), children below 18 months should not be exposed to any kind of screens (TV/mobile/tablet/laptop) at all except taking to parents/grandparents over a video call.</li><li>Children between the age of 18 to 24 months can enjoy screen time only when accompanied by a parent or a caregiver. This screen time should be quality screen time and should be limited to no more than 20-30 minutes in a day.</li><li>Children between 2 to 5 years should be limited to 1 hour of screen time in a day. This screen time should be monitored by a parent or a caregiver.</li></ul> Identify in which situation is your child exposed to screens? Following are the scenarios in which children turn to screens:<ol><li>While eating</li><li>Outdoors, for example - at restaurants</li><li>During social gathering or when guests are home</li><li>Before sleep</li><li>When parent is busy in work</li><li>Grandparent hands it over</li></ol> Tackling the above scenarios: While eating:<ul><li>Gradually decrease the frequency of using screens. If you suddenly take away their phones, the child might throw many tantrums.</li><li>No family member should watch TV/mobile/laptop while eating</li><li>Replace screens with big picture books, preferably of food. This will develop their interest in the kind of food they are eating.</li><li>Tell them a story.</li><li>Have a meal talk - talk to them about the food that is in their plate, food smell, food colour, and food taste.</li><li>Appreciate them at the food table when they finish the food in their plate or try out a new vegetable/dish for the first time.</li><li>Bring no negative vibes at the food table.</li><li>Make sure, the entire family eats together. This way you can talk among each other and the child would not find the need to look at a screen.</li></ul> After 2 and half years age, children should eat in their own plate with the entire family. When you are eating with your child, do not use screens. If you do, then please acknowledge and apologise for the same. Outdoors, for example - at restaurants:<ul><li>Carry cube or any favourite toy</li><li>Involve in talk &amp; meaning full conversation</li><li>Mental preparation &amp; clear communication</li><li>Scribbling &amp; take along water book with paint brush</li><li>Feel the menu card</li><li>Feel of ambience</li></ul> During social gathering or when guests are home:<ul><li>Send them for outdoor play.</li><li>Accompany with grand-parents.</li><li>Clear communication &amp; expected behaviour talk.</li><li>Activities (Worksheet) appreciate for good behaviour.</li></ul> Before sleep:<ul><li>Replace the screen with:</li><li>Bed time stories</li><li>Recite verses, play soft music, meditate, or sing them a lullaby</li><li>Sleep talk regime - Decide</li><li>Sharing time</li></ul> When parent is busy in work:<ul><li>Involve child in household activities like taking out peas from pea pods, setting the table up for meals, cleaning their room, watering the plants. These activities will keep them away from phones and also instil motor skills, emotional skills in your child.</li><li>Call your child's friends to play at home.</li></ul> Grandparents hand it over:<ul><li>Both the parents should together talk to the grandparents to set family rules regarding the use of TV/phones/laptops.</li><li>Discuss limits and boundaries as a family which are applicable to everyone in the house. Decide how much time is it acceptable to use screens when at home.</li><li>No screens on dining table or before sleeping.</li></ul> Effects of excessive screen time on children:<ul><li>Obesity</li><li>Irregular sleep schedules and shorter duration of sleep</li><li>Behavioural problems</li><li>Loss of social skills</li><li>Violence</li><li>Less time for play</li></ul> How can we reduce our dependence on electronic babysitters and find a balance between sanity and screen time? Here are few tips for you to try at your home: Set Strict Time Limits: When you introduce the privilege of screen time, set strict time limits – and stick to them. Parents become addicted to the easy tech breaks just as much as kids get addicted to the entertainment, so this is a challenge for both of you. Embrace Boredom: Remember that boredom is not a disease that needs to be cured. Boredom is actually healthy, and kids need to experience it as part of their normal developmental process to learn how to fill and manage their time efficiently. Boredom also fosters creativity and imagination. Encourage Time Outside: Nothing sparks a child’s imagination like time outdoors. Take your child to the park and watch them play in the sand and on rides for hours. Walk in the woods and let them discover how sticks and rocks make better toys than screens. Send them out into the backyard and see how they entertain themselves with simple pretend play. Screen time won’t even cross your kids’ minds when they are outside enjoying themselves. Insist On Daily Quiet Time: You do need your sanity, and it is possible to get it without using electronics. Insist that your children have a daily “quiet time” for 1.5 to 2 hours each day. If they are past the age of napping, suggest that they look at books in their room or play quietly and independently with toys. While it might not feel blissful the first day you institute your new quiet time policy, if you are firm with your expectations your kids will catch on quickly. This will then become a time that they look forward to every day. Explore Audiobooks: You do not have to completely give up electronics when you give up screens. Audiobooks are great – especially for children who can’t read well on their own yet – and allow children’s imaginations to run wild while keeping them entertained. Following little pointers will also go a long way:<ul><li>Use parental controls to block or filter internet content.</li><li>When watching programming with your child, discuss what you're watching and educate him or her about advertising and commercials.</li><li>Create tech-free zones or times, such as during mealtime or one night a week.</li><li>Discourage use of media entertainment during homework.</li><li>Keep screens out of your child's bedroom.</li><li>Limit your own screen time.</li><li>Eliminate background TV.</li></ul> Remember, the goal is not just to take away the screens from children but also replacing screens with something which helps them develop their intellectual, social, behavioural, emotional, and motor skills.

In today's era, almost all parents face the problem of "Digital Addiction" in children. One question to ponder upon though is, "Who introduced them to screens and why?" While you figure out the answer to this question, let's have a look at what digital addiction is.

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Dealing with fictional character addiction in children

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