When Media Becomes an Addiction
TikTok, YouTube, Netflix or online games. Seven hours a day in front of the screen – for many children and young people, this has long been part of everyday life. But when does media use become an addiction? What helps to regain control – and why parents could be the key to the solution.
More and more young people are losing themselves in digital worlds. Media addiction seems to be a growing problem: According to health insurer DAK, around 2.2 million children and young people in Germany alone are at risk of becoming media addicts.
Media addiction includes, for example, online, mobile phone or television addiction. However, media addiction is not yet a recognised illness in Germany. So far, there are only official diagnoses for computer game addiction, the so-called ‘gaming disorder’.
This article sheds light on when media addiction can be recognized and what parents can do to help their children deal with media in a healthier way.
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Help with media addiction
The network Active against media addiction helps those affected and their relatives when it comes to media addiction, online addiction, internet addiction, computer game addiction, internet-related usage disorder, smombies and series junkies.
The self-help group Going online promotes balanced media use, helps people to find the right balance when using digital media and strengthens their own media skills.
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Joanna Chatzichristidou
Joanna Chatzichristidou, born in Cologne in 2004, loves telling stories in all their forms of expression – whether with language, images or sound. So it’s no wonder that she wants to become a journalist and later work in film production. In her free time, she reads, writes her own texts, does sport or is out in nature with her two dogs. She has a special connection to southern Europe: as the daughter of a Spaniard and a Greek, she regularly spends time with her family by the sea.
Lilli Klein
Lilli Klein, born in 2004 in the Rhein-Sieg district, is constantly on the move – whether playing sport, discovering new hobbies or behind the camera. Her enthusiasm for photography developed early on: curious about new perspectives, she experimented with different devices and image styles. She tries to capture experiences in such a way that they tell stories. In the future, she sees herself working in video production or corporate communications – wherever stories are told.