To-night the guys sit at the Computer and Strike to fight to Strike through the virtual combat zone. Girls like guys count the number of Likes under your photos. This is not to control, experts see a serious Problem. They are now calling for more courts to outpatient treatment of Internet addiction.
Hectic a teenage on your Smartphone through your Whatsapp and Instagram that scrolls messages. The girl hardly reads any of the short texts, and the Likes among the messages and photos. It is plagued by fears of failure, has little feeling of self-worth and a tendency to depression. Family problems such as separation of the parents. The Hamburger describes researcher Rainer Thomasius Looking for a typical female patient with the so-called Social Media Disorder.
This Form of Internet addiction affects girls more than boys. Girls tend to use excessive Social Media, says Thomasius. The boys got to it faster in dependence of computer games such as Call of Duty or Counter Strike. A Forsa-survey on behalf of the health insurer DAK, in cooperation with Thomasius in the past year showed that 2.6 percent of 12 – to 17-Year-olds in Germany are to be classified as dependent on Social media. Are concerned, therefore, about 100,000 boys and girls.
Parents are lied to, children are irritated
Many people engage often or very often to your phone, to read news, to write or to post. When you have a so-called Internet-related disorder? The loss of control was always the Central criterion, says Thomasius. The entire Thinking and behavior, narrowing play on the computer or Social media. Affected young people, therefore, other recreational activities, truancy is often the school. You lie to your parents about the actual time you spend on the Internet. One way takes you to the phone or the Computer, you will have withdrawal symptoms, irritable, or even depressed. These young people are already in great distress, says Thomasius.
In the German centre for addiction issues of the child and adolescence at the University medical center Hamburg-Eppendorf, the staff but with your patients: We take them, the most Important way, says Thomasius, who directs the center. Who is hospitalised for three months or just part of inpatient for two weeks, has to give up his Smartphone. He receives a non-internet-enabled mobile phone. In the morning, a Team of special educators, strives to make the young people back to school routine. In the afternoon, the therapy programs, a lot of sports and music. Each Patient gets an Instrument to make Music.
Difficult treatment, but a good cure rate
Unlike alcohol or drug addiction, the goal of a therapy could not be abstinence, says Thomasius. There is almost no profession without a PC. The young people must learn the responsible use of the Internet. The cure rate is 70 to 80 percent is very high. In the case of alcohol and drug addiction, the success rate was only 30 to 40 percent. The Internet addicts young people are easier to treat, because they tend to have no antisocial concomitant disorders and not under the effects of a toxic substance suffered.
WHO classifies Online game addiction as a disease
The world health organization (WHO) had in June, the Online-game addiction be included in their catalogue of diseases. Among the described symptoms that a person Play all of the other aspects of life to the Online subordinates, and in spite of negative consequences, and this over a period of more than twelve months. Critics fear, however, that people who play a lot online, could falsely be used as a therapy in need of classified – or that you would rather be due to other problems, such as Depression or social anxiety disorder, is treated.
Call for more treatment options
The Internet-related disorders are the subject of a Congress of addiction researchers of Monday in Hamburg. The 600 participants want to discuss about the possibilities of prevention and therapy. As a Congress President of Thomasius has a clear requirement of the policy: The treatment options for computer – and Social Media-addicts, children and young people should be expanded.
Currently, Germany has only 200 seats in the inpatient addiction treatment, he explains. The demand is great: in the city centre, around 1600 children and young people come yearly and at a quarter of the requests for Assistance to Internet-related disorders.