Psychiatrist Dr. Shailesh Jha advises closely monitoring the time children spend on devices and the type of content they access, and tracking changes in social behavior.
Twelve-year-old Laksh (name changed), who was extremely anxious about being part of a peer group that teased him about his belly fat, found solace in the device. This is how he became immersed in his online gaming world where he was in control and no one could see him. His academic performance declined, he stopped participating in extracurricular activities and remained indoors.
So the parents consulted Dr Shailesh Jha, a consultant psychiatrist at Indraprastha Apollo Hospital in New Delhi, who realized that they could only move forward if they first restored the boy’s body confidence. By peeling back the complex layers of fear, anxiety, and self-doubt, he was able to change Laksh’s thought patterns. Now, after months of treatment, he is carefully playing his favorite online multiplayer games.
“The first challenge was to get him to open up, but that didn’t happen in one session. Little by little I started to understand his social anxiety. It’s not just about belly fat. He was also very conscious of his hyperpigmentation, which caused him to develop slight dark spots all over his body. They weren’t very visible, but they were very noticeable in his head. He kept looking at himself in the mirror,” says Dr. Jha. He often argued with his friends in order to assert his superiority and hide his perceived inadequacies. But when the pandemic hit and classes moved online, Laksh became the happiest person. After making friends from all over the world through online games, he began to feel superior to his peers. Unlike them, he boasted that his fellow players are older than him and share a variety of experiences. He was better at getting the point across.
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Laksh convinced his parents that he needed a smartphone. “More than just a smartphone, I needed a good smartphone with at least 3GB of RAM that could support the graphics I needed for gaming. He insisted that he needed a smart device and a Wi-Fi connection. His unsuspecting parents agreed, and every time they caught him glued to a device, they told him he was studying. He also convinced his parents to buy him a UPS to ensure internet connectivity during power outages. “He just stayed near his cell phone without thinking.” When I asked him if he needed his phone, he replied that he needed to play games to relax. Then his gaming session began, which lasted until late at night. He started making excuses for missing classes. He was complaining of stomach pain and other ailments to miss classes,” says Dr. Jha. When his parents tried to limit his screen time, they faced verbal and emotional tantrums.
Dr. Jha initially relied on counseling, mild medication, and cognitive behavioral therapy to help change his mindset. He built positivity and a sense of agency in his body and addressed his concerns through his exercise sessions. Laksh is not the only case he is dealing with. “Online gaming addiction has gone into a spiral in the years of the pandemic. What we see now is what we should see in 10 years. The highest levels of addiction are those preparing for board exams. “These are the cases that cause lasting harm, and they are also the most obvious,” he added.
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So what are the red flags? Dr. Jha advises parents to closely monitor the amount of time their children spend on devices and the type of content they access, and to track changes in social behavior. doing. “Parents should try to create social situations in which their child can interact with others in the neighborhood or class. If they are not excited about these activities and try to avoid socializing with their peers, “That’s a good sign that they may have a problem,” he says.
The difficult part, he feels, is discussing the issue with the child. “You can’t immediately ask them to stop doing it. Condescending remarks like ‘We’re mentally strong, so why can’t you?’ can derail the conversation.” So please avoid it. This makes it even more difficult for children to contact their parents. Treat it like a child’s vision problem. “A child who can’t see the blackboard may interrupt class, but once the underlying problem with vision is resolved, children will focus on their work,” he says, Dr. Jha.
He feels that pediatricians, who are often the first point of contact for illnesses involving children, should constantly monitor children for signs of addictive behavior and refer them for counseling. The best way is to encourage parents to participate in their child’s world of games. Playing together helps set healthy limits and convinces children that adults enjoy being part of their world, too.
Date first published: October 9, 2023 14:28 IST
