Group items tagged

1. Power down at mealtimes. This means no television, computers or texting. This is the time to really connect with each other without the technological distractions that can be so overwhelming throughout the day. 2. No computers in kids' bedrooms until at least high school. Please trust me on this one. The risks just aren't worth it. Keep computers in public areas of your house, and regularly monitor their usage. 3. Limit or eliminate television viewing on school nights. You'll be amazed at the impact this will have on your family. Kids play games, become creative and interact with us and their siblings. 4. No social media networks until at least high school, and supervise their use. Many kids just don't have the impulse control to adequately control this technology, and the effects on them and others can be substantial. 5. Supervise cell phone use, including texting. You need to be guided by the maturity of your child, but irresponsible behavior should result in increased supervision. 6. Learn about technology. Don't be afraid of texting, video-conferencing, iPads, or Facebook. They are fun and great ways to stay connected with your kids.

Anna Cocke graduated from CUNY with a Master of Arts in Journalism, specializing in health and medicine reporting. She has helped produce segments for the Association of Health Care Journalists on health care reform and reported on diabetes in the South Bronx. She has been writing professionally for more than seven years. Photo Credit computer image by blaine stiger from Fotolia.com The Internet has become an integral part of many people's work and personal lives. The number of people online daily has nearly doubled over the past decade, according to research conducted by the Pew Internet and American Life Project. While internet addiction as a specific disorder was being debated for inclusion in the American Psychiatric Association's Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders as of 2010, treatment centers already exist throughout the U.S. and abroad, including China, Taiwan and Korea. Physical Effects Internet overuse can lead to sedentary lifestyles, weight gain and a decline in physical fitness. Other symptoms can include carpal tunnel syndrome, dry eyes, migraine headaches, a decline in personal hygiene and back aches, according to Maressa Hecht, founder of Computer Addiction Services and a member of the Harvard Medical School. if(typeof disable_adsense_2 === "undefined") { ad_order_2 = (typeof ad_order_2 === "undefined") ? "2" : ad_order_2; ad_client = "ca-livestrong_html"; num_ads = "1"; type = "text"; channels = "art_sub_top_Addiction_Recovery,article_top_diseases,article_top"; class_name = "adsense_afc"; print_google_ad(ad_order_2, num_ads, type, channels, ad_client , class_name ); } Sponsored LinksHow to Stay Asleep Obey this one weird trick to stay asleep all night long. Learn more. www.PeakLife.com/TrySomnapure Depression Depression has also been linked to Internet overuse by researchers at the Institute of Psychological Sciences in Leeds, UK. Researchers found that study participants who exhibited signs of Internet overuse engaged disproportionately than the normal population in sites devoted to pornography, gaming, social networking and chat rooms. They theorized that Internet addicts' use of these sites as replacements for real-life socializing was resulting in depression. However, there is debate as to whether depression results from, or is a cause, or internet overuse. A study published in the "Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine" found depression, as well as ADHD and social phobia, to increase the chances of excessive Internet use in adolescents. Sleep Disturbances Evidence also suggests that internet overuse can contribute to sleep disturbances. Studies of Chinese and American children, published in the "Journal of Sleep" and the "Journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics," found that computer use among adolescents was associated with later bed times, later waking times, less restful sleep and an overall decrease in sleep. The use of computers before bedtime has also raised concerns among sleep experts, including Phyllis Zee, a neuroscience professor at Northwestern University, that the light from screens is affecting circadian rhythms and possibly contributing to insomnia.

Internet Addiction Disorder, a psychophysiological disorder involving tolerance; withdrawal symptoms; affective disturbances; and interruption of social relationships, is a presenting problem that is becoming more common in society as on-line usage increases by the day.

To be diagnosed as having Internet Addiction Disorder, a person must meet certain criteria as prescribed by the American Psychiatric Association. Three or more of these criteria must be present at any time during a twelve month period: 1. Tolerance: This refers to the need for increasing amounts of time on the Internet to achieve satisfaction and/or significantly diminished effect with continued use of the same amount of time on the Internet. 2. Two or more withdrawal symptoms developing within days to one month after reduction of Internet use or cessation of Internet use (i.e., quitting cold turkey) , and these must cause distress or impair social, personal or occupational functioning. These include: psychomotor agitation, i.e. trembling, tremors; anxiety; obsessive thinking about what is happening on the Internet; fantasies or dreams about the Internet; voluntary or involuntary typing movements of the fingers. 3. Use of the Internet is engaged in to relieve or avoid withdrawal symptoms. 4. The Internet is often accessed more often, or for longer periods of time than was intended. 5. A significant amount of time is spent in activities related to Internet use ( e.g., Internet books, trying out new World Wide Web browsers, researching Internet vendors, etc.). 6. Important social, occupational, or recreational activities are given up or reduced because of Internet use. 7. The individual risks the loss of a significant relationship, job, educational or career opportunity because of excessive use of the Internet. In recent research, other characteristics have been identified. Th

e first is feelings of restlessness or irritability when attempting to cut down or stop Internet use. The second is that the Internet is used as a way of escaping problems or relieving feelings of helplessness, guilt, anxiety or depression. The third characteristic is that the user lies to family members or friends to conceal the extent of involvement with the Internet. And, finally, the user returns repeatedly despite excessive fees (Egger & Rauterberg, 1996).

I am frequent computer user. Of course it’s interesting to know how danger for my health computer can be. Working with computer for whole day is not rare nowadays. If it’s an aspect of our work or if we use computers just for fun, there are certain risks involved with prolonged computer use. 1. Eye Disease It’s the first what occur to us, when we talk about computer harm (right?). Prolonged computer use could be linked to glaucoma, especially among those who are short-sighted. Our eyes are very badly affected by how long you stare at that bright screen. We stop blinking and start staring which makes our eyes strain and dry out. Make sure you look away from the screen and close them for a few seconds every few minutes. We can find many information about eyes health, as Snuz made. And it’s very important not to forget about our eyes while working on computer. 2. Bad Posture Bad posture is enemy number one. Check your posture now! You should be able to reach the keyboard and mouse whilst bending your elbows at 90 degrees, with your shoulders relaxed. If you are stretching, this could cause problems. Your back should be straight and the top of the monitor should be just below eye level. If your monitor is to the left or right of your keyboard you are putting strain on your neck. Long periods of time at the computer while blogging, working or reading often leads to pain in the lumbar region of the back. Neck and shoulder problems also result from poor seating and the poor organization of equipment on the desk (stretching for the telephone or files etc). 3. Hurting Hands Your hand and wrist ache after working at the computer all day, and they sometimes start feeling numb. Research in recent years has found that things like typing and sewing rarely cause carpal tunnel. Wear splints while you work to keep your wrists from bending too high or low, and use a keyboard tray or adjust your chair so the keyboard and mouse are below your elbows and your wrists are level. It is really important to give your fingers, wrists and hands a break from resting on the keyboard all day. A tennis ball is a great way to do this. Every time you need to think you should grab the ball and give it a few quick squeezes. This will do wonders for your joints and muscles. 4. Computer Stress Injuries Many people suffer from structural problems related to the physical stress of sitting incorrectly, or for too long in front of their computers. So there are chances you’ve experienced a fair amount of computer stress, from minor frustrations here and there to a virtual visit to computer hell. High levels of stress can kill you, don’t make mistakes! Highly stressful workers have a higher risk of developing heart diseases and even cancer. So make sure that you can manage your stress. Start making something to reduce it, don’t wait till computer stress will be the main problem in your life. Taking frequent breaks is an important step in preventing repetitive computer stress injuries. Thus, it shows up that there are several problems that occur with prolonged computer use. It is also clear, however, that if certain rules of using computer are observed the risk of any of these problems can be minimized and computer users affected with computer related disorders can avoid or treat them. I consider that persons should have active lifestyle and an ergonomic computer work station, thereby even hardly computer working can’t affect their health. What do you think?

  Internet addiction is described as an impulse control disorder which does not involve the use of a drug and is similar to pathological gambling.

Web obsession has a few signs

Preoccupation with the internet