How can you detect Internet addiction in teenagers?

The internet is everywhere.

According to the Pew Research Center, 96% of American teenagers use the Internet every day, and 46% of them say they are online almost constantly. A huge increase from 2014 to 2015, when only 24% of teenagers reported being online.

Phones, laptops, tablets, computers and the Internet are at everyone’s fingertips.

Ninety-five percent of teens have access to a smartphone—the average teen spends seven hours and 22 minutes looking at screens every day, which carries some risks. So how can addiction be detected?

“We may not be physically active. We may not be getting enough sleep. We may not be interacting with people in person,” said Kate Eshleman, PsyD, a pediatric psychologist at the Cleveland Clinic.

Be sure to check their academics. A recent study found that teenagers with Internet addiction have disrupted signaling between brain regions that control attention and working memory.

This can make it difficult for teens to focus on schoolwork.

“Just by the nature of being on the screen and I think it could also look at what we’re exposed to. We know that social media has a huge impact on people’s moods,” Dr Eshleman said.

Moods such as agitation or madness when your online time is interrupted or limited.

Staying up late or waking up in the middle of the night to continue online activities are also signs that may lead to further sleep deprivation. The CDC says nearly 73% of high school students don’t get enough sleep.

So what can you do?

Create tech-free zones, such as keeping devices out of the kitchen. A Pew Research survey found that 74% of teenagers feel happy when they don’t have their phone with them.

And set up parental controls! Apps like Bark.US and Aura can help monitor and limit online access.

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