by Jose Astorga

Created on: September 06, 2009

What does a parent do when a child is addicted to Facebook? Act like a parent.

I was reading an article on Friday and learned that there is an actual internet addiction clinic somewhere in the U.S., I forgot where. What is becoming of us? I am at a loss for words.

I remember when I was a child and watched television relentlessly for hours at a time. This behavior continued until my early 30's. I believe the internet in the 21st century is the equivalent of watching TV and wasting time away when there is nothing to do. If I were a kid today, I might be forced on some medication to wean me away from my tube affliction after I am taken to a psychologist to be analyzed and of course have my rights as a human being preserved. Or I would be taken to a television addiction clinic established by a group looking to capitalize on the latest human craze.

My father would have simply shut down the computer or thrown it out the window, if it was actually a problem.

So maybe a counter question could be are kids really addicted to Facebook or is it that parents are too busy to ensure they participate in sports and extracurricular activities to keep their minds and bodies preoccupied.

Or is the issue best represented by a soft and mushy society where everyone's rights are so important that fundamental truths and universal laws no longer apply until the consequences become so dire that a moral reawakening must necessarily take place. Just look at the state of our world today.

Kids are not addicted to Facebook any more that a business man is addicted to his Blackberry. What is actually occurring is an extreme state of boredom and certain insecurities that must be met and whatever we used to do in the past was simply replaced with technology. Albeit, a technology that breeds new and creative ways for kids to get away with whatever suits their individual proclivities. We are living on instantaneous time and information overload. Our limited human cognitive abilities cannot keep pace with the information highway that is actually more like the Autobahn.

But I guess I am not actually answering the question. If a parent perceives a child to be addicted to Facebook then simply remove Facebook from the child's life and make sure he plays a team sport or has friends to go out and play with. But wait, some kids simply don't have friends. In the case of a friendless child, a parent must ensure she meets her household and school obligations. Parents must also ensure they spend some quality time with their kids. At the end of the day, unless a kid is conversing with strangers and visiting porn-sites, Facebook is the least of our worries.

Another thing a parent must do is constantly reinforce into kids that anything placed on the internet remains on the internet, is accessible almost forever, and can come back to bite them in the butt down the road. Again, this is simply parental guidance versus accusatory stances and psychological positioning.

What is the common denominator in my solution? Parenting and discipline when called for.

If a parent has a concern it must of course be addressed. But I often wonder if parents too often project their own fears and insecurities on their kids especially in an age when kids' computer prowess far outranks those of the average parent. I admit that I've caught myself projecting and had to make adjustments, not an easy thing to do. And I've learned that good kids are harvested; and environmental awareness and trust are parental prerequisites.

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