Media Addiction Among Adolescents: "What Many Are Missing Is the Adventure"

More young people fear they are addicted to media. The best prevention is "to keep life as colorful and diverse as possible," said Dominik Batthyány, head of the Institute for Behavioral Addictions and Addiction Research at the Sigmund Freud Private University in Vienna, to the APA. His association Ergon offers children and young people free therapy options and experiential educational group activities such as game afternoons or martial arts training. Many lack adventures.

The psychosocial emergency service "Rat auf Draht" had over 70 percent more consultations on the topic of excessive media use among young people last year. Many are questioning whether the time they spend on online games and social media already falls into the addiction category, reported "Rat auf Draht" in June. According to an Austrian study for the "Mental Health Days," published at the beginning of the year, the surveyed teenagers with an average age of 14 spend an average of four hours per day on their smartphones. However, screen time alone does not indicate whether someone is addicted to media or not, explained Batthyány.

According to the psychotherapist, the function is crucial: If the smartphone or online gaming is used, for example, to get rid of negative thoughts or to better cope with difficult situations, it serves "as a kind of self-medication with which I can numb myself or compensate for deficits." When media use becomes the main strategy to solve problems, it becomes "problematic."

Excessive behavior, such as when young people play computer games all night, loss of control, and negative impacts on other areas of life are also signs of addiction. Typical examples, according to Batthyány, are when children perform worse in school or other hobbies and friends hardly play a role anymore. "The importance of the game is totally exaggerated." If several of these criteria are met and persist for more than twelve months, it is referred to as addictive behavior.

Particularly at risk of developing a media addiction, according to the psychotherapist, people are diagnosed with ADHD, autism, depression, or anxiety. "It is often the case that media behavior is layered on top of existing problems as a problem-solving strategy." The more one uses this problem-solving strategy, the weaker other already existing strategies become. "That's why it's really important to try to keep people's lives as colorful and diverse as possible. That there is a lot that interests them, that brings them joy. That is the best kind of prevention."

How many people in Austria are media addicted is difficult to assess, as there are no valid studies, said the expert. Since the advent of the smartphone, however, much has changed, as one can always have the device with them and there are many more possibilities and applications. "Here we must always distinguish: Is a child really addicted to it, or has the family not yet succeeded in finding a framework for smartphone use?" The latter can lead to conflicts when parents punish or reward with media time.

Often, however, understanding is also lacking: In the past, mothers and fathers would not have interrupted a child's soccer match when dinner was ready, illustrated Batthyány. This is more likely to happen with a computer game. "Children and adolescents should also learn to handle media themselves and to know their limits. But I still find a framework important that protects, provides security and orientation," he said. This framework looks different from family to family and can also be more relaxed, as is currently the case during the summer holidays. But just as variety is important in a healthy diet, children and adolescents should also do many different things in their free time.

Problematic media consumption in children and adolescents - but also in adults - is treated at the University Outpatient Clinic of the Sigmund Freud Private University in Vienna through talk therapy. Additionally, there are also self-help groups, both online and in person. Together with a colleague, Batthyány also founded the association Ergon, whose offerings are supported by the Vienna Addiction and Drug Coordination and which offers free therapy places for children, adolescents, and adults.

In addition to psychiatric diagnostics, which determines whether other psychological problems are present, there are also group offerings for children and adolescents. During game afternoons and martial arts training, children learn "to feel themselves, set boundaries, take care of others, and have fun together." Because "that's what many are missing: the adventure."

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