KEEP IT CIVIL: Parents should remain calm and avoid rash responses to children using mobile devices excessively, as the emotional damage could lead them to self-harm

Taipei Times
Date: Mar 01, 2020
By: Tsai Ssu-pei  /  Staff reporter

Parents should talk with their children about using mobile devices, and stop stigmatizing them by saying they have an “Internet addiction,” a clinical psychologist said.

According to data from Taipei health officials, 5 to 10 percent of suicides among teenagers involved conflicts related to the use of smartphones or other Internet-connected devices.

Psychologist Chiu Yung-lin (邱永林) said that parents should remain calm and communicate with their children when addressing issues related to excessive use of Internet-connected devices, instead of abruptly shutting off Internet access or taking away the device.

Lin said that he often encounters parents who worry about their children spending too much time online or playing on their smartphone, which parents say negatively affects their child’s academic performance.    [FULL  STORY]