Staying online longer than intended?
Neglecting school or work
responsibilities?
Spending more time
with online friends than with real world friends?
Arguing with others about
computer/phone/video game use?
Feeling
guilty about the amount of time spent online?
Unsuccessfully trying to cut back on online use?
Lying about online activity?
Feeling anxious or irritable when online time
is cut short?
Neglecting sleep, diet,
and exercise to spend time online?
These
are all common signs of a rapidly growing problems in modern society. A problem that is especially prevalent among adolescents. This problem of
course is digital addiction.
We at Logan River Academy (LRA) know that digital media use
is part of daily life for teenagers or young adults in the real world. From laptops at school, to cell phones in
your pocket, to video games with friends after school, the digital world is
inescapable. However, much like many
other things in life, moderation is the key.
Through our DART program (Digital Addiction Recovery
Treatment) we can help students struggling with this problem learn to live
their lives with digital
media, instead of letting digital media continue to run their lives.
The DART program is built largely around the Restore
Recovery™ model of Dr. Kimberly Young.
Dr. Young is the founder of the Center for Internet Addiction &
Recovery and is one of the pioneers for assessment and treatment of internet
addiction disorders. Dr. Young defines
internet addiction as:
“any online-related, compulsive behavior which interferes
with normal living and causes severe stress on family, friends, loved ones, and
one’s work environment.”
Here at LRA, we use the term Digital Addiction to include
any use of online-based technology that negatively interferes with and impacts
a student’s life. This can include:
•
video gaming
•
social media
•
entertainment or
streaming services
•
texting and messaging
•
online shopping/auctions
•
pornography
Our approach at LRA utilizes a harm-reduction model that
strives to provide digitally addicted adolescents with the support and
resources they need to bring balance back to their digital lives. The approach focuses on 4 critical areas of
digital addiction treatment: assessment, evaluation, goal setting, and
education and action. We have found this
approach to be very successful in helping adolescents gain a better handle on
this ever-present issue in today’s society and return their lives to a healthy,
more functional place. Through this comprehensive approach, we can address the
root causes of digital addiction. We help our students develop strategies to
control their lives day-to-day, and implement actions that will keep electronic
compulsions and propensities from controlling their lives.
(435) 755-8400
