Whetstone Treats Boys Obsessed with Internet, Gaming, Phones
Parents looking for effective therapy methods to help a struggling young boy can learn about how we treat Internet/Technology dependency at our therapeutic boarding school in the scenic Ozarks of Missouri.
Whetstone Boys Ranch understands that parents want to send a child to a safe, monitored environment where their boy receives personal care, and individual therapies that help heal emotional and mental disorders–whether brought on by trauma, foster care, adoption or family genetics.
And while the young child or teen enrolls our therapeutic boarding school for counseling, treatment, and improving academic/life skills, Whetstone Boys Ranch also helps students struggling with a dependency on internet use, gaming, cyber-bulling and more improve their mental and physical health.
Internet, Gaming and Tech Habits in Children and Teens
Mounting evidence shows internet dependency is skyrocketing — affecting teens’ development and instilling troubling behaviors, with studies from around the world warning the web is a digital drug that can lead to obesity, depression and fatigue, while creating a fixation on cybersex and gambling.
A new study out just last month in the International Journal of Community Medicine warns that kids with learning disabilities are even more vulnerable and risk being “lost in digital space” because they are not being warned about the dangers lurking online.
According to a 2018 Pew Research Center poll, 45 percent of U.S. teens say they use the internet “almost constantly,” a figure that has nearly doubled from the 24 percent who responded to the same question in the 2014-15 poll. 1
One negative effect of internet dependency is that you may not have any offline personal relationships, or the ones you do have may be neglected or suffer arguments over your Internet use. 2
Bad Internet habits are particularly concerning for kids and teens. Children lack the knowledge and awareness to properly manage their own computer use and have no idea about the potential harms that the Internet can open them up to. The majority of kids have access to a computer, and it has become commonplace for kids and teens to carry cellphones.
While this may reassure parents that they can have two-way contact with their child in an emergency, there are very real risks that this constant access to the Internet can expose them to.
Children have become increasingly accustomed to lengthy periods of time connected to the Internet, disconnecting them from the surrounding world.
Children who own a computer and have privileged online access have an increased risk of involvement in cyberbullying, both as a victim and as a perpetrator.
Children who engage in problematic internet use are more likely to use their cellphone for cybersex, particularly through sexting, or access apps which could potentially increase the risk of pornography habits and online sexual harms, such as Tinder.
In addition, kids who play games online often face peer pressure to play for extended periods of time in order to support the group they are playing with or to keep their skills sharp. This lack of boundaries can make kids vulnerable to developing video game addiction. This can also be disruptive to the development of healthy social relationships and can lead to isolation and victimization.
Whetstone Boys Ranch Offers Healthy Ways to Heal
That’s why Whetstone Boys Ranch treats students suffering from Internet dependency. Therapists address your young boy’s mental and behavioral issues, and create an individual treatment plan to follow at school, including therapy. We also provide nutritious meals, and healthy exercise and activities. We want each student to experience effective counseling and treatment, as well as improve daily life at school, and back home with family.
If you want to learn more about therapy and treatment for students struggling with internet dependency at our therapeutic boarding school, please call (417) 934-1112 now.
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