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In China, a video showing a son attacking his father with a chopping knife has recently gone viral. The reason: the father would have taken away the mobile phone from his son, wanting to limit his screen time. What are the risks of screen addiction and how to remedy it? The answers of Audrey Brun, psychologist, specialized in addictions.
The video has been viewed over seven million times. In China, a young boy had a violent reaction, and threatened his father with a chopping knife because he had taken away his mobile phone, to limit his screen time.
A chopper attack!
In the short extract, we can see that the child is yelling at his father to give him back his phone while brandishing the bladed weapon, and the man does not want to give in to his request. A video taken around the world as per the New York post below.
According to the South China Morning Post, the confrontation was filmed by a neighbor and the video went viral on social media after a TV channel reported the incident. According to the neighbor interviewed, the father used to indulge his son’s whims and fancies and he had done the opposite this time around. The son’s reaction nevertheless shocked internet users, who said they were “horrified” by the young man’s violence.
What are the signs of screen addiction?
Screen addiction is an addiction like any other. “People who are addicted to screens have the same withdrawal symptoms as for other more traditional drugs. confirms Audrey Brun, a psychologist specializing in addictions.
“You should know that the brain, and in particular the pre-frontal cortex, is fully developed only at the age of 25. A child therefore already shows de facto cerebral immaturity, and will have more difficulty regulating his emotions. adds the specialist. The frustration of having the mobile phone taken away will therefore be exacerbated.
But the signs of an addiction should not be ignored. “Be careful when a child does more than that, that he no longer goes out, no longer sees friends, but spends all his days being the nose on a screen” warns the specialist. “We obviously cannot prevent access to these tools (mobile phone, computer, tablet, etc.), which can be important for the professional future of children, but they must be used at the right time, that they do not prevent the child from doing other things”.
Addiction to screens: when to worry?
“Screens can be very addictive, teenagers easily spend several hours on them every day“analyzes Audrey Brun again.”This may seem excessive to us, but as long as the child manages to do something else, for a whole day, without showing aggression, withdrawal symptoms… You should not worry too much” she reassures.
It also depends on the type of activity on the screens. “If he watches TikTok videos all day, alone and isolates himself more every day, it is probably more worrying than an online game in a network, with friends” says the specialist.
If in doubt, she advises the worried parent to seek professional advice first, before fighting with their child. “What can worry us is not necessarily so” she reassures again. “But if the adolescent becomes aggressive, skips meals, no longer sleeps at suitable times… All these signs must then be a warning. We can start by talking to him about it and define together the rules that govern access to the screens” she adds.
What if that doesn’t work and the child loses all his bearings, living only for the screens? “In this case, it is indeed necessary to consult an addiction specialist, in order to be able to discuss the problem and start a withdrawal “.