Kids And Technology: Diversion Or Addiction? (NAPSA)—With kids 8 to 18 spending 44.5 hours per week using electronic media (KFF.org), parents are increasingly con- cerned that screen timeis robbing children of real-world experiences. A recent study by Harris Inter- active indicates that nearly 23 per- cent of youths report that they feel “addicted to video games.” But, there is good news for parents and educators: New resources are being developed to help parents teach kids to keep a healthy balance between screen time andreallife. “ny BOTHOS ye KEEPING CHILDREN SAFE ONLINE A new children’s book and ani- A quick, online test will help mated film help children understand the importance of balancing real life with computer time. dence on the computer. The Parent- kids learn what can happen when parents assess their child’s depen- Child Internet Addiction test (available at www.iKeepSafe.org/TEST) was developed by Dr. Kimberly Young, executive director of the Center for Internet Addiction Recovery; it consists of 20 questions about a child’s behavior, emotional makeupandoutside interests. Parents who feel that their child scores too high on the assessment may want to have a conversation about the cost of excessive gaming and Internet safety in general. To help make these conversations easier, the nonprofit In- ternet Keep Safe Coalition (www.iKeepSafe.org) has created a series of children’s books and animated films that tell the adventures of Internet safety mascot, Faux Paw the Techno Cat. The latest book, “Faux Paw Goes to the Games,” uses the backdrop of the Olympics to help online games interfere with reallife goals. The book draws on Olympic ideals to teach the value of maintaining balance. Dr.Young recommends the book, saying, “Faux Paw’s new adventure is a wonderful guide to help parents talk with their children about computer use and the importance of balancing Internet time withreallife.” iKeepSafe also provides free online tutorials for parents on cyberbullying, social networking, how to report abuse and other current Internet safety issues. The Internet Keep Safe Coalition is a partnership of governors, first spouses, attorneys gen- eral, public health and education professionals, law enforcement and industry leaders, working together for the health and safety of youth online. For more information, go to www.ikeepsafe.org.
