Internet Gambling Addiction as Serious as Drug Addiction
Addiction can come in many forms and rarely ever delivers positive results. For those teens who suffer from depression and attention deficit disorders, they are much more likely to go from Internet users to abusers. While chatting and gaming may be included in the abuse, even more dangerous is the likelihood of online gambling.
The New York Daily News recently posted a piece that includes insights from Dr. Dave Moore and Bill Manville and their take on this growing problem among teens in today’s society. Moore and Manville touch on the role the Internet plays in the life of someone struggling with awkwardness and the pressures of adolescence.
“Internet addiction becomes a real possibility for kids already struggling socially and emotionally,” says Dr. Susan Bartell, author of "The Top 50 Questions Kids Ask,” in the Daily News piece. ”Parents with a child or teen diagnosed with ADHD, depression, anxiety or aggression MUST monitor the amount of time their child spends online. In fact, I’d recommend that no child - with or without a diagnosis - spend more than two hours a day on the Internet.”
Manville suggests that excessive Internet use could be the gateway to other addictions and Moore notes that the addictions field has been too silent about addictions surrounding Internet use, especially considering the National Academy of Sciences claims one in three high school students gamble on a regular basis.
As Moore stated, when gambling is connected to the compulsive use of the Internet, it could be a bomb waiting to go off. The Internet provides the fast lane to gambling and parents don’t always know how to look for the signs.
Moore emphasized that finding gambling Web pages on a teen’s history should be addressed with the same concern as if they found crystal meth in their drawer.
