Australian clinic tackles screen addiction as social media ban looms

rom Wednesday (December 10), Australia will impose a world-first social media ban on under-16s, blocking them from TikTok, YouTube and Instagram. Over a million children will lose their accounts during the summer break, a shift that could help by limiting harmful content but also strain mental health by cutting off support and social connection.

Dr Daniela Vecchio says, 'The suffering of people who are addicted to gaming and social media, the struggle of their families, and the need for screening, prevention, early intervention, and treatment are highlighted in my interview. Thanks to Reuters, the message is now being spread worldwide.
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Watch the report on Reuters.

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Social media bans and digital curfews to be trialled on UK teenagers

The test, led by the UK government, will see 300 teens have their social apps disabled entirely, blocked overnight or capped to one hour's use - with some also seeing no such changes at all - in order to compare their experiences.

Science

Impact of internet addiction on mental health: an integrative therapy is needed

In the past few years internet addiction (IA) and internet gaming disorder (IGD) have become very frequent, leading to many personality and psychiatric disorders including low self-esteem, impulsivity, poor sleep quality, mood disorder, and suicide. IA has been included in Appendix III of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual for Mental Disorders (DSM-5) as IGD. In addition, IA leads to many neuroanatomical and neurochemical alterations including cortical thinning of various components of the brain and altered dopaminergic reward circuitry.

Science

Treating internet use disorders via the internet? Results of a two-armed randomized controlled trial

Internet Use Disorders (IUDs) are emerging as a societal challenge. Evidence-based treatment options are scarce. Digital health interventions may be promising to deliver psychological treatment to individuals with IUDs directly in their online setting. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of a digital health intervention for IUDs compared to a waitlist control group (WCG).

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