Digital Health and Wellness

As I've researched online sources for digital wellness there were two distinct and separate areas addressed concerning digital health. One being the physical care of the body while spending great amounts of time on the computer and the other being the care of one's mental state while spending great amounts of time on the computer. The guidelines for body care are quite clear. Ergononmics is the applied science of equipment design to reduce fatigue and discomfort while in the workplace. Proper ergonomics ensures no undo strain on the body or the hands (fingers, wrist etc.) I mention this briefly and you can see more on this by looking at the links I've provided. While sitting properly, correct hand placement and positioning to reduce eye strain is very important, I find maintaining one's mental health and especially a child's mental health to be of more significance given my chosen profession and being a mother of a child in today technological climate. I have a friend whose son gave up the computer for lent. He was quite a gamer. He actually went into a depression for awhile. That was my first red flag about computer addiction. The majority of my first graders seem to only talk about games on their DS when they play at home and the worse thing that can happen is to have their DS taken away from them as a punishment. My 2 year old niece can operate her mother's iphone like a pro! Even my own daughter said to me that she was taking time away from her tumbler and online social activity because she thought it was depressing her. I am thankful she had the awareness to recognize that and to act upon changing the dynamic. So what do we do to control digital addiction. First of all, I think is very important to have mandatory education as to what digital addiction is, how to recognize it and how to avoid it. Here are some of the waring signs of digital Addiction: " Denial and lying about the amount of time spent on the computer or about what they are doing on the computer. Excessive fatigue and changes in sleeping habits, such as getting up early or staying up late (in order to spend more time online). Academic problems, usually grades slipping. Sometimes parents might overlook the fact that the computer is the culprit since they assume their children are doing school work at the keyboard. Withdrawal from friends and declining interest in hobbies (online friends and activities are taking the place of the "real" world). Loss of appetite; irritability when cut-off from computer use; a decline in their appearance or hygiene. Disobedience and acting out. Teens may become very hostile when parents confront them. They may deliberately break the computer-use rules that are set. Their reactions may be so intense because they feel that they are being cut off from their attachments to cyberfriends." Some of the resources out there offer the below guidelines. Guidelines Internet Addiction - Turn the computer off and take a break. - Go to the park (WITHOUT your laptop) - Get involved with community or family activities. - Join a group, outside of Yahoo and Google groups. - Set guidelines as to when you can use the computer Based on what I have read and what I have seen, it is up to schools to inform and educate digital health. But, I think it should go beyond the educational system. There should be an awareness campaign supported by public service announcements on TV, by "popular" role models, magazine spots and even in movie theaters. http://digiteen.wikispaces.com/Digital+Health+and+Wellness http://www.nisd.net/digitalcitizen/sec_digcit/life_outside_health_6_12.htm http://digitalcitizenship.asb-wiki.wikispaces.net/Dig+Health+%26+Wellness http://www.surfnetkids.com/tech/1355/computer-ergonomics-for-elementary-school-students/