Facebook addiction makes people depressed

While logging into Facebook account many times a day in office or at home may have turned an irresistible habit for a lot of people, particularly the young, a study has said being glued to it could actually be making people sadder.

According to the study by Utah Valley University, the more the people use the hugely popular social networking website, the more they will believe that others are much happier, the Daily Mail reported.

The study found the carefully-chosen pictures of smiling, cheerful faces which Facebook users tend to plaster over their pages cumulatively convey a debilitating message to others.

It says those who had used Facebook for longer were also 'significantly' likely to agree with the statement that 'life is unfair'.

Researchers thus suggest that a quick way to cheer oneself up could be deleting one's account from the site.

Conversely, the study - published in the journal Cyberpsychology, Behaviour and Social Networking - found that people who spent more time actually socialising with friends in real life were less likely to feel they had been handed life's short straw.

Getting children off the couch

Wonder how to promote fitness for kids? Start by getting in the game yourself — and allowing your child's interests to guide the way.

For many kids, biking to the playground and playing kickball in the backyard have given way to watching television, playing video games and spending hours online. But it's never too late to get your child off the couch. Use these simple tips to give your child a lifelong appreciation for activities that strengthen his or her body.

Set a good example

Your active lifestyle can be a powerful stimulus for your child. If you want an active child, be active yourself. You can't just "talk" activity — you need to make activity a priority for yourself as well. Go for a brisk walk, ride your bike or take a yoga class. Better yet, invite your family to play catch or to join you on a walk. Talk about physical activity as an opportunity to take care of your body, rather than a punishment or a chore. Praise, reward and encourage activity. You might even set goals and have everyone track their activities and progress.

Wonder how much physical activity is enough? Consider these guidelines from the Department of Health and Human Services:

·         Kids. Children and adolescents age 6 and older need at least an hour a day of physical activity. Most of the hour should be either moderate or vigorous aerobic activity. In addition, children should participate in muscle-strengthening and bone-strengthening activities at least three days a week. Many classic activities — such as playing on playground equipment and jumping rope — cover all the bases at once.

·         Adults. Most healthy adults need at least 150 minutes a week of moderate aerobic activity, such as brisk walking or swimming, or 75 minutes a week of vigorous aerobic activity, such as running — preferably spread throughout the week. Adults also need strength training exercises at least twice a week.

Limit screen time

A surefire way to increase your child's activity level is to limit the number of hours he or she spends in front of a screen — including television, video games and online activities. For example, you might consider a limit of one or two hours a day and, for a better night's sleep, no screen time in the hour before bed. To make it easier, don't put a television in your child's bedroom, don't watch television while you're eating dinner, and restrict computers and other electronic gadgets to a family area. Also consider limiting other sedentary activities, such as text messaging or chatting on the phone.

If your child plays video games, opt for those that require movement. Activity-oriented video games — such as dance video games and video games that use a player's physical movements to control what happens on the screen — boost a child's calorie-burning power. In a Mayo Clinic study, kids who traded sedentary screen time for active screen time more than doubled their energy expenditure.

Establish a routine

Set aside time each day for physical activity. Get up early with your child to walk the dog or take a walk together after dinner. Start small, gradually adding new activities to the routine as you — and your child — become more fit.

Let your child set the pace

For many kids, organized sports are a great way to stay fit. But team sports or dance classes aren't the only options. If your child is artistically inclined, take a nature hike to collect leaves and rocks for use in a collage. If your child likes to climb, head for the nearest jungle gym. If your child likes to read, walk or bike to a local library for a book. Or simply turn on your child's favorite music and dance in the living room. Get creative as you search for activities your child enjoys.

Promote activity, not exercise

To keep your child interested in fitness, make it fun:

·         Get in the game. Play catch, get the whole family involved in a game of tag or have a jump-rope contest. Try classic movement games such as Simon says or red light, green light. If you don't remember the rules, make up your own!

·         Try an activity party. For your child's next birthday, schedule a bowling party, take the kids to a climbing wall or set up relay races outside.

·         Put your child in charge. Let your child choose an activity of the day or week. Batting cages, bowling and neighborhood play areas all count. What matters is that you're doing something active.

·         Give the gift of activity. Offer activity-related equipment, games or outings as gifts and rewards — both for your child and others.

Remember, incorporating physical activity into your child's life does much more than promote a healthy weight. It sets the foundation for a lifetime of fitness and good mental and physical health.

How does addiction affect children

The various addictions people get into, such as alcohol, smoking, drugs including marijuana use, affects children the most. The whole family suffers due to one person's addiction, but the effects of this become quite pronounced in growing up children. These children have to deal with chaos and an unpredictable situation at home, which could lead to problems in their own life in future.

Many researchers are delving into the lives of addicts to study the effects of their addiction on their innocent children, and how it impacts them when they grow up.

How Addiction Affects Children in the Future

Children who have an addicted parent, usually are at an increased risk of the following:

·         Learning Difficulties

·         Physical Illness

·         Mental Illness

·         Abuse

·         Neglect

The Effects in the Behavior of Such Children

The possible ill effects the children of an addicted parent face are:

·         Disruption of a Normal Family Life: The family life of an addict is bound to be far from a normal life. The children of such households will be witness to domestic violence, physical and sexual abuse, depression, mental illness, divorce, etc. There is every likelihood for these children to develop depression, anxiety, suicidal tendencies. Most of the time, they carry these tendencies outside of their home and find it difficult to connect to their peers. They become withdrawn, secretive, shy away from making friends, so that they can avoid situations where their friends will know about the affairs at home or witness it.

·         Feeling of Neglect: Most of the time, with one addicted parent, both the parents will not be able to give any attention to their children as they are trying to solve their own problems. This results in the child feeling neglected and this may lead to depression or other psychological problems.

·         Risk of Turning Addicts Themselves: The children of addicted parents are always exposed to the object of their parent's addiction (alcohol or drugs whatever may be the case). Therefore, there is always a risk that the child too may try it out on the sly and get addicted to it in due course and may need rehabilitation.

·         Violent Streak: There is every chance of children developing a violent streak, as they may be constantly exposed to their parents' bickering or fights or being subjected to physical or mental abuse. This could lead to a situation where they land up in jail.

·         Misconstrued Value System: Children get their values from their parents. In the circumstance that they grow up, children are usually confused about what is right and what is wrong. When one of the parent is drinking (they say) to overcome stress or joblessness, children think that is the right behavior and behave exactly in the same fashion when they are faced with such a situation in future.

·         Lost Childhood: Sometimes, when the situation is so bad that the parents are least bothered about the basic necessities of the household, children are forced to go fetch for themselves. This way, they could become school dropouts and live without any structure. Sometimes, they become young adults by looking after their families. This way, they lose out on a regular childhood.

·         Low Self Esteem: In a household where one parent is under the influence of alcohol or drugs and very aggressive, children could become quite timid, scared, and lack self esteem. They will be scared of everyone and everything.

·         Lack of Trust: Since they grow up to be very secretive and shy away from friends, they neither trust anyone nor be trusted by others. This lack of trust will also reflect in their future relationships.

·         Guilt Feelings: Sometimes, when a small child is shouted at, he thinks the fault lies in him. This way, he will start blaming himself for whatever bad happens at home. This guilt feeling will come in the way of his future relationships.

·         People Pleasers: Since children of addicted parents are, most of the time, forced to please their parents, they could turn out to be people pleasers. They will try to please everyone around them, especially those in authority positions. Again, they lose their own identity in this way.

·         Their Future Relationships: Some children from such household may develop clingy behavior. For fear of losing their partner, they will go to any extent to keep the relationship going. On the other hand, some children, having seen so much of insecurity in their parent's lives, fear getting into any permanent relationships and sometimes show a tendency towards insecure relationships.

How to Tackle This Harsh Reality?

Children need a secure home to grow and flourish. Once you understand your addictions, try to take action in eradicating the habit. Once you have gotten rid of your habit, try to concentrate on your children's well being. The child may not exhibit very obvious signs of all the aggressive behaviors he has suffered, but take him to a psychologist see if anything needs to be done. May be put him in a rehab where he will slowly open up to the loving behaviors of the rehab authorities, and come back to the "mainstream" normal behaviors.

Effective Living Clinic

B-3/19, 0:1, Sector 3, Vashi

Navi Mumbai 400703

Tel: 9987223811 / 9969105310

www.effectivelivingclinic.com