CHILDREN with certain mental health conditions are at greater risk of developing a debilitating addiction to the internet, warn psychologists in Taiwan. They hope the finding will alert parents to the risks, enabling them to take mitigating steps if necessary.
A team led by Chih-Hung Ko of Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital tracked the medical histories and internet use of 2300 11-year-olds over two years. Some 11 per cent developed some form of internet addiction (Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, vol 163, p 937).
They found depression ADHD, and social phobia were strong predictors of which children would develop an internet addiction. And there was a marked gender difference: depression and social phobia were stronger predictors among girls.
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