i H e a l t h C u r r i c u l u m

Healthy Tech Choices: Avoiding Addiction, Part 1

Key Concepts

• Aspects of online life can be addictive

• Addiction changes a person• Your life is better without addiction

What kinds of online addictions have you seen?

• Pornography• Compulsive surfing—esp. social

media (texting, Facebook, YouTube)• Gaming• Gambling• Online shopping

“What kind of cigarette do you smoke, doctor?”

See a real life cigarette commercial from 50 years ago.Fight the New Drug™: http://vimeo.com/29493005

Addiction Hurts: Test Yourself

• Do I hide the behavior? Am I secretive about it?

• Am I building a tolerance to the activity? Do I need more and more to have the same sensation?

• Is this affecting other areas of my life? Has my school work or sleep suffered?

• Do I need the activity to relax or improve my mood?

• Have my relationships suffered?• What long term effects could this have on

my physical, emotional, mental, social well being?

4 Ways Addicts Are Affected

• Physically• Mentally• Emotionally• Socially

Because addiction impacts the judgment center of the brain, addicts may not recognize that they are impaired.

Quick Response to Bad Stuff on Screen

• Turn off the screen/close the lid (laptop).• Don’t try to exit.• Tell an adult.

Violent Images and Aggression

• Pornography and violent images change your brain.

• Elementary students: kids who play more violent video games become: more verbally aggressive more physically aggressive less helpful to others. 

  (Anderson, Douglas, Buckley, 2007)

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