VANCOUVER

One in 20 kids addicted to the 'net: study

ctvbc.ca Published Monday, February 25, 2008 6:16PM PST

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As many as one in 20 children suffer extreme internet addiction, according to a new study from the University of B.C.

And the agency that runs hospitals and mental health facilities is so concerned about young children being hooked to an online world they're holding public forums on the problem.

"I have one family I'm working with," said John Lisbon, a child therapist with Vancouver Coastal Health. "The son doesn't go to school now. He spends all night on the computer playing games or communicating with friends.

"I asked if anyone else at home does that and he said, 'Yeah, my mother is on her computer from 10:00 p.m. to 3:00 a.m.'" he said.

Few places have embraced computers like British Columbia, which is among the most wired jurisdictions in the world.

Even for children, the internet can be an easy place to escape to, said internet user Zak Shilling.

"If they're not enjoying their current real lives, they go into this world where they can pretend to be someone else or not have their own identity," he said.

Still, some children are taking it too far, according to the UBC study, which says internet overuse can be severe.

Some five to six per cent of teens and pre-teens are in an extreme category of over use, Lisbon found in a recent study.

In those teens, social skills are lost, scholastics suffer, and weight change occurs.

Later in life, internet over use can lead to marital distress and problems in the workplace, according to the study.

Here are some things you can do to prevent your child from becoming an internet junkie: