Britain’s youngest iPad addict hasn’t even started school yet. That’s right; a four-year-old girl is currently undergoing therapy after becoming obsessed with playing games on her iPad. Receiving treatment at the Capio Nightingale Clinic, London, the toddler is said to have become increasingly distressed whenever her parents moved to take the iPad away. Medical help was sought after the girl’s withdrawal symptoms did not improve. Dr. Richard Graham, the girl’s psychiatrist, said: ‘In the year running up to contacting the clinic, the parents noticed her use of the iPad was escalating. She was using it three to four hours every day and showed increased agitation if it was removed.’ According to Dr. Graham, parents should strive to keep iPads and similar devices out of reach of infants, believing that: ‘Children see all the pretty colours and they will want to use it too. ’ ‘There are concerns that toys and dummies are being replaced by the likes of iPads and smartphones, but children are not at a level of maturity to deal with such advanced technology. They can’t cope and become addicted, reacting with tantrums and uncontrollable behavior when they are taken away. Then as they grow older, the problem only gets worse,’Dr. Graham told The Mirror. The UK’s first technology addiction programme was initiated by Dr. Graham three years ago. It’s designed to deal with those who become irritable when deprived from their device. Motivation for creating the treatment programme came from a concern over the compulsive qualities of games available on iPads and smartphones. Dr. Graham worries that this is not the only case of iPad addiction among young ones. It comes just after a five-year-old boy managed to cost his parents £1,700, by purchasing various add-ons for a game on the iPad. |
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