Technology Addiction Workshop
Are you a teacher, parent or community leader looking for help in freeing young people from technology addiction?
2020 Dreams offers one of the UK’s only dedicated Technology Addiction workshops, using proven youth engagement techniques to help teens, children and young adults to unhook themselves from their devices and step away from social media platforms.
The Rise of Technology Addiction in the Cyber Age
While dependence on technology may seem to be a new issue for young people, it has been recognised and studied for over 30 years.
However, for the first time in history, UK schools are now teaching students who have never known anything else. Generation Alpha, and most of Generation Z, have been raised in an environment where smartphones, laptops and gaming consoles are synonymous with information, fun and education.
During this time, research has uncovered four distinct types of technology addiction, one of which has now been recognised by psychiatry.
Four types of technology addiction
Gaming disorder
In January 2022, the World Health Organisation made the groundbreaking decision to add Gaming Disorder as a specific mental health disease in their psychiatric manual, the ICD-11.
Gaming Disorder is characterised by a lack of control over gaming behaviour, the prioritisation of gaming over other aspects of life, and the inability to quit gaming even after experiencing negative consequences.
Internet addiction
This includes addiction to surfing the web, the excessive use of auctions (e.g. eBay), and online shopping. In addition to the psychological harm of internet addiction, excessive screen time can lead to poor eyesight, bad posture, debt problems and other issues.
Smartphone addiction
This covers addiction to using apps and texting as well as compulsive checking of devices. This can lead to associated dangers such as texting while driving, a major cause of fatalities on the roads.
Social media addiction
The highs of getting a like or a follow, and the fear of missing out on social connection has led to the rise of a generation addicted to Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok and the like.
Technology Addiction and the Gaming Industry
The gaming industry has come under a lot of criticism for the problem of technology addiction in young people. Some game developers have been accused of deliberately designing games to be addictive, while platforms such as YouTube and Twitch have been slated for allowing monetised streamers to neglect their own mental health and wellbeing in the pursuit of profit.
However, young people and those with a duty of care for them must also put safeguards in place to avoid the lure of technology. Whether you run a school, a PTA group, a Young Offenders’ Institution, a Pupil Referral unit, a sports or scout group, a church or any other youth-focused institution, we recommend booking a dedicated Technology Addiction Workshop today.
2020 Dreams Technology Addiction Workshops
Our 2020 Dreams Technology Addiction Workshops are designed to equip young people with the skills they need to recognise and tackle technology addiction in themselves and others.
Run by experienced, skilled and empathic facilitators, our workshops use the most effective strategies for student engagement. These include scenario-based role play exercises and student-led discussion forums. These are interactive, fun workshops – not dry lectures.
We have delivered workshops across all of the UK, and can customise content to fit your specific needs, context and demographic.
For those organisations and individuals looking for help in creating their own technology addiction programmes, 2020 Dreams also offer high quality consultation and training packages. These can be delivered on site or remotely, as preferred.
To find out more or to make a booking, please contact our friendly team, either by calling 0800 471 4983 or by sending an email to hello@2020dreams.org.uk
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