Professor Mélina Fatseas from Bordeaux University Hospital is leading a conference this Monday at 6 pm “Screen addiction: myth or reality?
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For the head of the addictology center of the CHU, there is above all an addiction to video games, even if it only concerns a small minority of players.
She also believes that it will be necessary to monitor in the coming months, the consequences of the increase in the time spent in front of the screens, observed since the start of the Covid-19 crisis.
While the WHO recognized in 2019 the existence of a video game disorder, and that the successive confinements linked to the health crisis, re-examine the place of screens in our daily life, the Bordeaux University Hospital is organizing a conference on Monday on “Screen addiction: myth or reality?
"Professor Mélina Fatseas, head of the addictology center at the Bordeaux University Hospital and the Charles Perrens Hospital Center, who will host this conference, answered
20 Minutes'
questions
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What do we know today about how screens can make us addicted?
This is a question which remains very controversial and a source of debate.
There is no consensus on the issue of screen addiction, since this includes both the issue of screens as a medium, but also the issue of Internet use, and the content of the object. even (games, purchases…).
The object on which there is the most data is the addiction to video games, which is also at the origin of the greatest number of consultations in addictology, even if it concerns a minority of players, the order of 1 to 3%.
What video games are we talking about?
Essentially the category of multiplayer network games (MMORPGs) that promote loss of control.
We hardly ever have consultation requests for platform games, for example.
What are the criteria that show addiction to video games?
What we see as alarming signals is the loss of control over the use of the game, with an emergence of irritability, frustration and anger when the person can no longer access their game. And the fact that this video game activity will be done to the detriment of other activities of daily life.
There must always be a notion of impact in the overall functioning of the person.
The notion of time spent is not a very reliable criterion because we can have excessive players who spend time on their game, but who will not have an altered overall functioning.
And what about screen addiction among young people?
The issue of addiction in children and adolescents is not well established.
First, in our consultations we see more young adults, who moreover often have associated vulnerability factors, for example anxiety, depression, and social vulnerability factors, which promote entry into the workforce. addiction.
For adolescents, screens can be a way to regulate negative emotions, stress, or maintain a social bond, as we saw during the Covid-19 crisis.
The increase in the time spent on screens can be linked to the management of a seizure, and is not necessarily problematic or pathological, provided that normal use is resumed once the episode has passed.
Has the Covid-19 crisis led to changes in uses, and is this worrying?
There has been a clear increase in screen time, mostly out of duress, but gaming has also been a way of keeping in touch with others. However, will this trigger problematic and addictive behavior in some? We do not yet have enough hindsight, and this is a given that will have to be observed later. On the other hand, there was a very clear impact of this crisis on mental health, particularly in relation to stress and isolation. And we have observed a significant increase in consultation requests for addictions in general, particularly concerning eating disorders with a 50% increase in requests, and particularly severe forms of entry into the disease.
Regarding the exposure of children to screens, what are the rules today and what do we know about the potential dangers?
It is recommended not to expose children under two years old to screens, to limit to one hour per day for children between two and five years old, and no more than two hours between six and eleven years old. But these are only benchmarks. More than screen time, it is the use that is made of it that matters. A two-year-old child in front of a screen alone is not the same as if he is accompanied in interactions. The problem with screens for the youngest is support. And this should not replace his basic needs, such as the development of fine motor skills, physical activity, relational interactions, the emotional bond ... It is more a question of educating parents and supervising them. uses, than to say that the screen itself is toxic.
Regarding the age at which we can start to entrust a smartphone to a teenager, which is on average around the age of 11 in France, what can we say?
A smartphone is access to the Internet, so you have to know if the child has sufficient tools to manage the possible risks associated with social networks, online games, etc. Access to a smartphone when entering college , can pose a number of concerns, so you need a minimum of parental control, and support children.
The conference "Addiction to screens: myth or reality" will take place on Monday June 7 at 6 p.m. at the Ausone Station of the Mollat bookstore, 8 rue de la Vieille Tour in Bordeaux, (subject to availability, gauge adapted to 97 people ) or live on the Facebook account
and on the YouTube channel of the Mollat bookstore, or deferred on the YouTube channels of the Mollat bookstore and the Bordeaux University Hospital.
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