Awareness on Behavioral Addiction among School Students

Awareness program was organized at Government High school Kalady on the adolescent issues and behavioral addiction among children

Neha Joseph DREAM Trivandrum taking session for the students of Government high school Kalady

Students are individuals who are actively engaged in formal education or learning processes within educational institutions. Their primary role is to engage in educational activities and advance their understanding in various subjects or fields of study. Students play a vital role in the development of a country. Behavioral addiction refers to the compulsive engagement in activities or behaviors that provide immediate pleasure but have negative consequences in the long term. Among school students, particularly adolescents, several behavioral addictions can manifest, and these issues can have a significant impact on their well-being and academic performance. Behavioral addictions such as gambling, overeating, television compulsion, and internet addiction are similar to drug addiction except that the individual is not addicted to a substance, but he/she is addicted to the behavior or the feeling experienced by acting out the behavior. An adolescent who is struggling may use pleasurable behavior as a way to numb or avoid the distress they are feeling. The behavior doesn’t start out as an addiction. But spending more and more time engaging in the activity can trigger an addictive cycle. As the society is facing the drastic impacts of various addictions, the salient role of teachers and parents is significant. Having an awareness on the current trends is vital. As part of providing the same, DREAM Trivandrum in collaboration organized awareness program for the students in Government High school Kalady. Reaching out to elusive community can raise the impact more. The program was conducted with the delight support of the students and staffs from Government High school. On 20 September 2023 the awareness session was done in the school named Government High school Kalady, Trivandrum District. It’s aim is not only raise awareness it also promote a balanced lifestyle, digital literacy, and mental health support to help adolescents navigate the challenges associated with behavioral addiction and related issues. Regular parental monitoring, supervision, and enhanced child-parent communication can helps raise preventive measures towards the behavioral addiction and adolescent issues.

Ms Neha Joseph Coordinator DREAM Trivandrum and Anooja R, Counsellor DREAM Trivandrum took the awareness sessions for the students.

DREAM – Drug Rehabilitation Education And Mentoring is the right based initiative by Trivandrum Don Bosco Veedu Society and Bangalore Rural Education And Development Society to reduce the prevalence of drugs and substances among the children and youth in the society through the preventive education strategy. Under the project the team provides Awareness programs counseling services and de addiction services to achieve the objective.