Technology Toxicity in Autistic Children?

The Centers for Disease Control released new stats yesterday on the prevalence of autism -- a staggering 1 in 88 children. Two years ago the number was 1 in a 150. In 2 years has human biology changed that much? Could we be evolving or de-evolving during a 2 year period?

Are there more ASD kids or are we looking at childhood development in a different way, thus allowing for increased numbers of kids with ASD? Or, is there something about the 21st century world/environment that is some how interacting with and changing human biology?

I have worked with more than 500 ASD children, teens and young adults over the past 12 years and one point I am sure of is technology is major part of everyday life, beginning as early as 9 months (Baby Einstein). This early introduction of technology I believe is changing the way ASD children think and behave by exacerbating their specific neurological vulnerabilities! The way in which children with ASD use technology -- computers, gaming, hand held devices -- increases their core deficits because technology increases repetitive and static thinking. Technology makes children more autistic by stimulating social isolation and static and repetitive thinking/behavior while providing intense and sustained states of pleasure. 

What could be worse for the autistic brain than a stimulus that is free, ever present, sanctioned by society, that allows the ASD child/teen/young adult to be in a state of isolation without experiencing loneliness or anxiety. Technology, for children on the spectrum, can be viewed as a highly destructive toxin in part because no one views technology as toxic --  and thus the ASD child/teen is inundated with screen time. In the ASD world technology is perceived as a savior not a curse.

One experiment that would be very instructive would involve two groups of ASD children with identical intervention programs (ABA, speech, floor time, OT, recreational therapy, etc) -- one group would have access to technology on a daily basis ( 2 hours per day) and the other groups would not have access to technology at all for a 24 week period. Thoughts?

Internet, social media pose risks to children's mental health?

Internet, social media pose risks to children's mental health?

March 27, 2012 4:15pm

Can the Internet and social media be harmful to children's mental health?  Australian psychiatrists believe this may be the case.

 

The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists (RANZCP) reportedly released a position statement assessing the positive and negative impacts of medium usage across youths.

 

“There are particular concerns regarding the impact of media on children and young people with identified mental health difficulties, but all children are potentially vulnerable,” RANZCP president Dr. Maria Tomasic is quoted as having said.

 

She added that families and people working with children need to be aware of the range of issues that media impacts upon, to provide optimal advice, support and care.

 

Dubbed "The impact of media on vulnerable children and adolescents," the position statement assesses both positive and negative impacts of medium usage across youthful audiences.

 

RANZCP Chair Dr. Nick Kowalenko said social media sites provide young people with opportunities to stay connected with friends, family and the world, and develop technical, creative and social skills.

 

He added there are health benefits from the media with the Internet providing information about health problems of relevance to young people such as stress, anxiety, depression and physical disorders.

 

There are also effective online interventions for a number of mental health problems, he added.

 

But he also outlined instances of online danger such as excessive Internet use turning into addiction, sexualization of children, cyber-bullying and aggression.

 

Recommendations

 

The statement makes recommendations in relation to the impact of media on vulnerable media users including:

• All mental health and education workers should encourage use of the media in a way that enhances education.
• Access and affordability of media needs to be addressed.
• There should be public awareness of how the problematic use of media could lead to adverse setbacks in normal development.
• The responsibility for media usage should be balanced across several levels including family, school, community and government.
• Parents, carers and those working with young people need to be aware of the risks associated with media usage.
• Education should be broadened in the area of media literacy to cover issues of cyber safety.
• Workers in the field should seek to assess a person’s use of media.
• Measures at state and federal level should be taken to protect children and young people against sexualization through the media.
• Psychiatrists should acknowledge that they are adequately placed to work with children and young people with mental health problems where negative media experience plays a role.
• Research must continue to provide a comprehensive evaluation of the associated risks of media usage.

 

 — TJD, GMA News

Cyber sexual abuse and teen sex offenses?

I have added a new page to my www.teenvideogameaddiction.com website that is devoted to forensic evaluations for internet sex crimes -- specifically focusing on teens and young adults who have been arrested for downloading child pornography. More and more teens are being arrested on child porn charges and the vast majority are actually victims of cyber sexual abuse -- meaning they were prematurely exposed to porn on the internet and went on to develop trauma from this exposure. Their use of child porn as a form of sexual stimulation is simply a symptom of their abuse and not a reflection of their true sexual orientation.

I have included a forensic report you can read that clearly explains cyber sexual abuse and cyber sex offenses. This is a crucial issue because law enforcement is treating teen cyber sex offenders as legitimate threats to public safety -- where in fact they are not a threat at all. We need to get out in front of this epidemic of cyber sex abuse and educate law enforcement, district attorneys, and judges.

Parent Education Videos up and Running at www.teenvideogameaddiction.com

I have created seven parent education videos on internet and video game addiction and they are up and running on my www.teenvideogameaddiction.com site. If you want a copy I can send you a DVD of all seven videos at no charge!

Sex addiction in the digital age: how it works

Below is a very interesting article by Rob Weiss on compulsive/anonymous sex in the digital age:

What Draws People to Anonymous Sex (and the Apps that Help Them Find It)?

By Robert Weiss LCSW, CSAT-S

No Strings Attached
It’s likely that even before humans had permanent dwellings or owned property, men and women were seeking out anonymous sexual hook-ups – no strings attached (NSA) encounters to get off, get out, and get on with their day.

Until recently, gay men sought such encounters in public parks, restrooms and bathhouses, while straight men found them in singles bars, strip clubs, swingers clubs and brothels. Today, the Internet, social media, and the related proliferation of sex-locater smart-phone apps have rapidly, drastically, and permanently altered the anonymous sex landscape. And considering humanity’s spotty track record with impulsive and addictive pleasure seeking, the horizon is darkening in relation to sexual addiction, sexual compulsivity, anonymous infidelity and disease transmission as people mindlessly, albeit briefly, place their health and intimate lives in the hands of complete strangers.

Today’s geo-located, readily accessible anonymous sexual encounters, while intoxicating play for some, are already taking their toll on others, leading them into health, career, and relationship crises.

People as Objects
Those who repeatedly pursue anonymous sex say they enjoy the feeling of being a sexual object and/or using others as sexual objects – without strings. They find freedom in experiencing sex without encumbrance, without having to maintain any commitment lasting longer than the sex act itself. This is especially true for those already in committed or marital relationships, men and women seeking quick and easy sex on the down-low. They revel in the fact that there is no need to buy someone a drink, go to dinner and a show, or pretend to write down a phone number.

Many who engage in anonymous sex don’t even bother to exchange names. And because there is no emotional or personal connection, many find it easier and emotionally safer to live out their sexual fantasies with strangers – believing these fantasies are too shameful or too embarrassing to share with an emotionally intimate partner.

One Man’s Story
Consider Jason, a 36-year-old married, hard-working, self-employed electrician. When Jason’s second child was born about a year ago, time alone with his wife changed from emotional intimacy and occasional sex to bathing babies and warming late-night bottles. A few months ago, after getting his first smart-phone, Jason discovered the apps for Ashley Madison and Blendr, setting up accounts on both and getting hooked immediately.

As Jason quickly learned, “friend finder” apps like Ashley Madison and Blendr are not designed to find friends, they’re designed to locate nearby anonymous sexual partners in much the same way as other apps help you to locate a nearby Italian restaurant. Log on to Blendr, for instance, and the interface instantly displays a grid of pictures of potential sex partners, helpfully arranged from nearest to farthest away.

Tapping on a picture displays a brief profile of that user, along with the option to chat, send pictures, or share your own location. For a sex addict, Blendr is crack cocaine.
Before long, Jason found himself spending more time searching for sexual hook-ups than managing his shop. Time formerly spent calling on good clients and making repairs was replaced with stop and go sexual hook-ups that took place wherever his phone apps led him. Needless to say, business suffered. Jason fell behind on his mortgage, credit card payments, and other bills.

He also started lying to his wife, telling her he was at work later than normal when in fact he was spending time with women he’d met online. Eventually, his wife checked his smart-phone, finding several nude pictures of her husband, dozens of pictures of nude women and text messages setting up more than thirty sexual encounters. In a fit of anger, she took the children and left. Today she is strongly considering divorce.

How Did I Get Here?
Sexually addicted clients report that when active in their addiction they somehow feel invulnerable, safe from the possibility of their compartmentalized, sexual secrets being discovered by a spouse, loved one, or boss. Think former US Congressman Anthony Weiner sexting anonymous women from the US Congressional gym, seemingly without thinking about how badly that could, and did, turn out for him.

Study after study shows that when sex addicted people are in pursuit of their drug or behavior of choice, they consistently experience this false sense of invincibility. The emotional and physiological pull of their addiction fosters a false sense of safety and denial.

Can Apps Fuel Sex Addiction?
For years now, online hook-up sites like Craigslist have fueled sexually compulsive behavior by providing ample opportunities for meeting, chatting up, and being sexual with strangers. On Ashley Madison, it doesn’t even matter if you’re married or in a committed relationship. In fact, the company slogan reads: “Life is Short, Have an Affair.” At last look, Ashley Madison had more than 12 million members, making it one of the world’s most popular and financially profitable websites/smart-phone apps. Ashley Madison has successfully monetized infidelity.

Where is This Heading?
Unfortunately for sex addicts, anonymous sexual encounters are part of a larger pattern of sexual acting out that eventually becomes their life priority, pushing aside partners, family, work, school and self-care. These individuals end up using sex to fulfill emotional needs and reduce emotional stress rather than relying on friends, family, and spouses as emotional support. They find themselves searching for anonymous encounters to the exclusion of all else, and living double lives to hide their sexual activity.

Without help, they destroy their relationships, ruin their credibility and repeatedly place themselves in physical danger. So while those engaging in anonymous sex may tout the freedom it brings, for some this freedom can lead to emotional imprisonment, shame, isolation, and loss. In truth, we have yet to see the full result of how these new freedoms and sexual access will impact our culture – but the initial results are not promising.

Robert Weiss is the author of three books on sexual addiction and Founding Director of the premiere sex addiction treatment program, The Sexual Recovery Institute. He is Director of Sexual Disorders Services at The Ranch and Promises Treatment Centers. These centers serve individuals seeking sexual addiction treatment, love addiction treatment, and porn addiction help. Specifically, the Centers for Relationship and Sexual Recovery at The Ranch (CRSR) offer specialized intimacy, sex and relationship addiction treatment for both men and women in gender-specific, gender-separate treatment and living environments.
Follow Robert on Twitter @RobWeissMSW

Violent Porn and Violent Behavior?

I went to Las Vegas to testify in a sexual assault case involving a 25 year. He was referred to me 8 months ago for treatment of video game and cyber porn addiction. Long story he developed a binge drinking problem in college (after spending middle and high school gaming and masturbating to porn - sexual assault was his preferred genre). Two hears ago he went to Vegas with a group of friends and drank for 13 hours (combined with red bull). He went in to a black out state and sexually assaulted a female -- also in a black out state. The incident was caught on video tape. Seven minutes of tape. He underwent intensive treatment with me as well as drug and alcohol treatment (inpatient and outpatient). Today was sentencing: 4 to 10 years plus lifetime sex registration.  The Court was not the least bit interested in his treatment or history -- and NO PRIORS.

At then end of the day the Court said he needed to be punished -- so off he goes to a sex offender program/prison in northern Nevada. I have no doubt that the years of gaming and violent porn played a key role in that seven minutes. A cautionary tale for sure. Very sad because at bottom he is a good kid -- screwed up and needing treatment -- but jail for 4 to 10 years and lifetime registration seems harsh and really fails to serve the public safety. Keeping young men off violent porn sites is the public safety issue.

By the way, the Court would not allow my testimony.

Criminalizing cyber bullying? The verdict in the the Rutger's cyber spying case

Rutgers spying verdict won't end bullying

By Paul Butler, Special to CNN

updated 2:02 PM EDT, Sat March 17, 2012

(CNN) -- Dharun Ravi was an immature college kid who invaded his roommate's privacy. In New Jersey, that makes him a convicted felon who faces up to 10 years in prison. Locking up Ravi ultimately won't do much to stop bullying or fight homophobia.

His prosecution speaks volumes, however, about America's rush to use criminal justice to address problems that are better resolved by other means. Every bad act is not a crime. Every kid who does a stupid thing is not a criminal.

As the whole world knows, Ravi secretly videotaped his roommate, Tyler Clementi, having sex with another man. He let some other people watch the video, and he tweeted that Tyler was gay. Clementi then jumped off a bridge to his death.

Let's be honest. A lot of people want a pound of flesh from Ravi because they blame him for Clementi's death. Tyler's reaction was tragic, and it was idiosyncratic. It is possible to deeply mourn Clementi's death and also to acknowledge that he probably had issues other than Ravi. No judge in the country would have allowed a homicide prosecution, because, legally speaking, Ravi did not cause the death, nor was it reasonably foreseeable. Of the millions of people who are bullied or who suffer invasions of privacy, few kill themselves.

But in the classic fashion of overreaching prosecutors, the New Jersey district attorney found 15 other crimes to charge Ravi with. Legal experts expect that he will get at least a five-year prison sentence and then be deported to India, where he was born but hasn't lived since he was 2.

For his stupidity, Ravi should be shamed by his fellow students and kicked out of his dorm, but he should not be sent to prison for years and then banished from the United States.

In their hearts the prosecutors must know this, which is why they offered him a plea bargain that included no jail time and a recommendation against deportation. But prosecutors don't like it when a defendant exercises his constitutional right to go to trial, and after winning their case they are likely to ask for big time.

The prosecution seemed to play on the emotional circumstances of Clementi's death as much as the actual facts of the case. The most serious charge was that Ravi intended to intimidate Clementi by filming him having sex with another guy. But how can you intend to intimidate someone by filming him when you hide the camera and don't want the person to know he's being filmed?

In addition, New Jersey's hate crime law presents troubling First Amendment issues. If Ravi had been convicted of being motivated to act because someone was fat or a nerd, he'd be looking at five years in prison. Because he commented on Clementi's sexual orientation, he gets twice as much time. The problem with broad laws like New Jersey's is that they come too close to punishing people for what they think. Bigotry, including homophobia, is morally condemnable, but in a free country, it should not be a punishable offense.

When I was a freshman at Yale, my roommate constantly played a Patti Smith record called "Rock and Roll Nigger." I hated the song, but it never occurred to me that I should have called the police on my roommate. Part of the reason Yale paired me, an African-American from Chicago, with my roommate, a Jewish kid from Brooklyn, was for us to learn how to work out our differences. We did, and now, 25 years later, we're still friends. Those kinds of lessons are what college is for, as much as anything you learn in the classroom.

Ravi and Clementi never had that moment, but at the trial, evidence was presented that it might have happened. After Ravi had spied on Clementi, he heard that Clementi wanted a new roommate. Ravi texted him and asked him to reconsider. He said, "I've known you were gay and I have no problem with it." This does not sound like a homophobe -- it sounds like a freshman who was taking a step to becoming more mature.

Ravi did not invent homophobia, but he is being scapegoated for it. Bias against gay people is, sadly, embedded in American culture. Until last year people were being kicked out of the military because they were homosexuals. None of the four leading presidential candidates -- President Obama, Mitt Romney, Rick Santorum, Newt Gingrich -- thinks that gay people should be allowed to get married. A better way to honor the life of Clementi would be for everyone to get off their high horse about a 20-year-old kid and instead think about how we can promote civil rights in our own lives.

Though a national conversation about civility and respect would have been better, as usual for social problems, we looked to the criminal justice system. The United States incarcerates more of its citizens than any country in the world. We are an extraordinarily punitive people.

Clementi died for America's sins. And now, Ravi faces years in prison for the same reason.

The effects of technology on the brain: opportunity or threat?

Below is an excerpt from a series of articles by Natasha Lomas posted on silicon.com

By Natasha Lomas on 10 November 2011 13:06

FEATURE
In the first of a series of articles examining the impact of technology on our society and ourselves, silicon.com's Natasha Lomas investigates the effects of technology on the human brain.

Technology is frequently accused of being the root cause of a raft of social problems.
Texting, social networking, googling - they've all been in the dock in recent years, accused of causing a range of social and behavioural problems.

'Authorities blame games for sword attack', 'Video game cause of murder of great-grandmother by teen', 'Facebook hurts grades, creates more narcissistic tendencies for teens' are just a few recent headlines, while earlier this year, the finger was pointed at social services such as Twitter and BBM for apparently amplifying civil disorder in August's riots.

An MRI brain scan: Is technology changing how we think?

Of course, fearmongering and tabloid journalism make natural bedfellows, but could there be some substance to concerns that technology is affecting the way we behave - and even the way we think?
In the past decade, Baroness Susan Greenfield, professor of Synaptic Pharmacology at Lincoln College, Oxford, has publically questioned how the digital world might be affecting our brains, our intellect and our ability to form meaningful real-world relationships.

In 2006, Greenfield was quoted in a Guardian article warning of the impact of electronic media use on children's ability to learn, saying: "I am not proposing that we become IT Luddites, but rather that we could be stumbling into a powerful technology, the impact of which we understand poorly at the moment."

Similarly, in 2009, she penned an article for the Daily Mail targeting social networks as an area of particular concern: "By the middle of this century, our minds might have become infantilised - characterised by short attention spans, an inability to empathise and a shaky sense of identity," she wrote.
She has also variously called for more research on whether there is a link between ADHD and internet use, and has also questioned whether increases in autism might be down to too much screen time. The latter suggestion caused fellow Oxford University academic Dorothy Bishop, a neuropsychology professor, to post an open letter criticising her comments as specious, erroneous and uninformed.
Greenfield's public expressions of concern have frequently caused controversy, as Bishop's response illustrates - not least because of the scaremongering headlines her words tend to attract: 'Society should wake up to harmful effects of internet' and 'How Facebook addiction is damaging your child's brain: A leading neuroscientist's chilling warning' are just two examples.
Such headlines have added momentum to a populist notion that internet use is somehow bad for your health - or in Daily Mail-speak, it 'rots the brain'.

Speaking to silicon.com, Greenfield is quick to distance herself from such headlines: "What I'm concerned about more than anything is...

Cyber vs School Based Bullying in High School Students

Cyberbullying, School Bullying, and Psychological Distress: A Regional Census of High School Students

Shari Kessel Schneider, MSPH, Lydia O'Donnell, EdD, Ann Stueve, PhD, and Robert W. S. Coulter, BS

Shari Kessel Schneider, Lydia O'Donnell, Ann Stueve, and Robert W. S. Coulter are with the Health and Human Development Division, Education Development Center, Newton Waltham, MA.

Correspondence should be sent to Shari Kessel Schneider, Education Development Center, 43 Foundry Ave., Waltham, MA 02453 (e-mail: skschneider@edc.org). Reprints can be ordered at http://www.ajph.org by clicking the “Reprints/Eprints” link.

Peer Reviewed

Contributors

S. Kessel Schneider conceptualized the study and led the analysis and writing of the article. L. O'Donnell and A. Stueve provided substantial contributions to the analysis and writing. R. W. S. Coulter assisted with data collection and analysis.

ABSTRACT

Objectives. Using data from a regional census of high school students, we have documented the prevalence of cyberbullying and school bullying victimization and their associations with psychological distress.

Methods. In the fall of 2008, 20 406 ninth- through twelfth-grade students in MetroWest Massachusetts completed surveys assessing their bullying victimization and psychological distress, including depressive symptoms, self-injury, and suicidality.
Results. A total of 15.8% of students reported cyberbullying and 25.9% reported school bullying in the past 12 months. A majority (59.7%) of cyberbullying victims were also school bullying victims; 36.3% of school bullying victims were also cyberbullying victims. Victimization was higher among nonheterosexually identified youths. Victims report lower school performance and school attachment. Controlled analyses indicated that distress was highest among victims of both cyberbullying and school bullying (adjusted odds ratios [AORs] were from 4.38 for depressive symptoms to 5.35 for suicide attempts requiring medical treatment). Victims of either form of bullying alone also reported elevated levels of distress.

Conclusions. Our findings confirm the need for prevention efforts that address both forms of bullying and their relation to school performance and mental health.

Molested By The Internet?

I am currently writing forensic reports for a 22 year old and 24 year old -- both arrested on felony charges for possession of child pornography. In both cases these young men began viewing porn on the internet in grade school and then graduated to hard core child porn by middle school. Neither is sexually attracted to children and neither has ever been arrested for any reason -- except for child porn.

Their sexual arousal template was so corrupted by traumatic exposure to porn that they never had a chance at healthy sexual development. Law enforcement wants to ring these traumatized kids up and send them to jail -- along with sex registration status! What are we going to do with a tidal wave of kids/young adults who were molested by cyber porn? Jail?

We need a rational and constructive approach that deals with prevention and treatment! I hope my report will help educate the DA in this case to look at treatment as the most reasonable and viable option for addressing public safety. I will keep you posted on how these two cases turn out.

Social Consequences of Teen Gaming Addiction: Part II

Read Part I here.

Another part of the addiction dynamic with video games is most children and teens do not feel they have control over their day-to-day lives. They are generally told what to wear and eat, when to go to sleep and wake up, how to spend their day, and who their friends should be. In a video game, teens are in control, whether they are driving a race car, mastering a Jimi Hendrix guitar lick, or leading a revolution.

Additionally, there is the excitement of gaming. A "good game" will get a player's pulse racing and adrenaline pumping, even if he is sitting on the couch holding a controller. Games with a time component amplify this excitement, such as Jewel Quest in which the player may be down to one second before everything "blows up."

"Kicking the habit" is challenging. Video game and computer addicts cannot avoid computers. They need to use technology for homework and communication. The dynamic for a compulsive gamer is similar to an alcoholic who has to live and work next to a bar. Thus, parents need to set clear limits and monitor usage. This means the computer, smart phone, and gaming system need to be used in a public place (e.g., living room, den, kitchen) and need to be turned off at a time that allows the teen to wind down for sleep.

Parents should help their children find alternatives to video games. Rather than restrict and limit use, parents should also try to get gamers to participate in sports, join the school band, afterschool clubs, or just play outside with the neighbors. Parents need to learn not to be afraid of the words, "I'm bored." The truth is, if a gamer gets bored enough, he may try to find something to do offline.

Who is most vulnerable to internet and video game addiction? Research shows that cyber and video game abuse, dependence, and addiction are most likely to occur in students diagnosed with depression, ADHD, and Asperger's Syndrome.

Since addicts usually have brain-based hard-wiring that predisposes them to multiple addictions, teens addicted to the cyber/video world are also at high risk for substance abuse and behavioral addictions. Substance abuse and cyber addiction often go hand-in-hand.

Social Consequences of Teen Gaming Addiction: Part I

Imagine this scenario: 15-year-old Jeff's cell phone rings. The call is from a school friend who wants to hang out. It's Friday night. Instead of answering, Jeff thinks to himself: "I'll call him as soon as I finish this level of the game." One hour passes. Two hours. Three hours. The call is never returned or even acknolwedged.

Teens addicted to gaming encounter situations like this all the time, situations in which they have to choose whether to interact with the real world or continue living in their fantasy world. As time goes on, the real world rarely wins.

Addicted gamers not only ignore real-life relationships, but they also talk so much about gaming -- to the exclusion of everything else -- that friends lose interest in being friends. Many compulsive gamers cannot or will not engage in real world conversations or be a source of support or encouragement to friends and family. Because their friends talk about other subjects, they begin to feel left out, which in turn causes them to feel irritated or offended. It doesn't occur to gaming addicts that they have chosen to be left out by devoting all their time to gaming.

The lack of social interaction that results from compulsive gaming can have long-term social and developmental consequences. An addicted teen may never develop effective social skills, which can stifle the ability to create and maintain healthy relationships in college and beyond. Suddenly a gamer is 21 but has the social skills of a 15-year-old. He does not know how to make friends, talk to girls, or just "hang out" and enjoy people's company. The social anxiety and lack of skills created by the isolation of compulsive gaming feeds the addiction. The gaming addict will likely retreat to his online world where relationships are established and easier to negotiate.

Part II coming soon.

Your Teen's Arousal Template

According to sex educators we all have an "arousal template" that determines how and when we become "turned on." We all have unique preferences for what creates sexual excitement - such as gender, physical appearance, and personality traits.

According to clinicians at Oxbow Academy, a residential treatment center in Utah for teen boys who have engaged in sexually inappropriate behaviors, the arousal templates of adolescents are fluid. With burgeoning hormones and identities in formation, teens are in the process of discovering who and what they find sexually attractive. It's normal for adolescents to wonder: am I gay or am I straight? Who am I attracted to? If parents react strongly to one element of their teen's fluid arousal template, their emotional charge can shame the adolescent.

However, for teens engaging compulsively in inappropriate sexual behavior, problems arise when their arousal template becomes fixed. Sex therapist Wendy Maltz, author of The Porn Trap, believes that viewing porn frequently causes the arousal template to become fixated on pornographic content. For the teen hooked on internet porn, the thoughts, images, sounds, and messages communicated through that medium become the only things that the teen finds sexually attractive.

When adolescents equate porn sex with good sex, they find it difficult to feel sexually attracted to real people. They may even form attachments to particular porn stars, thus limiting their ability to form healthy attachments to appropriate, and realistic, romantic partners.

For more information on overcoming the problems associated with frequent porn use, read my "A Teenager's Guide to the Safe Use of Pornography" available on my website: www.teenvideogameaddiction.com. You can also call me for a consultation at 855-735-HELP. And if your teen's sexual behavior is causing significant problems in his life, consider a residential facility such as Oxbow Academy that specializes in treating sexual problems in adolescents.