[Are virtual worlds a threat to the mental health of children and adolescents?].
Video games and the Internet cause enthusiasm but also worry. Among the possible risks, addiction (dependency), isolation, retiring within oneself, and loss of reality, are often put forward. Available data show that serious problems remain exceptional and non-specific, and that these new technological supports do not create new pathologies. Excessive use and isolation have to be solved on an educational basis. Nevertheless, virtual reality, whose applications for the general public are still considered part of the future, needs particular attention.
Plusquellec
M
M
Service de pédiatrie, Hôpital Charles-Nicolle, Rouen, France.
D000293:Adolescent; D000294:Adolescent Behavior; D016739:Behavior, Addictive / Q000523:psychology; D002648:Child; D002652:Child Behavior; D003858:Dependency, Psychological; D006801:Humans; D020407:Internet; D007439:Introversion, Psychological; D008603:Mental Health; D011618:Psychotic Disorders / Q000523:psychology; D012307:Risk Factors; D012934:Social Isolation; D018910:Video Games / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000523:psychology*