Computer and Internet Addiction Problems and Correction Counselors can help students free themselves from computer and Internet addiction through both cognitive and behavioral approaches, so as to be able to hold on to and let go of the computer and Internet, and to be able to grasp the rhythm of learning and life. Analyze the causes of addiction and provide appropriate guidance One of the most important reasons for people to be attracted to computers and the Internet is that it can satisfy people’s psychological needs, especially those needs that cannot be satisfied in real life. Cognitive reasons People often want to get the latest and most comprehensive information without having to spend too much. According to the survey, Internet users have the most usage behaviors of casually browsing and reading information. On the information superhighway, people can easily and quickly find out the information they are looking for through search engines. Many aspects of social life, even those who are usually difficult to talk about or difficult to see, can find the corresponding website. Emotional communication and emotional catharsis needs Some people due to the social surface in real life is too narrow, or social shyness or lack of social skills, they will be keen on chatting on the Internet, and even hope to come to a “fated encounter” or “Nth close contact”, so as to have a conceptual exchange with the “online soulmate”. They even hope to have a “fated encounter” or “the nth intimate contact”, so that they can communicate with their online soulmates in terms of concepts and emotional exchanges, and obtain comfort and support, and vent their usually suppressed emotions. For example, one woman said, “Online, I will take the initiative to talk to men I don’t know, which is almost impossible in reality. And all I need is to type the two letters ‘Hi’.” Some people who are solitary and seem isolated in real life look to the Internet to find a community to belong to. The desire for self-expression and self-affirmation In real life, many people don’t have the opportunity to express their opinions or don’t dare to express their true thoughts, but on the Internet everyone is equal, and under the protection of anonymity you can say whatever you want without worrying about what censorship will bring and what punishment will be imposed. And the newer, stranger, and more unique your ideas are, the greater the reaction and the more responses you may get. Through words, you may find more self-confidence. “Literary youth” are like fish in water on the Internet, “network writers” are springing up, people’s “literary potential” has never been so quickly, conveniently and fully displayed. The “literary potential” of people has never been so quickly, conveniently and fully realized. For them, the online world is free and easy, and they can “let the fish leap in the wide sea and the birds fly in the high sky”. Compensation Due to the limitations of age, gender, occupation, character, ability, origin, region and other real conditions, people’s many pursuits and desires can only be satisfied and psychologically compensated by playing various roles in a virtual space. On the stage of the network, an ordinary boy can transcend time and space, become an ancient warrior, killer, beauty, or almost any other role you want to play. For example, a male college student who has few friends, is shy and unsure of himself, but has very good results in online games, feels like “God Almighty”, “Every player in the game is happy with me. I knew that I was competing against an opponent with a very high IQ. This has brought me to the peak of my self-confidence”. Release and transfer of internal stress Many people, especially men, are keen to play computer games, most of which are full of bloody and violent fights or wars, perhaps as a channel to vent their latent aggression, anger, or hateful energy, which is not allowed by the social norms or civilization, and so they release and transfer their internal stress to the computer or the Internet. Generally speaking, there is no denying that people seek to satisfy their psychological needs, but if they thus rely excessively or solely on computers and the Internet, they may put the cart before the horse, become more and more distant from real life, or even fail to distinguish between the real and virtual worlds, and suffer from poorer and poorer social adaptations, which in turn aggravate the need to escape to the Internet, and ultimately form a kind of vicious circle. Therefore, in psychological counseling, a very important step is to work with students to discover the reasons for their addiction to computers and the Internet, to help them recognize their own needs, and to find other ways to satisfy their needs, so as to correct the position of computers and the Internet, and to improve the mentality of the Internet. At the same time, counseling teachers should give the students corresponding real-life guidance. For example, if it is found through counseling that a student loses confidence and indulges in computers and the Internet because of learning difficulties and poor grades, it is necessary to provide him with guidance on learning methods and motivation to help him rebuild his self-confidence, re-engage in learning, and cultivate more and more interest in learning as his grades improve; otherwise, the student may still be tired of and afraid of boring learning, and then shun into the relaxing and interesting world of computers and the Internet. Otherwise, the student may still be bored and afraid of boring studies, and avoid the fun and relaxing world of computers and the Internet. For students with interpersonal barriers, it is necessary to provide guidance on interpersonal skills. In short, students should be allowed to integrate and adapt to real life and society. After all, one cannot live only in the world of computers and the Internet; they are only a part of life. Enhance self-management, correction of addictive behavior In order to objectively restrain the behavior of students, some schools have begun to implement the dormitory computer “graded management”, that is, do not allow freshmen students to install computers in the dormitory, and sophomores and juniors need to be approved by the qualified only after the installation of computers. This is only external management, fundamentally speaking, students should take “self-management” method to enhance self-control. The so-called self-management method is an effective behavioral modification method for excessive non-desired behavior. Similar to gluttony, smoking, alcoholism, and gambling, computer and Internet addictions are also behavioral excesses. For example, a student who suffers from poor academic performance due to his addiction to computer games knows that being addicted to computers and the Internet from morning to night is likely to result in a few more “red lights” on his final report card, but he is so reinforced by the instant pleasure and gratification he receives from computers and the Internet that he can’t think about it that much or in the long run. In college, the effect of learning is not always proportional to the degree of effort, and the hardship of learning is indeed often daunting, making it difficult to persevere; moreover, the mentality of “long live the 60th percentile” has made many students no longer rely on their academic performance to evaluate themselves as they used to do, and being proficient in computers and the Internet, which are popular, often impresses their peers. All these factors may weaken the motivation to study and make it difficult to reinforce the behavior of studying hard. The self-management approach, which involves students controlling their own behavior, can be used in the following ways: Prerequisite manipulation: i.e., arranging measures in advance to influence the emergence of the behavior. In the above example, the student could prevent himself from sitting in front of the computer again by focusing on his books instead. For example, trying to study in the classroom, not staying in the dorm room with the computer, giving away or locking up all computer CDs. Behavioral Contracts: Make a contract that includes standards of achievement within a specified time frame and corresponding reinforcement. For example, the student could make a self-imposed agreement that if he or she can stay off the computer during the week, attend classes during the day, and study at night, then he or she will be allowed a few hours on the weekend to play on the computer, and if he or she violates this agreement on a particular day, he or she will be denied access to the computer for that weekend. Reinforcement and Punishment Methods: This means that reinforcement or punishment is applied based on whether self-control is accomplished or not. If the student can execute the contract without error, then reward himself with a good meal or buy a favorite thing; otherwise run a long distance of 1,500 meters or flick himself with a rubber band around his wrist at the slightest thought. If possible, you can also ask your classmates or parents to supervise you and help implement reinforcement or punishment, such as calling your parents on a regular basis to report on your recent situation and get praise or criticism from them; if you fail to control yourself, you have to be responsible for helping your classmates to turn on the water or clean up the dormitory, and so on. Social Support Method: This means providing control or reinforcement of the behavior through other important people in the actor’s life. For example, the student can make an appointment with a classmate in the dormitory who loves to study, often go to self-study together, and discuss study problems together. Also stay away from classmates and friends who are also addicted to computers and the Internet. Self-command and self-encouragement method: i.e., influencing behavior through special self-talk methods. For example, whenever the student is tempted to play with the computer again, repeat the self-talk: “No, this is not the time! It’s time to study! Wait until the weekend!” Whenever he resisted the temptation to study again and had a fulfilling evening, self-encouragement was provided, “Today’s learning was rewarding and engaging! Persistence is victory!” Goal Establishment and Self-Monitoring Approach: Goal establishment involves writing down the degree and standard of the target behavior and the time frame in which it will occur. For example, the student establishes daily and weekly study schedules and monitors goal implementation.