New technologies bring with them unknown addictions until very recently. Mobile phones, the internet or social networks join other old known as gambling, all within reach of any hand.
With the aim of raising awareness among young people in the use of new technologies, during the second and third trimesters of this 2016 / 2017 school year, the Community Prevention Unit in Addictive Behaviors (UPCCA) of the Department of Social Welfare has implemented Two new programs related to the prevention of addiction to mobile phones (PrevTec 3.1) and gambling (Ludens) created by the University of Valencia and accredited by the Department of Health of the Generalitat Valenciana.
A total of 263 students from 3º ESO and 1º Basic Vocational Training have participated in the PrevTec 3.1 program. The objectives of the program are to report on technological addictions (more specifically on the mobile phone), raise awareness about the negative consequences of addiction and train the skills needed to prevent these addictive problems. Purely educational resources have been used, such as oral exposition, debates on issues raised in vignettes or video testimonies, as well as training in self-reports and skills for self-control.
The Ludens program, for its part, was given in April and May among all the groups of 1º of Bachillerato and 2 º of Basic Professional Formation of the three institutes, arriving at a total of 251 students.
The students have received information and awareness about the problem of gambling addiction, the characteristics and patterns of use of gambling (traditional and online) and the incidence of problematic gambling and addiction to gambling, in addition to reflecting, through Debates on addiction to gambling.
