Kids these days have it way different from how we had it.
Most notably, they have a tiny rectangle that fits in the palm of their hand that gives them access to all of recorded human history and culture… and this is a gift and a curse!
Poetic musings aside, we do need to talk about a serious problem that many kids born in the digital age may face: technology addiction.
How does Technology Addiction happen?
There is such a thing as too much of a good thing, and this applies to technology as well.
Technology addiction forms the same way all addictions form: through over-reliance on a chemical release. This may apply to you as well.
Essentially, we get a small release of dopamine through many of the actions we do through our technology. When we receive/send a message, when we get new likes on our latest post, when we beat the next level on Candy Crush—all of these actions release dopamine.
The problem is that these actions are so easy and so innocuous that we can get addicted to the dopamine release cycle without even noticing it.
Harmful effects of Technology Addiction
With every experience that we have, neurons are fired in the brain.
Every repeated experience fires the same neural pathways. The more frequently these neural pathways are fired, the stronger they become. This affects the physical structure of the brain. This is why when we practice something a lot we can seemingly do it “without even thinking about it”.
You can begin to see how important this is for a child, because their brains are a relatively fresh slate, and hence highly impressionable.
Areas of the brain that get used more often become stronger. Similarly, areas of the brain that are not regularly used can fall out of practice. These neural pathways can even stop firing at all.
For example, consider the difference between reading a story to your child and letting an app read them a story. In the former, they are forced to process your voice into words, follow the storyline, and create their own visualization. In the latter, they are spoon-fed images and words, they can go back and forth as they please, and it turns out to be a very passive activity for them. It doesn’t exercise their creativity at all.
Some of the common problems exhibited by children who develop a technology addiction are:
Poor face-to-face communication skills
Attention deficiency
Trouble making friends
Self-isolation
Aggressive behavior
Difficulty sleeping
Does my kid have a Technology Addiction?
It can often be hard to pin down. As parents, we may even feel inclined to lie to ourselves about it.
But we have to be vigilant. Look for the following signs of possible dependency on technology in your kids.
Lack of interest in other activities. They are unable to find entertainment in activities that don’t involve technology. Or they used to enjoy things that they don’t seem to anymore.
Displaying problematic behavior when they can’t access their devices. They throw excessive tantrums or become uncharacteristically aggressive.
Displaying withdrawal symptoms when they can’t access their devices. They seem anxious or upset, and might only become calm when they get their devices.
Constant distraction by technology. You find it difficult to communicate with them or get their attention when they are using their devices, or they always seem to be waiting for the next time they can get online.
Constant talking about screen-time. When they are not using their devices, they are referring to them in one way or another.
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