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Are Our Children Addicted to Technology?
In 2015, granola bar company Nature Valley created an ad in which they asked three generations of families one question: When you were a kid, what did you do for fun? The older two generations shared many wonderful memories of playing outside, building forts, picking blueberries, and going on fishing trips. They reminisced fondly of all the fun times they had as children. When it came time for the youngest generation to answer the question, however, the responses were decidedly different. Rather than launch into stories of playing tag with their friends, going to the park, or riding bikes through the neighborhood, these kids are spending five hours per day or more texting, emailing, browsing social media, playing video games, and watching shows. One child even bragged about how they watched twenty-three episodes of a TV series in less than four days. Another young girl claimed that she “would die without her tablet”. This ad gave us a scary look at the way today’s children are growing up, and touched and what could be a painful truth- that technology is fundamentally changing childhood. You can see it below for yourself if you’d like.
Common Sense Media conducted a report entitled Technology Addiction: Concern, Controversy, and Finding Balance. The report determined that problematic media use is a growing problem, but there are large gaps in the research on technology addiction. So far, much of the research that has been carried out has focused on adults and teenagers, with no specific research geared toward the impact of technology on children [1]. Common Sense Media’s report made six key findings:
- Internet addiction is potentially serious and requires further study.
- Our digital lifestyles may be harming our ability to remain focused.
- Technology is a source of family tension.
- Problematic media use may cause lower empathy and social well-being.
- Technology may facilitate new ways for adolescents to express developmental needs.
- A balanced approach and adult role-modeling can prevent problematic use.
Robert Lustig, a professor of pediatrics focused on endocrinology at the University of Southern California and author of The Hacking of the American Mind, believes that technology is addictive. “It’s not a drug, but it might as well be. It works the same way … it has the same results,” he said [3]. Lustig found that technology affects the brain in the same way as other addictive substances, causing an overrelease of dopamine and stress on the brain, leading to addiction. He notes that adolescents are particularly susceptible because their prefrontal cortex is the last part of the brain to develop.
Jenny Radesky, a developmental-behavioral pediatrician, says that research shows that screen time interferes with fundamental aspects of healthy childhood development, including sleep, healthy eating, and what are called “serve and return” moments. These are moments when parents respond to babies seeking assurance and connection with eye contact, smiles, and words, which helps the baby’s brain develop.
The results of the poll entitled Dealing with Devices: The Parent-Teen Dynamic stated that 72 percent of teenagers feel the need to immediately respond to texts and other social media messages, 78 percent check their devices at least every hour, and half of them feel they are addicted to their mobile device [4].
So perhaps your child doesn’t have a full-blown technology addiction, but that doesn’t mean that they are not being affected by technology use. Studies have shown that moderate to high screen time for children, that is four or more hours per day, lowers their overall psychological well being. Too much screen time may also be making your kids moody and lazy. Studies have shown that spending too much time staring at a screen affects your child’s body clock, which can lead to a number of health issues including hormone imbalance and brain inflammation [6].
[1] Common Sense Media: Technology Addiction: Concern, Controversy, and Finding Balance
[3] Professor Robert Lustig, University of Southern California
[4] Dealing with Devices: The Parent-Teen Dynamic
[6] Studies on screen time and psychological well-being
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