8 Steps to Conquer Digital Addiction in Kids

With the imposition of the nationwide lockdown eliminating several outdoor activities, young children and teenagers have been forced to find sources of entertainment indoors. And according to them, that means spending countless hours on their television, laptop, smartphone, tablet, and gaming consoles. While it’s certainly fun to watch a movie or play a video game or browse through social media, too much screen time can have an adverse effect on your child’s physical as well as mental health.

Thus, it’s necessary to ensure that they don’t go overboard. But if they do get overboard, here are some steps to cure them of this unwanted anomaly.

1. Make them realize how much time they are spending digitally. This can be done by asking them to set a timer whenever they use an electronic gadget. They might curb their online presence once they actually realize that they are going overboard and spending too much time on the internet.
2. Being overly strict, like confiscating their devices altogether, would only cause unnecessary rifts. Set mild restrictions – not using a gadget for more than an hour at a stretch, not being allowed to use one after dinner, etc.
3. Since they shifted to digital media due to boredom, increasing “family time” by engaging in more conversations with them or having discussions over a particular issue at home, work, school or even current affairs might help in limiting their digital temptation.
4. If the child in question is a young 3^rd or 4th-grade kid, find substitutes for digital media by introducing them to other stimulating products like colouring books, comic books, lego sets, train sets, and board games.
5. If the child in question is a teenager, substitutes can be in the form of fiction and non-fiction novels, weekly magazines, playing cards, chess, etc.
6. Expose your kids to a hobby – say, cooking, baking, calligraphy, painting, craftwork, etc. These are well suited to both young kids as well as teenagers.
7. Use reward techniques. Simple deals like “if you don’t touch your video game today, we’ll order dinner from outside” and “don’t touch the mobile phone after dinner for a week and we’ll give you a surprise gift next week” work wonders.
8. Lastly, if none of this works, it might indicate the presence of a serious issue and in that case, you have no choice but to put your foot down and go ahead with the confiscation. This might make them realize the magnitude of their addiction. In most cases, a simple realization is enough to cure addiction.

Is internet addiction as serious as other addictions?

Digital addiction is often thought of as a feeble, not so serious condition when compared with the likes of drug, alcohol, or tobacco addiction. Many think that digital addiction is easily curable and the conception is that the only people who suffer from it have poor willpower or are not serious and committed to ridding themselves of this issue. This viewpoint doesn’t hold true and accurate, as it can be noticed everywhere around us, people seem to be hopefully addicted to their screens and cannot separate themselves from it no matter how hard they try. The condition is much the worse for children as they don’t have the capacity and strength to counter such issues on their own.

The toxic cycle of dopamine production

Smartphones and social media seem to trigger the production of a chemical known as dopamine. This is also known as the “feel-good chemical” and is commonly linked with people who are dangerously addicted to drinking, smoking, and gambling. The chemical, dopamine provides one with immediate gratification. They keep chasing this high and look for hits of dopamine. These devices have different features of novelty interspersed in their applications which keep us hooked in. Kids are often found using these devices similar to how addicts use substances such as alcohol, nicotine, and drugs to numb their pain and stress and find an escape from reality. This leads to unhealthy coping mechanisms that start when they’re young and become considerably worse when entering adulthood. Any triggers or stressful situation sends them running towards their digital devices, similar to an addict.

But unlike many vices that have age restrictions attached to them and are carefully regulated by many authorities, smartphones and digital devices are not accompanied by any sort of age limit. It falls on the parents to regulate the use of these devices. The need to be vigilant and keep a strict watch on their screen time as well as the websites and apps they use is pertinent to tackling this digital addiction. 

Effect on the brain development of toddlers

Children till the age of three, require a lot of external stimuli for the growth and development of their brain. The frontal lobe of the brain and its development can be hampered with the use of these electronic gadgets. Poor development of this part of the body has a detrimental effect on their interpersonal and social skills, making it harder to learn empathy and decode social cues while interacting with others. Being exposed to loud noises and flashing, constantly changing visuals can lead to sensory overloads for them which results in the production of the stress hormone, cortisol.

Parenting is no doubt an arduous task. Sometimes you have to be understanding. Sometimes you have to scold. Sometimes you have to be strict. But in the long run, you shall always be satisfied for having stopped your son or daughter from wavering into a wrong path.

Stay Tuned, Stay Relevant!