Classroom Technology In The Age Of Electronics Addiction
It is the conundrum faced by almost every parent today—how to balance the use of electronics by children and teens. As parents we often face the dilemma of kids having too much screen time with a mixture of fear, confusion and anger. We all want our kids to be prepared for the world at large, which demands more and more, tech savvy-ness. Electronics are also a huge part the kid social scene. But how much is too much and are schools introducing too much tech and not enough person-to-person communication? Marsha*, the mother of an eleven-year-old daughter and fourteen-year-old son has been in the middle of the divisiveness and confusion. “I want my kids to be connected to the real world,” she shares with some hedging, and then adds, but I also want them to fit in with their friends and be up on technology at school it’s hard to strike a balance.” Marsha was attempting to have a rule of two hours of screen-time max during the day. Then her son informed her he felt on the outside if he did not have a gaming system or phone with him during recess and lunch, that there were no kids that wanted to run around and play. Soon thereafter, her daughter was telling her the same thing. The school her children attended allowed electronics during recess and lunch breaks. Her kids were also using a lot of electronics during classroom hours—reading books on Kindles, putting lab experiments into an iPad, and working on research papers on laptop and desktop computers. Even one of her daughter’s art classes was computer animation and drawing. Are all these screens good for our kids’ growing minds and imaginations or are they frying and rewiring their brains in a manner that should be concerning? Addiction to electronics is not just hyperbole; it’s real and there are more and more treatment centers offering help to both adolescents and adults. Research shows that technology and electronics can light up the dopamine, (the pleasure neurotransmitter) of the brain in the same way sugar, sexual excitement or even cocaine lights up the brain. Because children are sitting or even lying down in front of screens for more and more hours of the day childhood and adolescent obesity and depression are on the rise. Parents are already setting boundaries in the home environment, but is it possible or even advisable to ask for schools to join you if you decide a “digital detox” is in order for your child? Yes and yes.If the school your child attends is way too permissive about the use of electronics and technology, step in and put some balance into the life of your child while they are on that school’s campus. Set up a board game club, a karaoke club, or a crafting corner that is free of all screens. Make sure your child is doing elective classes that do not require screens: good choices are band, orchestra, pottery or sculpture classes sports or learning a foreign language.
How do you know if things have crossed a line into addictive behaviors? Here are some telltale signs:
Your child’s mood is seriously altered when screen time is denied or cut short, especially an uptick in anger, sadness or anxiety.
Your child lies about using electronics/technology (i.e. says they are going to the bathroom and is instead on their electronics)
There is a steady increase in their use of electronics.
They pull away from friends and activities they used to love to choose screen-time instead.
If you fear your kid has crossed a serious line and you need professional help, contact any other licensed interventionist or a therapist, a treatment center and/or me with a program for addiction to electronics/technology.
For Marsha, the answer was a change in schools. She placed her children in a school that did not permit any personal screens from home to be on the campus in any capacity, though they use laptops for writing classes and history classes and her son is taking a class on system coding. “My daughter is really into spinning pots and playing soccer and my son has been loving debate team and yearbook. Trust me, they still love gaming once they are home, but it’s also a heck of a lot easier to get them to go hiking with me these days and I really do think it’s because they’ve lessoned the screens they are on during school hours.” As with anything that can turn into an addictive issue, the ideal is moderation and when moderation is not possible, ask for the help you need. The age of electronics and technology is upon us and it is here to stay. Navigating your child’s engagement with these powerful tools of learning and communication is key to their growth and personal happiness.
*Not her real name