Is the digital world becoming a “heroin” for modern children?

Smartphones, tablets, laptops have dominated modern childhood. Nowadays, children often only sit still at the dinner table if a smartphone or tablet is sitting in front of them. What happened to disciplining children without relying on a digital device? Have digital devices ruined this generation of children and their reliance on digital devices?

A recent piece published by the New York post by Dr. Nicholas Kardaras argues that the amount of screen time young children are exposed to amounts to the risk of developing an addiction “harder to kick than drugs”. In January 2018, a survey was conducted with 1,024 parents, of that, 47 percent of parents feel their child is “addicted” to their mobile device. Some parents have even experienced violent behaviours from their children when denied their digital device. One parent even had to call the police and shockingly, they asked if the nine-year-old was on drugs. He was, only his drugs were digital. This has created a sense of urgency and fear amongst anxious parents as they watch their children slip slowly into the black hole.

Social interaction, creative imaginative play and an engagement with the real, natural world is essential in a child’s health development. This means playing lego instead of Minecraft, reading instead of watching movies on devices. Children are known to be more prone to addictive escape when feeling alone, purposeless or even bored. Thus, the solution to help children are to spend quality time with them, immersing them in meaningful real-life experiences

So, what do you think?
Are digital devices becoming a “heroin” for modern children?