Children are stuck to the screen all day. The question is why are children addicted to screen? It became a universal problem for parents.
This problem arises when the internet and smartphones enter our lives and it becomes gigantic after the pandemic. ButÂ
As the lockdown hit it became compulsion to stick with the screen. That period affects all of us but the habit of taking screens is still in our routine, especially in children.
All parents want to regulate their children’s screen time. But for one or other reason they always fail not because they are not making an effort for that. Because they do not know the root cause of screen addiction.
First, you have to know the reason behind their habit of always taking screens.
Parents should know why children are addicted to screens and have no fun in the real world.
As we all know the overuse of screens and social media affects children’s physical and mental well-being.
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Why are children addicted to Screen?
Four reasons influence children to attract screens. Whether it is mobile where they use social media, play games, or TV/laptop where they enjoy online videos.
Physical Influence
When children watch TV or scroll Instagram, Facebook, or YouTube their bodies release feel-good hormones called Dopamine.
It also gives the motivation to do something again and again that gives a feeling of pleasure.
It is a part of the reward system of our body. When children use screens, they experience pleasure and their bodies release a large amount of dopamine.
They feel good and seek more of that feeling. That is the reason children addicted to screen and that feel-good hormone makes them use mobile for the extra spike.
Social influence
Children are mostly engaging with social media. Young children use YouTube and adolescents and teenagers use Instagram, Snapchat discord, etc. All these places are the hang-out places for children. Here they make connections with like-minded people.
There are lots of entertaining videos on YouTube that young children like the most. They get lots of amazing stuff that they may never experience in the real world. No doubt that many of them are educational and informative but it is addictive for children.
If we talk about teenagers, their online world is much bigger than we assume.
There are online communities based on their interest and skills where they connect.
On these platforms, they feel that they are connected and secure. Teenagers share their experiences and create bonds with others.
 We think that it is risky but our children like to spend time on their own network.
Maybe because they like to explore the world and experience the new world, at this age, this all happens and it is normal.
They have less interest in spending time with us as they have made a new world in digital space where they like to engage.
As a parent, it is challenging for us because this is a new task that has never been faced by our older generation.Â
Parent’s Influence
We all are trapped in the screen and this is a fact. We cannot deny this fact. The truth is, that our mobile phones can be both a blessing and a barrier.
As parents, it’s up to us to find a healthy balance between technology and connection, so we can give our children the time, attention, and love they deserve.
I want to share my experience here. I have a habit of visiting a nearby garden and take some relaxing me-time. There is a children’s play area where children of all ages can play and enjoy.
The parents are also sitting there to take care of their little ones. But most parents are busy with their mobile and that is so heartbreaking.
The time when they can enjoy the most fascinating and amazing time with their child.
The time when they can make lots of beautiful memories and build a connection with the child.
The time that never comes back is just wasted on mobile.
child’s innocent play with curiosity, their naughty deeds, and all those experiences, they missed just because of mobile. Parents who are trapped in the mobile screen don’t know that for momentary joy they miss the priceless experience that will never come back.
As we all know children copied us.
They are inspired by our actions,s not by our words. That is the reason, they see us sticking with our phones and TVs and get inspired to do so.
Well, I’m not saying that you have no right to entertainment but be mindful. Fix your time for screen time as we do it for ourselves and our children.
For an insight and understanding of our screen time, let’s take a quick Q&A to find out something meaningful.
Ask yourself these Questions?
- Are you aware of your screen time?
- How much time do you spend on screen?
- Does your child notice how long you are stuck to the screen?
- Are you mindful when you are on screen?
- What is your reaction when your child comes to you while you are on screen?
- How many times do you attend to your child while you are with the screen?
- Do you behave appropriately at that time?
- Do you shout/yell when your child is on screen?
Answer these questions and share your answer with us. Do not feel guilty for your answer. We all are stuck in this at some point.
After all, we all are humans and we all learn from our mistakes.
When you ask these questions to yourself, you start to become aware of your screen time and eventually, it reflects on your child.Â
I hope the answers to these questions hit your mind and the next time you will be conscious of your action before asking your child to leave the screen.
Your new approach to seeing this situation can help you to understand your child and you can manage their screen time better.
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Rewarding influence
Have you noticed one thing?
Most of the time children play different types of online games according to their age and interest.
- Why do they play that game enthusiastically?
- Why do they look so excited and happy while playing those games?
- Why do they have confidence and a glow on their face at that time?
You will get the answer when you play an online game. (Now what is this, starting to play games, leaving all the chores behind)
My experiment with gaming
Yeah, you heard it right. Play any game of your choice if you have never played before. And if you have played it before recall those experiences and feelings.
To get this answer I played games many times and the one thing I like the most is, Any guess?
The time that I enjoy playing games. No, not the time, but after achieving the goal in that game.
After completing the level there is a scene of celebration on the screen, bursting party poppers and sparkles all over the screen give an amazing feeling.
The feeling of achievement, the feeling of winning, getting rewards and it feels like a celebration.
These all-pleasurable things on the screen lead me to play again and again.
This is not the real celebration but still, it is enjoyable.
Even I had never got this kind of reward or encouragement from my parents or teacher that gave me such a pleasurable experience.
This whole experience releases happy hormones (Oxytocin, Serotonin, Endorphins, Dopamine).
And these all hormones are a little addictive.
Well, this is my experience of gaming and I believe that this all happens to our children when they get rewards and encouragement in the game.
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Does the child feel the same?
The experts say that this experience is so enjoyable that a person will get addicted and want to try again and again to feel that feeling. The feeling of achievement, to being on top of the world affects happy hormones.
We all have experienced this, and that’s why it is hard for us to leave social media. Even whenever we get time, we are willing to check our social media accounts.
And exactly this is happening to our child too.
Now, we get the answer, why children addicted to screen.
The next step is to know how to detach children from the screen.
What can we do?
After getting the information of why children addicted to screen, we can find multiple ways to detach them.
You can get the idea from your surroundings, after all, you know the likes and dislikes of your child. You have a better understanding of your child’s nature, skill, and interest.
You can be creative in this situation. I will give you some ideas to help you to figure this out.
Tips to engage your child from screen to real world
As I have mentioned before children stick to screens because of reward influence.
- make a habit of giving rewards whenever they complete a task or have good behavior but here is a reminder, give rewards for their efforts not for the outcome. There are two benefits of this. First, they feel rewarded in the real world and second, they increase good behaviour.
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- Get them involved in your daily chores according to their age. Start with the simple ones like putting their toys in the proper place, arranging their desk/cupboard, helping with the cleaning, etc.
Don’t forget to give a reward for their task. By doing this your child is away from the screen and learns new things and at that time when you are working together you will get quality time together.
- Play together their favorite indoor/outdoor games. This one is my personal favorite as it includes some physical activities and many time feels like a me-time, and quality time with children.
- Encourage them to explore their surroundings. Give them some ideas to experiment with new things. In this, you can get the help of social media.
- Encourage your child to join real-world activities like dance, music, defense, mountain climbing, swimming, and anything of their choice and interest.
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Conclusion
It is difficult to detach your children from the screen but with healthy screen habits and firm boundaries you can reinforce positive behavior in children.
Give yourself the power of self-care, mindful self-talk, and empathy. We all are facing difficulties in the parenting journey and experience messy but beautiful moments. So, stop being judgmental and find a support system that works for you.
You can achieve every milestone in the parenting journey, and the baby foot that you are taking you to that milestone.
I hope these ideas help you to detach your child from the screen. If you have any other ideas, please share them in the comment section. Your words are mean to us.
Addiction to screens is a problem for many parents. So, if you get value from my article, please share it with other parents and teachers to help them.