Children of today’s are stick to the screen all the day. It became a universal problem for parents. This problem arises when internet and smart phone enter in our life and after the pandemic it become gigantic. But the question is why children addicted to screen.
As the lockdown hit it become compulsion to stick with the screen. That time period affects all of us but the habit of taking screen is still in our routine, especially children.
All parents want to regulate their child’s screen time. But for one or other reason they always fail not because they are not making effort for that. Because they do not know the route cause of screen addiction.
The reason behind their habit of taking screen all the time.
First, Parents should know that why children are addicted to screen and have no fun in the real world.
As we all know that over use of screen and social media affect to children’s physical and mental well-being.
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Why children addicted to screen
There are four reason that influence children to attract screen. Whether it is mobile where they use social media and playing games or tv/laptop where they enjoy online videos.
Physical Influence
When children are watching TV or scrolling Instagram, Facebook or YouTube their body realise feel good hormones called Dopamine.
It also gives the motivation to do something again that give feeling pleasure.
It is a part of the reward system of our body. When children use screen, they experience pleasure and their body release a large amount of dopamine.
They feel good and seek more of that feeling. That is the reason they are attracting to the screen.
Social influence
Children are mostly engaging with social media. Young children use You Tube and adolescent and teenagers are using Instagram, snapchat and discord etc.
This all places are the hang out place for children. Here they make connection with like minded peoples.
There are lots of entertaining videos on You Tube which 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 yet it is addictive for children.
If we talk about teenagers, their online world is much bigger than we assume.
There are online community based on their interest and skill. Where they connect with each other.
On this platform they feel that they are connected and secure. Teenagers share their experience, create bond with others.
We think that it is risky but our children like to spent time on their own network.
May be 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 to spent time with us.
I always accept this thing and find out new thing when I spent time with them when they also enjoy the family time with us.
(The experiment is on and a full article I would like to share with all of you where I share my experiences with my teenage child.)
How to deal with this is also a challenge for us as a parent because this is the new task that had been never faced by our older generation and thus it is still under process.
Parent’s (You and Me) influence
We all are trapped in screen and this is the fact. We cannot discard this fact, for one or other reason we all stuck with the screen and these all reflects on our children.
I want to share my experience here. I have a habit to visit and take a relax time and the best option is to visit garden of our apartment. There is a child play area where children of all age can play and enjoy.
The mothers also sitting there to take care of their little ones. But most of mothers are busy in their mobile and that is so heart breaking.
The time when they can enjoy the most fascinating and amazing time with their child.
The time that never come back.
child’s innocent play with curiosity, their naughty action and all these experiences she missed these all.
A mother who is trapped in the screen don’t know that for momentarily joy they miss the priceless experience that will be never come back.
As we all know that children copied us.
They are inspired by our action not by our words. That is the reason, they see us to sticking with our phone and TV ang 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 our children.
Let’s take a quick QnA to find out something meaningful.
Ask yourself these Questions?
- Are you aware of your screen time?
- How much time do you spent on screen?
- Does your child have notice that how long you are stick to the screen?
- Are you mindful when you are on screen?
- What is your reaction when your child come to you while you are on 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.
I hope the answers of these questions hit your mind and the next time you will be conscious in your action before asking your child to leave the screen.
Your new approach to see this situation can help you to understand the situation and you will manage it better.
Rewarding influence
Have you notice one thing?
Most of the time children playing different types of online games?
Why they are playing that game enthusiastically?
Why they are looking so excited and happy while playing those games?
Why there is confidence and glow on their face only 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 of the game of your like.
To get this answer I had 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 gives an amazing feeling.
Feeling of achievement, feeling of winner, getting rewards and it feels like a celebration.
These all-pleasurable things on the screen leads 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 gives 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 child when they get rewards and encouragement in the game.
Does the child feel the same?
The experts says 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 top of the world are effect of happy hormones.
We all have experience this, that’s why it is hard for us to leave the social media. Even whenever we get a time, we are willing to check our social media account.
And exactly this is happening to our child too.
Now, we get the answer, why child attract 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 attract to screen, we can find multiple ways to detach them.
You can get the idea from your surroundings, after all you know likes and dislikes of your child. You have better understanding of your child’s nature, skill, and interest.
You can be creative in this situation. I will give you some idea to help you to figure this out.
Tips to engage your child from screen to real world
- As I have mention before children stick to screen because of reward influence.
So, make habit of giving reward whenever they complete task or having a good behaviour.
There two benefits of this. First, they feel rewarded in the real world and second, they increase good behaviour.
Even praising in a good way also fit as a reward.
- Get them involve in your daily chores according to their age. Start with the simple one like put their toys at proper place, arrange their desk/cupboard, helping with the cleaning etc.
Don’t forget to give reward for their task. By doing this your child is away from the screen and learn new thing and at that time when you are working together you will get the time to talk with them and spent time
- Play together their favourite indoor/outdoor games. This one is my personal favourite as it includes some fitness, quality time together.
- Encourage them to explore their surroundings. Give them some idea to experiment new things. In this you can get the help of social media.
- Encourage your child to join real world activity like dance, music, defence, mountain climbing, swimming, anything of their choice and interest.
I hope these ideas helps you to detach your child from screen. If you have any other idea, please share with us. Your words are really mean to us.
Addiction of screen is a problem of many parents. If you get value to my article, please share it with other parents and teachers.