School holidays and the technology battle

It’s school holidays – time for chilling, relaxing, sleep-ins and for parents no school lunches!  It’s also when technology is an easy option of entertainment for your kids.  They want to watch TV, play on ipads, playstations and x-boxes.  They also want to sit on phones on social media, youtube etc.    Technology addiction is becoming the addiction of children and adolescents. 

Many sources quote up to 50% of teenagers being addicted to gaming/phones/social media.  As a mum and a practitioner, I believe it to be much higher than this. 

Adults are just as bad with the average person checking their phone 63 times a day, and usage being up to 4 hours a day.

This addiction is the result of the feel-good neurotransmitter dopamine that is released by the brain when they play video games and use social media.  They then want to experience this feeling again and again.  With the extra dopamine that is then produced, the brain gets messages to produce less of this neurotransmitter and they end up with a diminished supply of dopamine.  This in turn leads to anxiety and depression.  It also leads to issues with self-esteem, affects their sleep and ability to relax. The amount of dopamine released with playing a video game is similar to what is seen after an IV injection of an amphetamine (a stimulatory drug).

It is the increasing battle of parents everywhere! 

Tips:

·         Create boundaries and time limits (and stick to it).  Kids are unconsciously being forced to stay in the game.

·         Put computers and gaming devices in a location where you can monitor what is being watched and played.

·         Have open conversations about these topics.  Find out what they are playing.  Become involved in their world.  Let them know your concerns and provide them with information.

·         Spend time with your kids doing things they enjoy – know their interests and spend time with them doing those things.

·         Be aware of your own habits around technology.  Kids mimic what they see and observe. 

·         Have fun with your children and enjoy the last of the holidays!