The Science Of Screens and Their Effect On Children – Part 2
If you’ve read Part One of the Science of Screens and the Dopamine Dump you will understand that screens change the neurochemistry in our brains. Screens are designed to keep you watching, so they can market to you using your data with an algorithm.
There is no way around it, screens are part of our lives and it’s harder than ever to escape them. The rules around screen time are tough to stick to with everything that is going on in our lives – we are overwhelmed as parents and educators. If you can decrease the screen time just a little bit at a time, you are doing a great job!
Dopamine and screen addiction can affect:
- How they behave
The exciting design and nature of screen time triggers the release of dopamine. Our kids associate screens with pleasure and, therefore, something they want to spend more time with. With time, the brain adapts to these high levels of dopamine and the time they spend with it. When they are not engaged in screen time, their brain can’t get enough dopamine, and the child experiences withdrawal symptoms where children display irritability, tantrums, acting out, and aggression. Example: The project Nighfall iPad Kids
- Engaging with other kids
Before 2010, kids were spending on average 2 hours per day with their friends (excluding time at school). This has dropped by 2019 by 67 minutes!
Face-to face social interactions are necessary to develop social skills, empathy, resilience, and confidence.
- Digital connections are winning
Online maturity is happening from a young age, as our children are spending more time in the digital world, it’s harder to spend quality time as a family – either at the dinner table, at a restaurant, or on a weekend trip. A screen is always in front of them.
This means your child spends more time connecting with their screens instead of you.
- Schoolwork and focus
Studies confirm that children are less likely to finish their homework, the more time they spend using digital devices.
There are other consequences of screen time for your child. In 2023, researchers from the University of Montreal found that kids who spent more time on screens had lower attention spans, contributing to the rise in ADHD. The reality is social media platforms train our brains to have a shorter attention span. Example: TikTok videos and Instagram stories are typically only a few seconds long. No child under the age of 13, should be spending any time on social channels. Spending hours or even a small amount of time consistently in this space results in difficulty concentrating and focusing in classes, leading to a gradual decline in academic performance.
- Physical Health
The amount of time that kids spend sleeping has declined from the early 2010s.
A shocking 30% of toddlers, preschoolers, and school-age children struggle with insomnia and insufficient sleep. Studies have found that this is due to either children using or being exposed to digital devices before bedtime.
Exercise (participating in other physical activities) has declined, too, contributing to higher rates of obesity.
How do you stand firm in your rules around screen time?
We suggest creating a technology agreement that you both agree to. Codey has created one for you to use. This way, they understand and agree to the rules ahead of time. Use a stopwatch to enforce the screen time rule, that way, they can be cross with the timer, and they agree to the time. Don’t be afraid of them being bored. Boredom breeds creativity.
Marko Juhant, Parenting Coach & Bestselling Author from StrategicParenting.com, offers some great advice, and encourages parents to stand firm in their convictions and to not seek their children’s approval. We know our children will protest, and we cannot change the rules when they do this, they will simply react that way every time, in the hopes that you will waiver again. The dopamine does this to their brains.
The next time you know your child won’t like your decision:
- Take a deep breath. Be sure of your convictions and that you are helping their development
- Remind yourself: “I am the parent. My approval is all I need.”
- Expect protests but remember: your child’s reaction isn’t a measure of whether your decision was right.
The science is behind you, and you can keep to your convictions guilt-free! Try a Codey adventure, so your children understand that there is good and bad online. You are protecting them and introducing them to the real world – which plays a much bigger role in their healthy development. Even small decreases in screen time will make a big difference moving forward.