It’s documented in many studies (http://sitn.hms.harvard.edu/flash/2018/dopamine-smartphones-battle-time/, https://catalog.loc.gov/vwebv/search?searchCode=LCCN&searchArg=2007017864&searchType=1&permalink=y), that a child’s response to technology is similar to the way a drug addict responds to a substance. Since there is plentiful articles of this, why is there so little awareness on the topic? Just from these articles we can deduct that excessive usage of any kind of technology (Smartphone/Computer/TV etc.) is, in fact, as bad as drugging a child. It’s a new form of addiction that can severely impact a child’s mental health. All this can be caused by a neurotransmitter of the brain called Dopamine.
The above substance is a neurotransmitter that helps two neurons communicate. It’s released during pleasurable or rewarding experiences and gives signals to your brain to crave for even more satisfactory stimuli (http://www.oxfordreference.com/view/10.1093/acref/9780199534067.001.0001/acref-9780199534067).
There are two main categories of rewards that increase dopamine levels. The healthy/positive ones, which occur when a child makes an effort developing new skills, works hard and achieves specified goals e.g. learning a new musical instrument, being part of a sports team, finishing homework and receiving praise for accomplishments. As for the stimulated/negative effects which are exhibited when a child repeats an unhealthy behavior multiple times (e.g. being in front of a computer screen watching videos for countless hours on Youtube, playing video games or using social media applications to receive repeated short-term satisfaction that is easily obtainable with minimal effort).
Unfortunately, dopamine receptors are extremely fragile. When under high levels of dopamine, they tend to become less receptive or shut down completely. This phenomenon is called downregulation (https://books.google.gr/books/about/Cognitive_Therapy_of_Anxiety_Disorders.html?id=SgG-AFvlL-YC&printsec=frontcover&source=kp_read_button&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q&f=false).
Thus the children need a lot more of the stimuli they’re addicted to, so as to gain any satisfaction. Eventually, they will have to use technology more excessively, to release the dose of dopamine they need, and consequently end up getting addicted. The result is an aggressive, competitive, less cooperative and less empathetic behavior towards their family and friends.
And whilst addictive substances like alcohol and tobacco, have age restrictions due to their harmful effects, smartphones, computers and other technological gadgets do not. As a result, many parents unknowingly, leave their children unmonitored for countless hours behind a screen.
Under such circumstances, children, unaware of their addiction, begin to develop some troubling social and psychological traits. With technology, and especially the usage of the internet, children never have to wait for anything. Whatever they want, is easily accessible anytime, within seconds. And since children consume technology and it is patterns from a very young age, they expect results and gratification almost immediately all through their lives. So they get accustomed to the sensation of getting whatever they desire, without actually working for it, something that of course is very different from the real world, away from their screen. Thus, the sudden realization of how "cruel and hard" society is lowers their self esteem significantly. In addition, their social skills also suffer, from being formed inside the "Internet's anonymity bubble protection". They face most of their relationships as superficial, with no desire to form actual feelings of love and care for other people (http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/neuroskeptic/2011/11/06/susan-greenfields-dopamine-disaster/#.XEijEc1oSUk).
In order to prevent the above, there are alternative options and tools that can help kids over their technological addiction while improving their mental health. It is important for children to find a way to receive gratification from modes that are non-technological and on the same time improve their cognitive development.
Some of the following activities might prove greatly effective: outdoor playing, reading, discovering their creative inclination (art, craft, singing, dancing or even science). It's also very important that adult carers and parents spend time with them as so that they develop the ability to be emotionally expressive. A parent shouldn't impose strict time constrictions on work and play, but just reason out with the child by explaining the positive and negative aspects of doing something. Finally, multiple and varying remedial methods should be encouraged (rhymes, games, craft activities) rather than strict and harsh classroom tactics (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4449495/).
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