We know that devices are harmful to our health, but do we really know how much they are affecting our child’s brain? I have seen dramatic changes in the health of the children that I treat in recent years. From ADHD to autism to neurodivergence, the incidence of learning and behavioural issues is skyrocketing! Let’s take a look at what some of the experts have to say about this very serious issue confronting all of us.

A vast ‘uncontrolled experiment’

A 2020 study published in JAMA Paediatrics was one of the first studies to investigate the neurobiological effects of screen watching on children. The authors outlined that “in a single generation, through what has been described as a vast ‘uncontrolled experiment’, the landscape of childhood has been digitalised, affecting how children play, learn and form relationships”.

“[The] risks include language delay, poor sleep, impaired executive function and general cognition, and decreased parent-child engagement, including reading together.” The study also found increased screen time associated with poorer white brain matter functioning in “major fibre tracts supporting core language and emergent literary skills”.

“We’re seeing autistic-like characteristics in children without autism”

Dr Mari Swingle is a neuropsychologist and author of the book i-Minds: How and Why Constant Connectivity is Rewiring Our Brains and What to Do About It. In an interview with Dr Gabor Mate, Dr Swingle explains that she is seeing more and more children presenting with autistic-like characteristics such as a “lack of smile response, [and] delayed verbal skills”.

“[The ones] I used to affectionately call ‘busy children’ [are now] just kids that are kind of running around aimlessly or conversely zombified when they’re not on the tech.”

Dr Swingle continues by stating that the “neurophysiological processes that regulate mood and behaviour are deregulating” and that on a “biological as well as cultural level, such brain state changes affect learning, socialisation, recreation, partnering, parenting, and creativity - in essence all factors that make a society and culture.”

“The phone is so attractive to that young brain”

Dr Shimi Kang is another medical professional who has grave concerns about the impact of devices on brain development. A psychiatrist and specialist in adolescent addition, Dr Kang is the author of The Tech Solution: Creating Healthy Habits for Kids Growing Up in a Digital World. Dr Kang takes our unhealthy habits with devices all the way back to infancy.

“Right now we have mothers who are on their phones while they’re nursing, or giving an infant a phone during a diaper change. The diaper change used to be this whole dynamic experience between caregiver and infant. You’d have to find a way to get them to sit still, and now you just give the child a phone and they lie quietly.”

“You can go to any restaurant and see that many, many, many children are being fed in front of an iPad or a computer. You see it all over the place. The phone is so attractive to that young brain.”

Dr Kang explains that neurobiology of attachment is displaced, including the release of bonding and mood-regulating brain chemicals like oxytocin, serotonin, and endorphins, that are known to be “the key to long-term happiness and success”.

Be a role model to the next generation

We can clearly see how detrimental devices are to a child’s brain. And for that matter, to an adult brain as well. But what can we do about it? Devices are such a big part of our day-to-day lives and like it or not, they are here to stay.

You may have your own children. You may have infant children, school-aged children or even adult children. Or you may not have children of your own. However, we all have children in our lives, and whether that’s our nieces and nephews, our friends kids or even through our occupations, we all play a vital role in their healthy development.

As any parent would attest to, kids mimic their parents. They may even mimic their grandparents, their aunties or uncles, or their teachers or childcare providers. This is where we can have an impact.

When interacting with a child, it’s really important to make sure that we are fully present. They deserve our undivided attention. It’s imperative that we put our phones down when breast feeding. Let’s make sure that we are fully present when taking our children out for a walk. Let’s jump on the playground and play with our kids. Let’s avoid the use of devices at the dinner table. Good habits begin with us, and these are some of the areas that we can begin to create good habits.

Encourage our kids to play. Play with them. Run around outside. Go for a bike ride. Play boardgames. Children love to play. And they especially love to play with their parents or those close to them. Encourage your child to read. Encourage your child to play a sport. Or an instrument. The brain (and body) is designed to move, and the more active children are, the better their brains and body’s will develop and grow.

Give children the best possible start in life

Life is busy. Life is stressful. And life is damn hard at times when raising kids. But small changes now can have a lasting impact on their learning and behaviour well into the future.

There will be resistance at first, especially if kids are used to being on their devices for extended periods. But we are only just beginning to see the damage that devices are doing to children, and we don’t know how much worse it’s going to get. The time for change is now!

Let’s all stand up together and be leaders for future generations to come. Let’s put our own devices down and lead by example. Let’s do whatever we can to give our children the best possible start in life!

References

1. Gabor Mate & Daniel Mate, The Myth of Normal: Trauma, Illness & Healing in a Toxic Culture, (New York: Avery, 2022).

2. John S. Hutton et al., Associations Between Screen-Based Media Use and Brain White Matter Integrity in Preschool-Aged Children, JAMA Paediatrics 174, No 1 (2020).

3. Mari Swingle, i-Minds: How and Why Constant Connectivity is Rewiring Our Brains and What to Do About It, (New Society, 2019).

4. Shimi Kang, The Tech Solution: Creating Healthy Habits for Kids Growing Up in a Digital World, (New York: Viking, 2020).