Do you know anyone with ADHD? Many of us do. It was British pediatrician Sir George Still in 1902 who first identified what he called a hyperkinetic impulse disorder – which today is called ADHD. It meant that that kid like me could not control their behavior as well as other children.
Almost 120 years later… we still don’t know the specific cause. How many kids’ lives would have been different, had doctors recognized it as a real condition?
That’s where we are today with technology and kids.
We don’t know if the increase in depression, anxiety, self-harm, suicide ideation, and suicide are the reasons for this increase. But consider this quote from Dr. Victoria L Dunckley, who is author of the book, RESET YOUR CHILD’s BRAIN, “This rise in childhood psychosocial and neurodevelopmental issues has increased in lockstep with the insidious growth of electronic-screen exposure in daily life. Not only are children exposed to ever-increasing amounts of screen-time at home and in school, but exposure is beginning at ever-younger ages.”
There are likely many stressors in today’s life that contribute to this rise. However, we must ask ourselves, “is unfettered access to technology, social media and video games by teens and tweens playing a role… and maybe a significant one at that?”
This video explains how and why you should help manage your child’s online life.
