It’s ‘digital heroin’: How screens turn kids into psychotic junkies

[Maru]

http://nypost.com/2016/08/27/its-digital-heroin-how-screens-turn-kids-into-psychotic-junkies/

She found him sitting up in his bed staring wide-eyed, his bloodshot eyes looking into the distance as his glowing iPad lay next to him. He seemed to be in a trance. Beside herself with panic, Susan had to shake the boy repeatedly to snap him out of it. Distraught, she could not understand how her once-healthy and happy little boy had become so addicted to the game that he wound up in a catatonic stupor.

Thoughts?

[Alf]

You can't just blame the kids, the adults are supposed to set the example.

[hijaxers]

http://nypost.com/2016/08/27/its-digital-heroin-how-screens-turn-kids-into-psychotic-junkies/



Thoughts?

Wow that's a parental reality check

[Tom4784]

I found the article to be badly written and scaremongering in nature.

It's silly to blame technology when it's the parents fault for not moderating their kids' usage when they obviously aren't in touch with reality. I've played games and used computers all my life but they would never affect me like this because I can differentiate between fiction and reality and I can say the same for plenty of other people.

The problem isn't with technology or gaming or whatever, it's with the individual and their parents enabling them when they shouldn't.

[arista]

You can't just blame the kids, the adults are supposed to set the example.


Bang On Right Alf


USA Parents
Shocking.

[Vicky.]

The easy way to avoid this surely is to...limit screen time?! Easy enough...

[Toy Soldier]

I found the article to be badly written and scaremongering in nature.

It's silly to blame technology when it's the parents fault for not moderating their kids' usage when they obviously aren't in touch with reality. I've played games and used computers all my life but they would never affect me like this because I can differentiate between fiction and reality and I can say the same for plenty of other people.

The problem isn't with technology or gaming or whatever, it's with the individual and their parents enabling them when they shouldn't.
I agree - scaremongering nonsense and the solution, as with most things, is simply moderation.

The biggest problem with tech over-exposure, in my experience, is actually over-anxious parents wanting to have their kids "safe where they can see them" (on the couch with a tablet) rather than allowing them any freedom. My daughter loves the PC but if one of her friends knocks on the door, she's straight up and out :shrug:.

[Maru]

Wow that's a parental reality check

I'll say. I quoted that part because it was OTT and a little hilarious. I feel it believable though.

I found the article to be badly written and scaremongering in nature.

It's silly to blame technology when it's the parents fault for not moderating their kids' usage when they obviously aren't in touch with reality. I've played games and used computers all my life but they would never affect me like this because I can differentiate between fiction and reality and I can say the same for plenty of other people.

The problem isn't with technology or gaming or whatever, it's with the individual and their parents enabling them when they shouldn't.

I disagree that it is badly written. Just because the viewpoint is one-sided for the sake of being a cautionary tale, doesn't make it a badly written article. The title is obviously click-baity (for sure) but it's a viewpoint from one side. A lot of people get by without technology being an issue. I think it's meant to stress--like with food--too much of one thing can lead to health problems. A lot of people don't see tech though as being an area where caution needs to be exercised. At least not in the US. We know how to limit sugar because it's obvious, it leads to diabetes and being overweight, but a lot of people aren't as keen as to sicknesses of the mind. I don't think it's encouraging people to throw away their iPads though.

It does remind me of the the age old argument that videogame violence leads to school shootings and acts of violence in children. It's how we ended up with the ESRB rating system (Nintendo Exec with the US Senate '96' (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lzB9p82RmjQ)). I always thought that viewpoint was OTT, but now that I'm older and have witnessed a generation grow up with technology being cheap and internet being more of a utility, I can see where where technology is reshaping the way our brains work and not necessarily in ways we would ever intended. Obviously some people are not as vulnerable to certain patterns of behavior/addiction, but I thought the drug user connection was at least interesting. I've done long no-tech/low-tech breaks and it's the most wonderful thing ever. Though in my childhood we didn't have tech so I could immediately see the benefit of not having a computer or phone to answer.

They're utilizing an extreme take on the situation, but I think just a cautionary tale. I can see where in the psych field and health industry where some of my friends work, that there's going to be a little bit more of a push on parents to be more anti-tech or in the very least to warn them with some of the cases they are seeing. Especially when it's not straight-forward or easy for parent's to evaluate the challenges of interactive media. It's one thing for a parent to sit through a movie with a kid or to screen before they watch. You can flip through a comic and see it has anything inappropriate relatively easy. It's trickier with a 40 hour video game where the experience is constantly being modified (unless it's something basic like a simulator or a nintendo game). I remember the PS1 demos we used to get, they had games like Duke Nukem on there... our parents would've had a fit if they knew what was in that demos. :laugh: (Loved that game though, it was hilarious... and Beavis & Butthead :laugh:)

I'm surprised if it was mainly Minecraft that caused the addiction. Unless they were on multiplayer a lot I guess. It gets predictable in the singleplayer mode... maybe because it was their first game.

The easy way to avoid this surely is to...limit screen time?! Easy enough...

Yep. I'm grateful I work a tech field. No bedroom computers and will install custom firmware on the router so I can set a timeclock on each Mac address in the house. What's that, Johnny? Your internet is out? Oh, I guess the internet ran out of tubes... we can only afford so much tubing and mom's gotta work :laugh:

I agree - scaremongering nonsense and the solution, as with most things, is simply moderation.

The biggest problem with tech over-exposure, in my experience, is actually over-anxious parents wanting to have their kids "safe where they can see them" (on the couch with a tablet) rather than allowing them any freedom. My daughter loves the PC but if one of her friends knocks on the door, she's straight up and out :shrug:.

Unless your kid ends up like the one in the quote... :laugh: otherwise--yes--then moderation is key right?

Your stuff in bold is true in the US. When I lived in up north. Kids here go out to play more, but it depends on the area and definitely not as much as they we used to when I was younger...

I don't think tech should be a parenting device. Like when you can't keep your kid quiet, you give them a phone or an ipad to play with. I can understand if you're busy and just need a few minutes, but not a long-term thing... kids need to learn to deal with boredom on their own. Actually, boredom is proven to force the mind to be more creative... that's why they suggest shutting off your tech if you need to finish homework or in art school they give you only a two colors to work with. The latter does help a lot with producing better work, especially if you're the type to get wrapped up in the tools rather than the end product.