A few days ago I read about a BBC documentary called “Web Junkie” that tells the story of three teenagers in China who were sent to a government rehabilitation program to cure their “internet addiction.” Given last week's blog post; Momma's Don't Let Your Babies Grow up to be Tech-Zombies, I felt compelled to watch it. It was sobering, to say the least. (I downloaded it on Vudu.com, but you can watch a trailer here.)
China, a country saturated with internet cafes where computers hold thousands of teenagers captive 24/7, has declared this a mental disorder and established dozens of boot-camp like programs where desperate parents—usually through some form of trickery—drop their kids off for a minimum of three months. The treatment is draconian and pretty abusive, but as I listened to the parents weeping and pleading with their sons, I couldn't help but think of my friend I told you about last week, who is at his wit's end trying to figure out how to get his 15-year-old off of the web.
The risks are great and parents need to be aware, because the decisions you make for your kids now regarding screen-time will be critical in shaping their souls as they grow up.-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
As I shared last week, I don't normally get into parenting issues, but when I look to the future, I believe nothing threatens the spiritual life of our children, and thus our future as a whole, like the tentacles of technology that reach into every area of our lives. The risks are great and parents need to be aware, because the decisions you make for your kids now regarding screen-time will be critical in shaping their souls as they grow up.
But this is all the more reason we need to make informed choices--so that we can give prepare our kids for what lies ahead. As it is, they spend more time engaging with media than anything besides sleeping, according to a 2010 study that showed 8 to 10-year old's averaging eight hours a day, and older kids and teens more than eleven hours a day. (The same study revealed that less than a third of all children said they were given limits on screen-time)
As powerful as knowledge can be, we are formed more by what we do than what we know. This means that no matter how much you try to teach your children or share important truths with them, in the end, their daily activities will win out in shaping the kind of people they will become.--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
THE RISKS OF TAKING TECHNOLOGY LIGHTLY
With that in mind, here is a smattering of what research is revealing happens to kids who spend too much time engaged with technology:
- Diminished imagination and creativity: too much screen time produces kids who feel bored and lost without their devices, yet have no idea how to fill the time because they never developed the imaginative capacities needed for healthy growth.
- Stunted social skills: Digital overuse makes kids less able to connect with and interpret social cues, particularly the nonverbal kind. Since over 60% of our communication is nonverbal, this is a serious disability for navigating our world, and for healthy relationships.
- A disconnect from reality: Kids today live in two worlds--the virtual and the real, but they often do not understand the difference, and the lines are so blurred that many kids believe the virtual is more important.
- Inability to think critically or problem-solve: Because the web fosters reading snippets and continual reliance on outside information, children are not learning how to think deeply or critically and many even resist trying.
- Anxiety and addictive behavior: As I noted last week, there is a resistance to calling screen-time addiction because we all rely on it so much. However, all the signs are there when kids are forced to withdraw from technology. They experience anxiety, anger, frustration, and even depression. In fact, one important study found that resisting cravings for screen-time was harder than almost any other addiction--smoking, drinking or sex, included.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Kids today live in two worlds--the virtual and the real, but they often do not understand the difference, and the lines are so blurred that many kids believe the virtual is more important.--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
We all know what it's like to wrestle with trying to live as Jesus did--times of solitude in God's presence are hard to come by, and the distractions of life can cause us to go through entire days or even weeks without really listening for his voice. We've learned from experience that while God abundantly provides the grace we need; availing ourselves of that grace requires arduous and intentional discipline. But for children who from birth have been immersed in a digital universe, the neural pathways that are being deeply formed in their brains will make this almost impossible.
Of course God is far more powerful than technology, and given the brain's plasticity, change will always be possible. But when we have the privilege of paving the way for our kids to more readily respond to God's grace, why not do everything possible to that end? In short, I believe that the greatest risk we incur by not managing our kid's digital lives, is that it will be more difficult for them than any previous generation to engage in a transforming relationship with Christ.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
In the next post I will offer some ideas on how you can handle this cultural phenomenon in a way that fits your family. But let me end with this: Everything I have written about our children is true for you and me as well--the risks are the same. We too are entrenched in technology that threatens to rob us of the very thing for which we were created and called of God. We ourselves need balance and discipline here every bit as much as our kids do. And while we don't have to have it all figured out before we start addressing this in our homes, we definitely need to be taking these issues seriously for our personal lives and making some hard choices day in and day out. More about that next time.
SEND A SUGGESTION--WIN A BOOK: If you have a great idea about how to help your kids manage screen time, please send an email with your idea plus your name and address to: tricia@soulatrest.com. I will choose three of the best to receive a free copy of my book: Sacred Chaos: Spiritual Disciplines for the Life you Have.
In short, I believe that the greatest risk we incur by not managing our kid's digital lives, is that it will be more difficult for them than any previous generation to engage in a transforming relationship with Christ.--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
SEND A SUGGESTION--WIN A BOOK: If you have a great idea about how to help your kids manage screen time, please send an email with your idea plus your name and address to: tricia@soulatrest.com. I will choose three of the best to receive a free copy of my book: Sacred Chaos: Spiritual Disciplines for the Life you Have.
I read this and now realize that I am right to tell my 3 sons, "Real life is calling. The sky is blue and cloudless, so get outside."
ReplyDelete