It would not be news to say that excessive use of technology is negatively affecting children of all ages. Screen time not only affects children’s mental health, but can also negatively impact parent-child relationships, attention span, self-esteem, self-identity, academic performance, physical fitness, and social development. According to a survey, around 70% of parents these days struggle with excessive tech use at their homes. Be it smartphones, tablets, or laptops, parents are finding it hard to manage the screen-time of children. The issue does not end here; managing tech use is also a key concern at schools as devices continue to be an integral part of learning. This makes us eager to learn and understand the idea of tech withdrawal—behaviors and emotions children exhibit when technology use is diminished or removed. In this blog, let’s learn about tech withdrawal, what it is and what parents and teachers can do to manage it effectively.
Tech use is like an addiction, and thus, it has the same neuroscience underpinnings of any withdrawal. Withdrawal is generally the opposite of the high or effect. Thus, if tech use seems to “help” a child calm down i.e. deal with anxiety or anger, withdrawal will lead to heightened anxiety or anger. Technology and social media use is aimed at manipulating dopamine in our brains. When children are deprived of their smartphones or other devices, they feel a sudden change in their dopamine system, leading to several behavioral, cognitive, and emotional consequences.
Striking a healthy balance between tech use and other activities is crucial for children of all ages. As per the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (AACAP), toddlers under 2 years of age should only be allowed to use screens for occasional video calls or watching educational programs under an adult supervision, while those between 2-5 years should only be allowed to watch non-educational content 1 hour per weekday and 3 hours per a weekend day. Whereas, children aged 6 years or older should only have 1-2 hours of screen time per day.
The prefrontal cortex of a child is not fully mature until they are about 25, making it difficult to self-regulate and rationalize the loss of tech. Which is why knowing how to sensibly tackle tech use, addiction, and withdrawal is important for both parents and teachers, so that they can create sensible limits, a balanced environment, and take a compassionate approach.
Going cold turkey with tech withdrawal is harder than gradually reducing the screen time. To effectively manage tech withdrawal, start by communicating clear limits and warnings to your kids. For example, let them know in advance that they will be using their screens for just 2 hours a day rather than 3, then gradually decrease it to 1 hour. Or, remind them that they only have 15 more minutes left to use their phones. Establishing clear cut boundaries is always a good idea to mentally prepare children for tech withdrawal.
Involve yourself with children or find peers for healthy real-life physical activities or hobbies to help with cravings for tech. Go with them on hiking, do sports or exercise together, show them how to paint, craft, learn playing musical instruments, or play games like puzzles or board games together. Take them to playdates with other children to encourage social development and foster face-to-face interactions.
Same goes with tech withdrawal at school; teachers should involve students in group activities and encourage sports club or community services. This way students can make real friends and learn to shift their focus from the digital world.
It’s important to teach children that screens do not belong everywhere. Parents should indicate certain screen-free zones, such as dining table, bedroom, study room, and prayer areas, so that children can indulge wholly on the family time.
Similarly, teachers can develop a no-phone policy inside the classrooms, locking the cell phones away in lockers and giving it back after school. This way, students will have better focus on the lecture, which will improve the learning outcome. Teachers should also convey tech literacy to students through educational programs, where they can learn about negative consequences of excessively using social media and how to use tech more responsibly.
Children learn best through modeling, and adults are the primary models for them. If you as an adult restrict your child from using a phone, but continue to use yourself, you may be viewed as a hypocrite. Adults need to be role models by limiting their own screen-time, explaining when they are using tech in a positive productive way ( ie buying groceries not scrolling social media) and prioritizing not-tech healthy activities with children and loved ones.
I have something I call a ‘ tech reset plan’—a 6 step plan for helping families/schools develop healthy tech habits. Here you implement a ‘tech reset’ using meaningful goals and motivational techniques, where every person is involved in the process rather than singling out one person.
You can also reward your child if they comply with screen rules by giving them an incentive like something nice, a small amount of money or a toy. This will reinforce the positive behavior and will also minimize the tantrums and withdrawal associated with tech loss.
Adults should offer their support to children while they manage tech withdrawal and encourage them to communicate their feelings. Teachers can also involve students in mindfulness programs, where they can cope with stress associated with tech loss. However, if symptoms get worse and become unmanageable, be sure to seek professional help!
Tech withdrawal is very real, but there are many strategies you can opt to manage it successfully. While writing my book The Tech Solution, I coined a term called “Homo-Techicus”, which refers to someone who optimizes the power of tech with positivity. This is what we need in this digital age as parents and educators.