Currently, we are immersed in an Information and Communication Technology (ICT) society, characterized by urgency and haste, where it seems that if we don’t use some technological resource, we are disconnected and lost from the world and our environment. It’s as if the day lasts fewer hours than before, and our duties and responsibilities increase considerably throughout the day. We rush in the morning to get to our jobs, then to get home, and when we want to spend time with our families, fatigue, the use of ICT, and lack of enthusiasm win the battle.
The same happens to children. Full schooling, the academic competition of educational institutions, and the system itself seem to exhaust students. We want and intend to make our children understanding adults and geniuses in subject content and skills at their young age. It matters little whether they learn by playing or not, whether they explore or enjoy new experiences… the important thing is to respond to the competitive and fast-paced system that is carried out to obtain good results and, with that, benefit educational institutions.
Children under six years old are currently “digital natives“, as from an early age they are immersed in a technological world related to cell phones, video games, consoles, or computers.
Having the possibility to use some type of technology allows the development of certain skills in young children, such as: visuomotor coordination; problem-solving; logical reasoning, spatial orientation; strategy, and improved reflexes, among others. However, these skills could be channeled through other types of tools, resources, and methodologies, less appealing to today’s children.
The most palpable effects on children under six years old who habitually use this resource excessively are alarming. Among them are:
– Lack of social interaction due to little contact with other children, small families of one or two children, parents working all day, and limited socialization due to not using common and public spaces.
– Sedentary lifestyle (obesity, overweight). Lack of exercise, reduced physical education hours at school, the comfort of being still… prevent a healthy life, leading to diseases at an early age.
– Irritable behavior. Irritability, understood as an emotional state characterized by less control over temperament that generally translates into verbal or behavioral outbursts (Snaith and Taylor 1985), caused by the loss or end of a particular game, alters the child’s organism, causing them to react with poor emotional control.
– Dependence, that is, and limited to the topic of ICT abuse, the need for a specific game or playtime to feel well-being.
– Disorder in study habits and routines. Children habitually create this disorder because playtime will depend on their satisfaction or frustration level. If the result is positive, they will carry out their activities with enthusiasm and calm, whereas if their result is not optimal or expected, they will lose that emotional stability, and their study routines will be displaced or postponed until they achieve the expected success in the game.
– Demotivation. Lack of interest in outdoor activities. Avoids having to make physical efforts and venturing into the unknown, with environmental factors that could affect their condition. Prefers to remain under controlled, safe, and comfortable circumstances.
– Impulsivity, violence and, in some cases, anger. Behavioral impulsivity is characterized by a lack of motor and emotional control and by acting without thinking about the subsequent consequences, driven by the desire for immediate gratification.
– Disorientation in the notion of time. Children who show a degree of video game addiction lose, in one way or another, the notion of time. Playtime will correspond to the triumphs or defeats generated at the moment. In the case of a high frustration index, the child will require more time to achieve the expected satisfaction.
– Sleep disturbances. Sometimes, the degree of violence in games directly affects sleep stages, potentially causing night terrors or nightmares related to the video games they play during sleep phases three and four (where brain waves are slower).
– Anxiety in various circumstances during the game. Certain fears could be generated beforehand, anticipated, without knowing or recognizing the reason for that sensation.
Among the most common causes of dependence on video games and other technological resources are:
– The number of such devices in homes.
– Parents’ work activity and the limited time to share with them.
– Low parental control and supervision over children’s actions.
– Lack of consistency and coherence in established rules, if any.
– The option of being more comfortable.
– Safety inside the home rather than outside (parks, squares, play centers, etc.).
– The ease of quickly finding what they are looking for.
– The feeling of achieving some kind of reward when winning a game.
Despite this, having dependent children worries parents. That is why some recommendations are provided below:
– Avoid the use of video games, consoles, computers, tablets, and even television inside bedrooms.
– Establish routine schedules for eating, studying, sleeping, and recreation, including the use of ICT.
– Plan family activities outside the home that are appropriate for their age and motivation.
– Make use of parks and public places, uncongested, where there are more children with whom they can interact.
– Encourage sports with walks, bike rides, or trips to the hill. If done in a family group and with a positive attitude, it will probably be more motivating for the child.
– Show the positive use of ICT, highlighting enjoyment of documentaries, types of music, or online exercises that are appropriate for their age and motivations.
– Invite conversation, simply and straightforwardly, about the harm caused and the effects brought by ICT dependence.
– Establish a range of activities, games, or YouTube channels where parents have made an exhaustive selection of content.
– Reduce irritability through strategies that lead to an internal reflection on what caused that anger, rage, annoyance, or other feeling, and find the solution. Teach them to breathe and control impulses so they can self-regulate.
– Consult a specialist for specific guidance.
– Strive to provide affection, time, and concern, in order to foster their integral development.
Finally, understand that preschoolers could be in the process of becoming addicted to ICT use. The DSM-V takes its first step to consider behavioral addictions in the classification of currently described addictions.