For you 20- and 30- somethings, you’re probably all too familiar with it. It ruins dates, spoils reputations and alienates spouses all while throwing up a brick wall to human interaction. And just like any bad habit, the younger you pick it up, the harder it is to break.
There is little more frustrating than trying to have a conversation with someone and they won’t make eye contact with you. This is especially true when the lack of visual engagement is thanks to digital devices, such as a smartphone or computer tablet. And with children starting to use these at progressively much younger age, what’s now being called ‘screen addiction’ is a growing problem in society’s children and young adults.
This addiction- as it’s being classified- is culminating in more than just adults with lacking social skills; there are actually tragic effects screen addition is having on our young people. According to a recent PBS documentary, “Web Junkie,” those having harbored screen addition start to perceive the world around them as fictional and an extension of the fantasy world in which they immerse themselves on a daily basis. This is particularly alarming considering all the interactive games out there of an aggressive, military nature.
And this epidemic isn’t just taking hold of American children, either. Screen addition is also having adverse effects on the younger population in China, as well. In fact, it’s considered a clinical disorder complete with access to rehabilitation centers focused on curing youngsters with months of treatment. The treatment completely isolates the young patients from all media and is focused on allowing them to lead a socially normal life into adulthood.
If untreated, screen addition also can result in more than just social awkwardness. When parents hand youngsters cellphones and tablets, instead of allowing them to observe the world around them, they are effectively opening the door to a virtual world. Upon this door opening, they are opening a world of very limited human interaction, impacting their behavior, health and scholastics.
Immersion in a virtual world removes a child’s time to daydream and contemplate the world so new to them. It limits their interaction with their family and opportunities to build their peer network with fellow children at school. It is also sure to make them a poor date as an adult who can’t hold a normal conversation with eye contact.
