Screen addiction The new tobacco
WE ARE a nation of technology addicts – and the habit starts early. Britain’s children are glued to their smartphones, tablets and televisions for a shocking five hours a day or more, according to an investigation published last week by broadcasting watchdog Ofcom.
Previous research has indicated a third of British under-fives own a tablet or smartphone.
And the obsession seems to be fed by parents, with four in five believing that gadgets aid development – in contrast to growing concern among medical experts.
Just this month the American Society of Paediatrics produced detailed guidelines linking screen time to the risk of a child becoming overweight for life, sleep disturbance and developmental problems. And the more time parents spent in front of a screen, the more their children did.
A growing body of evidence suggests all this is having a devastating effect on mental and physical health.
Health bodies in the US now recommend that children under two should have no access to screens, under-fives an hour, and those under 18 a maximum of two hours. There are no such guidelines in the UK.
So just how worried should you be? The Mail on Sunday spoke to leading researchers – and parents – to help you decide whether it’s time for you and your children to switch off, before it’s too late…
‘DIGITAL HEROIN FOR CHILDREN’
DR NICHOLAS Kardaras is a leading American psychotherapist, addictions specialist and senior clinical consultant at the Dunes East Hampton, one of the world’s top rehabilitation units. He is also author of the recently published book Glow Kids: How Screen Addiction Is Hijacking Our Kids. He says: ‘Screen time is “digital heroin” for children – especially those under ten.
‘Some accuse me of scaremongering for comparing it to addictive substances such as tobacco and drugs. But I have treated patients with crystal meth problems and can tell you it’s harder to get someone over a digital addiction. Unlike illicit drugs, screens are everywhere.
‘It’s not just children, though. The average age for a video game addict is 35. But children are particularly at risk from screens because the pre-frontal cortex – our personality centre – doesn’t finish developing until their early 20s.
‘A recent study by scientists at Indiana University saw teenagers who didn’t usually play video games tasked with playing for two weeks.
‘In this short space of time, brain images before and after showed changes in the frontal cortex that mirrored substance addiction.
‘I urge parents not to fall victim to the digital babysitter. I have nine-year-old twins and they are not allowed near screens like iPads. Look at Steve Jobs – he famously gave his kids a very low-tech childhood. Ask yourself why.’
‘IPADS COULD BENEFIT BRAINS’
DR DUNCAN Astle is a neuroscientist at the Medical Research Council’s Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit in Cambridge. He says: ‘There is no compelling evidence that screen use in itself has a significant positive or negative effect on the brain. That is because it is incredibly difficult to study in a tightly controlled way, as so many other factors will also influence how long a child might spend in front of a screen. These may include parental discipline and levels of parental education, for example. It’s likely to be a combination of all these things that affects brain development.
‘Also, just because something such as screen time may affect the brain, it doesn’t mean it’s a bad thing. With gaming, for example, research shows players have better attention and memory skills.
‘I haven’t seen any research about children being addicted to iPads. People can become addicted to pretty much anything if they are exposed enough. For all we know, iPads may be beneficial for young children’s brains. Other scientists are using the devices to create apps for children with autism, for example.’
‘A TRAGEDY WE MUST ADDRESS’
LITERARY specialist Sue Palmer is a former headteacher and author of Toxic Childhood: How Modern Life Is Damaging Our Children. She says: ‘Children today get far