IT expert cites perils of digital addiction

Exposing children to digital technology could result in dire consequences as it can create a negative impact on the minds of people, especially the children, according to an American IT expert.

“Don’t let any addiction stand in the way of going through a digital rescue. We need to act on this tsunami of technology,” said Brad Huddleston, consultant and author of Digital Cocaine: A Journey Toward Balance and The Dark Side of Technology: Restoring Balance in the Digital Age, in a recent talk held at Bonifacio global City

Huddleston, also a pastor, commended parents who have never introduced computer games to their children, pointing out they are on the right track because this is a major step to preventing them from becoming digital addicts in the future.

in an interview in 2007, gates told the reporters that he disallowed his children to use a mobile phone until they turned 14. Jobs, meanwhile, revealed in a 2011 New York Times interview that he did not allow his children to use an ipad.

Meanwhile, Huddleston suggested children from ages 0 to 11 should be discouraged to use gadgets and television. “From 12 and up, you can gradually introduce it to them,” he said.

“Bill gates and steve Jobs love their children and that is the reason they limit the use of the technology devices by their children,” Huddleston said.

“We need to set the crooked things to become straight. i know these are unintended consequences. We need to act with regards to this tsunami of technology,” Huddleston added.

Although they are aware of the dire consequences, Huddleston lamented that tech companies are not yet making warning labels on games.

He said parents have to bite the bullet as they cut off totally the use of digital devices. He added a moderate exposure on a computer game is like saying the offer is for half a line of cocaine, instead of the whole line. “it’s that addictive,” he said.

Huddleston said a user could be detoxed in a moderate way. But before jumping into moderate use, he said the patient must first enter rehabilitation. Moreover, digital addicts are prone to anger, anxiety, depression and guilt.

He warned digital addiction can have an emotional impact on the frontal lobes of the brain. Moreover, Huddleston noted there will be a decline of the attention network which will probably result in more cases of Attention Deficit Disorder.

The result is an adrenal shutdown with the effects being cycles of mania, depression and anxiety. it hampers an individual’s ability to learn.

“Digital addiction has been likened to cocaine addiction. it hooks in very quickly and rewires the brain,” he said.

“The internet part of it makes the problem worse. social media, games and pornography are the biggest challenges in digital life,” he added.