Resources

Children addicted to gadgets – where is the real issue?

Many of us, as parents, are facing the issue of our child being addicted to mobiles, video games, social media and various other gadgets. As an immediate reaction, parents either bring it up as a problem statement or solution being sought. Conscious Parents rather start with understanding the root of the problem and if they have also contributed to it.

We all would agree that

  • We ourselves are addicted to these gadgets and kids observe it closely
  • We ourselves don't like to be idle and need something to be engaged i.e. we are always consumed by doing. We have lost the ability to enjoy just being, not doing anything and enjoying ourselves. Same message has gone to children through different situations.
  • Boredom is a big challenge for all of us.
  • We have almost lost touch with nature and are mostly confined within the boundaries of modern life inventions

It would be very difficult and silly to tell a kid who is addicted to these gadgets to stop using them. We should first investigate some of the questions posed above, for ourselves and then see how the answers to these questions can be found by the child for himself. To repeat, it is not about giving answers to the child but helping child find the answers.