We live in a digital age. Understandably, it is extremely hard to separate our existence from the digital world, but especially in case of the adolescents today.
Due to COVID-19, learning has shifted to online medium, which has increased the reliance on technology. Google searches have replaced the visits to the library in search of information.
Our social connections also have become different; rather than talking to people, we add them on Facebook and follow them on Instagram. And while on surface it may seem like technology is godsend and simply good, the reality belies it.
Addiction to social media has now been classified as a proper addition disorder, on which you might need to confer your Best Child specialist in Lahore if your child is undergoing it. Too much use of screens has also been shown to be damaging for the body.
Therefore, it is natural to raise the very pertinent question, what is my child’s future in this digital age?
The harms of digital world
While we cannot know for sure what the future holds. While there are benefits of technology, however, experts area also rightly concerned for the wellbeing of the adolescents who are under the greatest influence of technology.
Some concerns from the experts include:
Addiction
Just as parents are concerned about addiction to drugs or drinking, they also should be concerned about addiction to digital world, like the social media. These addictions have the same debilitating impact on the mind, because the digital world is being curated this way.
Essentially, your brain releases dopamine when the body undergoes a pleasurable experience, like eating something you like. The point of the release is to make the body remember this pleasurable experience, for an encore episode.
However, when this reward center is stimulated over and over again, it then paves way for addiction, as you then want to keep getting that pleasure. Tech companies are therefore investing a lot in analyzing the reward center, so that they application is able to generate a similar response in the body, leading to user’s dependence on it.
Cognitive abilities
Cognitive abilities refer to the mental capabilities of the person, including their critical thinking, problem solving, comprehension, and learning skills. According to some experts, technology is gravely affecting these skills in children.
So potentially, our future generation may face challenges of focus, memory, and critical thinking skills, all due to the excessive use and reliance on technology.
Threat to the well-being
Not all adolescents and children are aware of the implications of putting every aspect of their life on the social media. The lack of privacy can potentially put them in a difficult position, whereby security breaches occur.
Digital thefts are becoming increasingly common; whether it be profile, pictures, or passwords, all are being stolen for nefarious purposes.
Moreover, excessive sharing is also something that may harm your child’s employment; companies now search the social media profiles before recruiting people. If your child did something thoughtless a decade ago, it may jeopardize their future then.
Impaired creativity
Another impact of technology is the lack of creativity. For your creativity skills to flourish, you need to look at something other than your screens. Moreover, due to use of social media, which offers little to no intellectual stimulation, and streaming sights, children end up wasting more of their time on the unimportant things, rather than wisely utilize it for learning.
Impaired mental health
Another extremely concerning effect of digital world, especially the social media, is its impact on the mental health. Even now many children undergo stress and anxiety from their social media feeds; terms like FOMO have been coined to carry the debilitating effect of excessive social media usage.
If you suspect your child to be suffering from mental health issues, you must confer with the Best Child specialist in Karachi for expert advice.
