Not just 10 year olds though... Even kids younger than that. :( I have a 4yo, and we allow her to watch every weekend. On weekdays, we let her listen to a few minutes of kiddie podcasts. Sometimes though, I still worry about how it might affect her concentration and attention.
Totally correct, good article!! I would add the normalization of evil through Media, including Netflix and the most of the entertainment nowadays. No only children feed from them but adults too, movies teach and lie and deceive. Reality is a different thing, movies tell people how to behave but in a world that doesn't exist, that still has natural laws that ruled and if we go against what is natural we pay a huge price. Most of people live in cognitive dissonance and that is why life is so difficult for them. Chaos instead of order but order is necessary.
My son knows that video game addiction changed his brain for the worse, and he's worked hard to break his addiction. But he doesn't see the connection between that and his belief that he is my daughter. Luckily for my my grandchildren, his sisters see clearly.
Thank you for this very important and well-written article. I needed this reminder today. The way you explain it, is very helpful, compassionate and empowering. I don’t want to become a glitter box of meaningless information. Since Covid19, there is an acceleration of addictive behavior (amongst other negative effects). I notice a kind of Zombie-like effect. A numbing of communication skills. A deteriorating ability of everyday people and kids, to have sustained engagement with each other, or in community interactions. We used to get this kind of Dopamine effect, by spending time on our computers. On the phone now, it's even worse - the mind is sped up even faster than previously. I do better when I set a strict time limit, and schedule for these "pleasures." When I am less on my phone, I feel so much better. I needed reminding about the effect of having our minds and eyes engaged with electronics - how destructive is the "dopamine" hit of instant gratification.
Yes! "When the brain gets used to constant stimulation, normal life starts to feel boring. Real growth feels slow. Real relationships feel demanding. Real success feels too far away. The brain starts preferring quick dopamine instead of meaningful progress."
I couldn't agree more. I don't disagree with a single statement. I am 75 and I have had a computer since 1989, and even before the internet was available, I was totally addicted to it.
However, I never completely lost myself to it. I always knew I had addictions. It wasn't an unconscious thing for me.
In a way, this is old news. We've known about dopamine for a while. Before the internet we had overeating and sex addiction and TV addiction. Even exercising too much can be an addiction. All of those are better, I might add, than being addicted to drugs.
But thank you for reminding us of something we sometimes forget.
I wonder just how bad society will get. What has happened to us? Its a living nightmare
we seem to be teaching children to be anxious and need constant external stimulation.....
Not just 10 year olds though... Even kids younger than that. :( I have a 4yo, and we allow her to watch every weekend. On weekdays, we let her listen to a few minutes of kiddie podcasts. Sometimes though, I still worry about how it might affect her concentration and attention.
Totally correct, good article!! I would add the normalization of evil through Media, including Netflix and the most of the entertainment nowadays. No only children feed from them but adults too, movies teach and lie and deceive. Reality is a different thing, movies tell people how to behave but in a world that doesn't exist, that still has natural laws that ruled and if we go against what is natural we pay a huge price. Most of people live in cognitive dissonance and that is why life is so difficult for them. Chaos instead of order but order is necessary.
"There's an app for that!" 'That' being all the consequences of tech you describe. It is a vicious dangerous cycle run by tech worth billions.
My son knows that video game addiction changed his brain for the worse, and he's worked hard to break his addiction. But he doesn't see the connection between that and his belief that he is my daughter. Luckily for my my grandchildren, his sisters see clearly.
Thank you for this very important and well-written article. I needed this reminder today. The way you explain it, is very helpful, compassionate and empowering. I don’t want to become a glitter box of meaningless information. Since Covid19, there is an acceleration of addictive behavior (amongst other negative effects). I notice a kind of Zombie-like effect. A numbing of communication skills. A deteriorating ability of everyday people and kids, to have sustained engagement with each other, or in community interactions. We used to get this kind of Dopamine effect, by spending time on our computers. On the phone now, it's even worse - the mind is sped up even faster than previously. I do better when I set a strict time limit, and schedule for these "pleasures." When I am less on my phone, I feel so much better. I needed reminding about the effect of having our minds and eyes engaged with electronics - how destructive is the "dopamine" hit of instant gratification.
Yes! "When the brain gets used to constant stimulation, normal life starts to feel boring. Real growth feels slow. Real relationships feel demanding. Real success feels too far away. The brain starts preferring quick dopamine instead of meaningful progress."
Excellent post!
This is so true !!
I couldn't agree more. I don't disagree with a single statement. I am 75 and I have had a computer since 1989, and even before the internet was available, I was totally addicted to it.
However, I never completely lost myself to it. I always knew I had addictions. It wasn't an unconscious thing for me.
In a way, this is old news. We've known about dopamine for a while. Before the internet we had overeating and sex addiction and TV addiction. Even exercising too much can be an addiction. All of those are better, I might add, than being addicted to drugs.
But thank you for reminding us of something we sometimes forget.
This explains a lot. Thank you.
Excellent essay. Hope it gets a wider readership.
This is brillant.