Turn Off & Tune In:
By Maureen Schuster
Banishing Digital Addiction
In China, there are
military-style boot camps
to treat teenagers with
Internet and digital
addiction. In fact, China
is the first country in the
world to recognise this
addiction as a clinical
disorder. Take a look
around the next time
you’re out in public
and you’ll see the
same scenes unfolding
everywhere; people of
all ages with their heads
bowed down and engulfed
in the digital world. It’s
time to take a stand.
Picture this, a beautiful Sunday afternoon at a restaurant
on the water at Clarke Quay. A family of four dines on
lunch sets with colourful salads and sandwiches piled high
with cheese, lettuce and ripe tomatoes. The family is not
engaged in conversation; instead their noses are buried
deep in smart phones and tablets. Even as the server sets
the decadent desserts on the table, no one looks up to say
“thank you” or to marvel at the chocolaty goodness placed
in front of them. They keep one hand on their devices and
the other to reach for their spoons and mindlessly eat in
silence. It’s a common sight on weekend afternoons in
Singapore. Even the youngest members of the family are
not immune to the media craze. A 2013 study discovered
that one out of every three children are using digital devices
before they even know how to speak!
Technology is here to stay. We need it to run businesses and
governments, complete school work, and basically manage
our lives. But what happens when connecting with family
takes a back seat to television, smart phones, and video
gaming systems? It means that it’s time to make a change;
turn off the electronics and spend more screen-free time
with your family.
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that
children under the age of two should not be watching
television or using digital devices at all.
Older children should also limit all forms
of digital time to two hours or less per day.
Unfortunately, today’s youth are clocking
in substantially more than two hours
of digital device usage, and technology
without limits may have negative
outcomes. Children who regularly use
technology for more excessive periods
of time are more likely to be overweight,
have poor grades, suffer sleeping
problems, and have difficulty maintaining
personal relationships.
Barbara Brock, researcher and author of
Living Outside the Box: TV-Free Families
Share Their Secrets, reports: “In recent
years, there has been a demise of reading,
family interaction, and social skills. With
the hours of screen time going through the
roof, it’s easy to draw a parallel between
these two distinct activity groups.”
UNPLUGGING THE FAMILY: DO’S AND DON’TS
lead by example. As the parent, you are your children’s most significant
Do
role model. Let your kids see you being actively engaged in life by
participating in academic pursuits, exercising, reading, volunteering and
being involved in hobbies.
make it easy on yourself. Make the transition to reduced screen time
Do
less painful by preparing alternative activitie ́Ѽ