
Why Smart Devices Are So Addictive
By Movieguide® Contributor
Addiction specialist Dr. Nicholas Kardaras explains how technology rewires the brain, especially impacting those whose brains are still developing.
“Brain imaging research shows that glowing screens can stimulate the brain’s pleasure center as much as cocaine, making them highly addictive, especially for children whose brains are still developing,” Dr. Kardaras said. “We’re not just talking about a bad habit; this is rewiring an entire generation’s neurology and mental health.”
This comparison reveals why screen time is associated with so many negative effects among toddlers. While the brain continues to develop until age 25, a majority of the development takes place during the first years of life, meaning any neurological changes during those years will have an enormous impact on that person’s life.
“Eighty percent of a child’s brain development occurs by the time they’re 3,” said Dr. Liz Placzek, a pediatrician at Children’s Minnesota. “So those are really crucial years that we need [to be] moving, playing, interacting, [and having] face-to-face conversations.”
It is for this reason that when screen time takes up a large majority of a toddler’s life, they experience higher rates of depressed speech development, lower rates of cognitive function, lower attention span, and worse memory.
READ MORE: HOW INFANT SCREEN TIME COULD HAVE LASTING EFFECTS ON DEVELOPMENT
Dr. Kardaras’ comparison to cocaine also helps explain why at any age, a high screen time habit is linked to anxiety and depression. A study released last fall found that 27% of teens who engage in four or more hours of screen time a day reported experiencing anxiety, compared to only 12.3% of teens with less screen time exposure, per Fox News.
“Studies like these show the true extent of how much time our children are spending on screens and the worrying consequences to their mental health and well-being,” Dr. Neha Chaudhary, a psychiatrist at Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, told CBS News.
For these reasons, Movieguide® encourages parents to set screen time limits for their children and help them find activities and hobbies they enjoy that are away from technology. Furthermore, parents are encouraged to model proper boundaries with technology themselves, setting an example for their children on how they should use their devices.
READ MORE: TEENS EXPERIENCE MORE PEACE WHEN SCREEN TIME IS LIMITED