I often grab my phone mindlessly and find myself scrolling through Facebook, Insta or watch any video randomly at least 30-35 times a day. And many times, the reason why I picked up the phone is to check a note or a reminder, and what I explore on the phone is altogether different. Using the mobile phone unconsciously has led to mobile phone addiction now. When anybody has nothing to do, the next thing is to pick up the mobile right next to you.
When we adults have always been doing this, and our kids have seen us doing so, the only resort kids see in their free time is to reach the mobile to get occupied. Mobile phone addiction in children is a problem every parent is facing today. And when children are restricted to mobile phone or video games, they show a high degree of resentment.
No child is lazy or stupid. They have so much energy in them that they constantly find reasons to be engaged and busy. This energy, when given a proper direction, can create wonders in the child’s life.
What provokes children to reach the phone or video games?
When children are free from school or homework and have nothing to do, they enter a state of emptiness, looking for something to keep them occupied. The next thing on their mind is to reach the tv, mobile phone or video games.
Since it is the easiest to get hold of a mobile phone of any family member, that is the first resort for any child. Video games are also sort for. Also, the nature of the society now; the families being nuclear, neighbours isolated, there is hardly any socialisation and kids do not find a way to fulfil the vacuum in them.
What do they get out of spending hours on the phone?
They find continuous engagement playing games or watching videos. The vacuum created due to not having any task at hand vanishes and is replaced by a feeling of excitement and entertainment that they are constantly looking for.
Here, the problem is not the root cause of what provokes them to do so or the result,
but,
it is the means used, the habit, the behaviour that is not good or leads to addiction. Parents are clueless when the child’s first resort becomes an addiction. Nowadays, children are addicted to the mobile phone for 3-4 hours at a stretch in a day, playing video games for hours together or watching tv.
The Pandemic lockdown has even added to this due to restrictions in moving outdoors. Children finish their school classes on mobile or tab, and the only thing they have on their mind post-school is playing games or watching videos on the phone. The signs of mobile phone addiction or any digital device can be many-
Knowing the cause and the result, the next question is how do we deal with mobile phone addiction in children?
There are two ways to work on doing away with mobile phone addiction. One is either you break the mobile phone addiction suddenly or go gradual on reducing it step by step. The method to be used depends on the type of child.
Identifying the type of child and the method to be used is best known by coaching classes that work on the child’s life skills to change the child’s behaviour. Kids do not know to find their passion naturally. Hence, parents must help them find a purpose, a path, and a passion.
I have come across one such coaching for my child, the “Life Mastery Coaching for Children for Career and Personal Success”. They have trained professionals who understand child psychology and behaviour. In coaching like this, they aim to transform the child’s mind by giving them the right career direction, understanding strengths and weaknesses, discovering the challenges the child faces daily, and setting goals for the child to overcome the purposeless habits and transforming them to success habits. The daily and weekly tasks at hand keeps the child busy in achieving goals and the child finds no time to divert to use of mobile phone or playing video games.
So, this replacement with something that interests them leads to a change in the child’s behaviour, replacing to making something productive. Behaviour change can be in the form of reading a book, working on scientific experiments, building robots, taking a nap, etc. And this positive change in the child’s interest also brings relaxation and excitement in the child’s life.
The only way to great parenting is to help your child find a purpose in life and fill their times of vacuum with their interests, passion, and strengths to help them take steps to lead a happy and successful life.
The early years of teenage are the golden years in a child’s life. Don’t let them go in vain in mindless activities. A simple step taken by you in enrolling for the right coaching can transform your child’s life. Give them the opportunity to tap the creativity of their minds and change their lives.
