A child who is plugged into an electronic babysitter whenever he complains that “there ’s nothing to do” becomes an adult who is incapable of being alone with his thoughts for more than fifteen minutes. In The Mindful Brain, Dr. Daniel Siegel says,
The busy lives people lead in the technologically driven culture that consumes our attention often produce a multitasking frenzy of activity that leaves people constantly doing, with no space to breathe and just be. The adaptations to such a way of life often leave youth accustomed to high levels of stimulus-bound attention, flitting from one activity to another, with little time for self-reflection
This doesn’t mean that kids should be prevented from watching TV or using computers. I am not advocating that we raise a generation of Luddites. The digital era has brought countless benefits into our lives. But given the limitless stimulation offered by electronic devices and the potential exposure to things that are entirely inappropriate, it is crucial that we engage our children early in conversations about using these gadgets so that as they move into the independence of adolescence and are less under our influence, they will be able to make intelligent choices.
Like us, they will have to figure out how to balance their plugged-in life with their unplugged one. I will be sharing more suggestions for how to manage that challenging balancing act as we proceed. (From Parenting With Presence: An Eckhart Tolle Edition)
For more support on raising kids in the digital age, please visit this page to for information about a very special 90″ webinar I will be offering with Dr. Victoria Dunckley on Feb. 15, 2017: When Screen Time is Never Enough (Replays available)
