The Conversation – Jackson A. Smith and Dillon Thomas Browne
“Luke’s parents gave him a cell phone last year for his 10th birthday. Since then, the amount of time he spends playing video games on and off his phone has increased. Luke has gained weight and recently started refusing to play on his sports team after school, preferring to stay home and interact with peers online. His grades at school have also declined. Recently, Luke and his younger brother got into a physical fight after Luke’s brother “killed” his character in a first-person shooter game. With summer break in full swing, parents like Luke’s are concerned about their children spending more and more time on their devices. They are worried about how this might affect their child’s health. They wonder when (and if) they should draw the line. They often ask us, as psychology researchers and clinicians, “is my child addicted to screens?” A few important considerations emerge in response to this question.” (more)