Stimulation overdrive
With the advent of technology, our children are transitioning from the natural world into the virtual world. It is easy to get sucked in by the world of technology; smartphones, computers, television, and video games are all highly stimulating, leaving children yearning for more exciting stimuli.
This addictive behavior is especially powerful among children, as their prefrontal cortex (the brain center for impulse control) are still not fully developed yet at such a young age, making them less able to delay their gratification for technology. These children then become unwilling to part ways from their electronic devices and spend most of their days indoors, greatly diminishing their contact with the outside world.
“The more high-tech we become, the more nature we need.”
– Richard Louv
It is hard to counterbalance technology addiction
Louv notes that technology should not be targeted as the antagonist for a child’s healthy development. It is rather how there is no counterbalance to the addictive pull of technology that draws children deeper into the virtual world, making it harder for them to come out to the natural world.