If you’re a parent, you may not be aware of the severity of your child’s attachment and dependence on electronics until you take them away.
Susannah Lewis is a perfect example of this- one day, when her 8-year-old son got into trouble for staying on his iPod at midnight when it was school night, she realized that her son was dependent on his electronics.
Together with her husband, his father, they decided to take away his electronics for an undetermined period of time.
She wrote about this problem on her Facebook account. They realized something bigger about electronics and their young boy…
Young Boy Aged 8 Reacts Harsh When Left without Electronics
Lewis explained in her status that her son became enraged and said disrespectful things to his parents when he heard about their decision.
When she looked at him while he was screaming like ‘crazy’, she recalls how he didn’t look anything like the sweet boy she loves and cherishes. He wasn’t being himself and this scared her to tears.
She believes that she was the culprit for his addiction to electronics and video games. She had actually introduced him to an iPad as she wanted to give him some entertainment while they were on road trips with him when he was only 3.
She would also send him off to play video game when she had a lot on her plate and needed free time. But, then, she wasn’t aware how all of this behavior contributed to his addictiveness.
Her boy was so inattentive before that she considered testing him for ADD. He was preoccupied with gaming or too busy searching for his consoles and thinking about his games.
But, several days after they instilled their rule, the boy started to change- whatever she asked from him, he completed and he didn’t obsess with gaming.
A Boy Who’s Now Happier & Kinder
The boy is now much happier and kinder towards his sister and his parents. He goes outside and plays with them and he’s no longer angry.
He spends time drawing or reading and he’s enjoying it. His teacher says he’s become more attentive and he’s always waking up on time for school.
He’s become more talkative and asks questions about nature- about the clouds, cows, and trees when they’re riding in the car.
Lewis explains she’s never been happier to play ‘I spy’ in her life.
She says she was always aware of the negative impact of excessive screen time; but didn’t realize that her son actually had the problem of too much.
For a period of 8 to 10 months, the boy’s been brainwashed with Minecraft, Fortnite, and other video games.
Mother Is Changed too
In order to be a good example for her son and daughter, Lewis also puts away her phone often-they spend more time talking and being attentive to each other.
After 15 days of electronics detox, her son was able to play a console again-but this time, he had a limit.
And, he doesn’t complain- he doesn’t beg or cry. He doesn’t say: ‘fifteen more minutes, please’ nor ‘can I just finish this level’.
He simply turns it off and goes and does something else.
She shared this story because she wanted to help other parents realize that making limits in their children’s screen time can make all the difference, especially in children with anger issues or children who’re constantly in bad mood, have low attention, and whine when they don’t get things their way.
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