Screen Dependency Disorder Is Real, and It Damages Your Child's Brain

Various studies have shown that excessive use of screen can hurt children, from sleep problems and difficulties with communication to socialization and brain development. Now, new research has claimed that prolonged gadget use can lead to "Screen Dependency Disorder."Screen Dependency Disorder or SDD refers to screen-related ‘addictive’ behavior, according to Dr. Aric Sigman, a US-based psychologist who authored the research paper ‘Screen Dependency Disorders: A New Challenge for Child Neurology.’ It is closely associated with Internet Addiction Disorder.

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According to Claudette Avelino-Tandoc, a Family Life and Child Development specialist and Early Childhood Education consultant, children as young as 3 or 4 years old can have SDD. In an e-mail interview with Smart Parenting, Avelino-Tandoc explains that kids with SDD grab their device the moment they wake up and eat at the table with their eyes glued to the screen, playing games, watching shows, or manipulating apps.

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