To hate ‘if you restrict it they’ll be addicted later on’

[InkyPinkyP0nky]

I always see this in relation to screens. Do you give your child free reign with cocaine every day? How about with a bottle of vodka? Perhaps a bit of cash to spend on the fruit machines? Do you sit down in the car and offer your 8 year old a fag?

No.

I don’t understand how screens are any different from other addictive substances (alright, apart from the fact it’s a physically harmful than most and it’s a socially acceptable addiction). But an underdeveloped brain will ultimately be more likely to become addicted to something.

I’m not against screens, not really, but why do we deny that the endless algorithms and methods used in games are built to be addictive and act like they’ll be in any way useful in real life.

I agree. I'm also not against screens and we have plenty of screen time, but there have been periods where I've had to remove iPads and phones because it just makes behaviour so bad. I'm dreading them getting older and the pressure for consoles etc. - I think it's a difficult thing to balance, the benefits of problem solving/socialising against the addictiveness.