Digital Addiction

Today’s younger generation, unlike their parents, often socialize, and communicate online, rather than in person. They prefer to text rather than talk on the phone, and often prefer to socialize on Facebook or Twitter rather than any coffee shop in the town. The younger generation has been referred as one of ‘Digital Natives’ while the older generation has been referred as of ‘Digital Immigrants’.

Unlike the older generation, young people are highly capable of multitasking, which is seen by the older generation as a lack of our attention and focus. Multitasking usually isn’t so uneffective.Young people are completely habitual to multitasking. The younger generation often has MORE difficulty focusing and paying attention when they are deprived of multitasking!!

Many youngsters spend too much time in front of a computer screen, spending up to 18 hours daily. Spending countless hours daily on gaming and Internet can hamper young people’s emotional, intellectual, physical and spiritual development.

The older generation primarily used the Internet to gather important information and current news. where as the younger generation uses the Internet for a wider range of activities. Which includes homework, fun, gaming, social networking, information gathering, listen to music, to view videos, post photos, blog etc.

Older generations, being digital immigrants, mostly views all the online activities and multitasking as waste of time. They neither recognize, nor understand, the social value of online networking, the learning that takes place in online games, the multitasking capacity of young people, and the enormous fun and pleasure that young people derive. Parents are concerned for the welfare of their children. They are frightened that their kids would waste their lives with meaningless online activities. They are concerned that their kids will drop out of school and are worried that the Internet may ruin their children’s lives.

Parents when try to confront children, they often feel misunderstood and isolated by their parents. It often results in continuous family conflict, breakdown of communication and disharmony. At times, when parents take away the computer or disconnect the Internet, some youngsters have responded violently towards their parents. So they tend to find other ways to connect to the Web and play games and socialize but they won’t simply give up on internet!