In this generation, technology makes our lives easier - that includes parenting and calming down our active kids. To release the mom guilt, admittedly I used a tablet and some kiddie videos to babysit my child whenever I had some errands. Indeed, there was no crying; his attention was fully caught by the colors and the nursery rhymes in his tab. But as the days passed, there were noticeable changes in Liam's overall self. He doesn't eat that much, had irregular sleeping patterns, throws frequent tantrums and he has no interest on toys or even with playing with me. Something was definitely wrong. I had to do something but I didn't know what was the problem, or little did I knew that his excessive screen time was the culprit. My mind didn't stop working. What have I done?

The phase that I've pacified him with the gadget is also the same time that I had my anxiety disorder; which I didn't know about. I hadn't even noticed what monster I became. Everything was slowly fading away. We were living with my husband's mother, and decided to move out. (This is another story) My husband offered me help, had a psychiatrist check me up; sought advice from my parents. Researched about Screen Dependency Disorder.

That moment I started to ask myself, how can I even care for my son when I was a total wreck?

Screen dependency disorder is real. Psychological disorders are real.

Here are some excerpts from Smart Parenting that shows some noticeable signs and symptoms of SDD.

"The disorder manifests a myriad of symptoms, including insomnia, backache, weight gain or loss, eyesight problems, headaches, and poor nutrition as physical symptoms. Anxiety, dishonesty, feelings of guilt, and loneliness are the emotional symptoms. Many of those who suffer from the disorder prefer to isolate themselves from others and are often agitated and suffer from mood swings, by Claudette Avelino-Tandoc. Based on Sigman’s research, those who are addicted to screens also exhibit dependent, problematic behavior, including withdrawal symptoms, increasing tolerance (for screen use), failure to reduce or stop screen activities, lying about the extent of use, loss of outside interests, and continuation of screen use despite adverse consequences."

If your child displays some or all of the indications written above, seek professional or psychiatric help immediately. SSD needs to be attended to as early as possible to prevent brain damage and inefficient information processing.

In dealing with weaning my son from his fondness of gadgets/youtube videos, here are some tips that might help you:

1. Play Outside. Outdoor games like running or skipping, playing with your neighbors or simply walking around your vicinity can help your child keep away from the habit. You can also go to the local park or clubhouse, where your kid might see different types of flowers, insects or animals. You can do this daily for about 30 minutes to 1 hour.

2. Talk to your Child. Regularly talking to your kid makes them think that they always have a friend to call or someone to talk about their feelings. You can also sing, tell jokes and lie down on the bed together and talk about random things. Communication is always the key.

3. Limit Gadget Use. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) has updated their guidelines, suggesting a maximum of one hour screen time a day for kids ages 2 to 5 years old. Babies below 18 months shouldn't be allowed to use gadgets. Not only for your child but this tip can be applied to us parents, because our kids imitate what they visualize in us. How can your kid start weaning when you can't apply this rule to yourself?

4. Engage your child on house chores. Chores can be tiring for us parents but enjoyable for the kids. Watering the plants, having your kid help put the ingredients while you're cooking, washing his clothes and sweeping the floor are some ways your kid can help. Acknowledging your kid's contribution to tasks can help build a sense of responsibility.


5. Educational toys and books are a must. Shape sorters, animals, alphabet, numbers and other toys can entertain your kid and help him learn in an enjoyable way. Make sure that you're right behind your kids so that when he/she needs help, you can assist them right away. Bedtime can also be exciting when you read a bedtime story every night. It should only take about 10 minutes, so why not?

Gadgets aren't all the way bad - they can be beneficial if used in moderation and with control. Anything in excess, would be detrimental. It's all about limitations.