Activities that once helped with body movement, real talking, or reading books are now often taken over by long screen time. Even when it comes to schoolwork, children often use studies as a reason to stay online longer. They say they’re doing homework or checking school messages, but often it’s just a way to stay connected to the device. When in truth, it is their attachment to the screen that is driving g this behaviour. It is not only about what they are doing online, but about how much they now need to be online in order to feel regulated, distracted, or emotionally at ease.
This shift is more than just a change in habits. It is creating a widening emotional and generational gap. Parents, who grew up in an era where expression came through spoken words, books, and physical activities, are finding it harder to communicate meaningfully with their children. Conversations are shorter, eye contact is rare, and shared moments often occur in silence, with screens in between.
When access to screens is cut off, many children respond with strong emotions that can be difficult to manage. Instead of cooperating, some may raise their voices and argue, expressing clear frustration with the situation. These reactions often reveal how much children depend on digital devices. Without the screen, feelings of irritation and upset rise quickly, making it harder for them to calm down or focus on something else. This emotional dependence on screens creates significant challenges for parents and caregivers, who often find it difficult to set clear boundaries without triggering conflict. As screen time becomes more central in children’s lives, finding a balance between allowing digital use and encouraging other activities becomes increasingly important for their emotional well-being.
As digital reliance deepens, so does its psychological impact. Many children show signs of emotional dysregulation tantrums when the device is taken away, restlessness in quiet environments, and decreased ability to stay focused or patient. Screens offer instant stimulation, which rewires expectations: things must be fast, entertaining, and constant. This mindset makes the real world feel dull and unbearable in comparison. When denied digital access, children react with frustration, anger, or complete withdrawal. This has also given rise to unhealthy sleep patterns. Insomnia is becoming increasingly common in younger age groups, as their minds remain overstimulated from screen exposure even at bedtime. Some stay up late under the pretense of studying, but in reality, they are cycling through apps, videos, or social media with no real pause.
At the core of this situation is something even more concerning: emotional disconnection. Children today are surrounded by noise, but many are suffering in silence. They are always connected online, but they lack the space or confidence to be emotionally present offline. Without regular face-to-face conversations, consistent boundaries, and emotionally safe environments, children slowly lose their ability to regulate stress. This leads to mental fatigue, confusion, and a constant sense of emotional discomfort. If this continues unchecked, it develops into deeper psychological risks. The inability to communicate pain, loneliness, or fear can lead children into darker emotional corners where feelings of hopelessness and isolation grow. Tragically, some begin to believe that they have no space to be heard or understood, and this internal isolation has, in many cases, contributed to severe mental health breakdowns and suicidal thoughts.
This is not an exaggeration or a passing phase; it is a structural shift in the way a generation is growing up. There is a clear movement away from emotional grounding, away from genuine social interaction, and toward isolated digital dependence. The longer this pattern continues, the harder it will be to reverse. We are not just shaping digitally fluent individuals; we are shaping emotionally fragile ones disconnected from their own feelings and from those closest to them. Unless there is a conscious, deliberate effort to rebuild meaningful human connection through presence, patience, and time spent away from screens, this emotional divide will keep widening. And once it grows too wide, it cannot be repaired with a lecture, a restriction, or a setting on a device. It will demand a rebuilding of what has quietly eroded: trust, closeness, and the comfort of being truly seen without a screen in between.
This shift is more than just a change in habits. It is creating a widening emotional and generational gap. Parents, who grew up in an era where expression came through spoken words, books, and physical activities, are finding it harder to communicate meaningfully with their children. Conversations are shorter, eye contact is rare, and shared moments often occur in silence, with screens in between.
When access to screens is cut off, many children respond with strong emotions that can be difficult to manage. Instead of cooperating, some may raise their voices and argue, expressing clear frustration with the situation. These reactions often reveal how much children depend on digital devices. Without the screen, feelings of irritation and upset rise quickly, making it harder for them to calm down or focus on something else. This emotional dependence on screens creates significant challenges for parents and caregivers, who often find it difficult to set clear boundaries without triggering conflict. As screen time becomes more central in children’s lives, finding a balance between allowing digital use and encouraging other activities becomes increasingly important for their emotional well-being.
As digital reliance deepens, so does its psychological impact. Many children show signs of emotional dysregulation tantrums when the device is taken away, restlessness in quiet environments, and decreased ability to stay focused or patient. Screens offer instant stimulation, which rewires expectations: things must be fast, entertaining, and constant. This mindset makes the real world feel dull and unbearable in comparison. When denied digital access, children react with frustration, anger, or complete withdrawal. This has also given rise to unhealthy sleep patterns. Insomnia is becoming increasingly common in younger age groups, as their minds remain overstimulated from screen exposure even at bedtime. Some stay up late under the pretense of studying, but in reality, they are cycling through apps, videos, or social media with no real pause.
At the core of this situation is something even more concerning: emotional disconnection. Children today are surrounded by noise, but many are suffering in silence. They are always connected online, but they lack the space or confidence to be emotionally present offline. Without regular face-to-face conversations, consistent boundaries, and emotionally safe environments, children slowly lose their ability to regulate stress. This leads to mental fatigue, confusion, and a constant sense of emotional discomfort. If this continues unchecked, it develops into deeper psychological risks. The inability to communicate pain, loneliness, or fear can lead children into darker emotional corners where feelings of hopelessness and isolation grow. Tragically, some begin to believe that they have no space to be heard or understood, and this internal isolation has, in many cases, contributed to severe mental health breakdowns and suicidal thoughts.
This is not an exaggeration or a passing phase; it is a structural shift in the way a generation is growing up. There is a clear movement away from emotional grounding, away from genuine social interaction, and toward isolated digital dependence. The longer this pattern continues, the harder it will be to reverse. We are not just shaping digitally fluent individuals; we are shaping emotionally fragile ones disconnected from their own feelings and from those closest to them. Unless there is a conscious, deliberate effort to rebuild meaningful human connection through presence, patience, and time spent away from screens, this emotional divide will keep widening. And once it grows too wide, it cannot be repaired with a lecture, a restriction, or a setting on a device. It will demand a rebuilding of what has quietly eroded: trust, closeness, and the comfort of being truly seen without a screen in between.
Sannya Sangma,
Bongaigaon Times
Bongaigaon Times
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