This is Your Brain on Technology, Kids and Electronics

We live in the "Digital Age" with technology becoming more and more sophisticated and necessary.  We carry around "smart" phones in our pockets that can do everything from giving you detailed driving directions, to measuring your heart health, to diagnosing a leaky window. It's incredible and as a result many of us our "glued" to our cell phones all the time. It becomes a habit.

Habits are formed by having some kid of a cue or reminder for a behavior, completing the behavior, and then getting a reward for the behavior.  The reward reinforces the behavior, so we keep doing it.  We get a notification on our cell phone (cue), we check our email (behavior), and we feel loved or important (reward).  While habits are hard to break, many experts say that cell phone usage is out of control and becoming an "addiction." 

While this is alarming for adults, it is even more detrimental for our children and their developing brains.  Join me as I interview Alisa Barnes, Physician's Assistant with Wee Care Pediatrics about the impact of technology on our children's developing brains.  Learn how technology is impacting imagination, social interaction, and emotional regulation in young children.  Become empowered as a parent to recognize the positives about technology and learn how to set effective limits to assist your child to develop healthy skills, create meaningful relationships, and have better overrall health.