Colman Noctor: Parents must regulate use of devices at home

The immersive design of electronic devices is borrowed from the psychology of casino design

Videogames are great as part of a balanced media intake - but ancillary content like lootboxes make certain titles a cause for concern

Colman Noctor

CHILD PSYCHOTHERAPIST

If Santa brought some form of a technological device into your home this year, it’s likely it hasn’t left your child’s hands since it arrived. Such is the captivating qualities of these devices, which have a unique capacity to consume our attention and create a desire for more. Whether the gift under the tree was a Nintendo Switch, X-Box, tablet or smartphone, the dynamic is much the same.

The allure of these electronic devices became apparent to me some years ago when recording a pilot for a TV programme. The premise for the pilot was to film a social experiment with preschool children. We initially gave them some traditional toys, markers, paints and paper. The children engaged well with the materials and began to play together, interacting through the toy figures and commenting on each other’s drawings. I moved around the room and observed how they were all keen to interact with me and describe what they were doing. The room was humming with chat.

But when we removed the toys and paints and gave the children a tablet each, what happened next was eerie. The previously chatty room fell into silence. Their gaze locked onto the devices, and the interaction ceased immediately. I attempted to engage them in conversation about the game they were playing, but the manner of their response was fundamentally different. Some muttered one-word answers without looking up, and one child waved me away as I was distracting him from his activity.

The most interesting aspect of the experiment occurred when I requested the children to hand up their mobile devices. The change in tone was remarkable. Some became angry and demanded more time; one ran into the corner of the room with the tablet. This contrasted with the ease with which they returned the toys and artwork.

This small-scale social experiment highlighted how technological devices are fundamentally ‘different’ to traditional toys,, so our approach to managing them needs to be different.

Designed to hack attention

The captivation gaming technology induces in children is well documented, and these technologies are designed to hack our attention and keep us on screen for longer. This deep absorption is often associated with social media, but it is also evident in gaming consoles and other smart devices.

The immersive design of these technologies is borrowed from the psychology of casino design, which features building windows or visible clocks. The aim is to encourage slot machine users to lose track of time.

Tristan Harris, previously a design ethicist at Google and now a well-known critic of technology, describes the core appeal of gambling as the ‘variable rewards system’. This system involves a different outcome each time the same action is carried out. For example, a different result is possible each time you pull the lever of a slot machine. Gaming and social media scrolling are modern-day iterations of this principle, and scratch cards are classic examples of variable reward systems. Many contemporary console and tablet games have ‘loot boxes’ that can be purchased in-app, which again are based on variable rewards because they have the potential for high reward or abject waste.

Computer-driven algorithms are another mechanism for keeping us on screen. These algorithms feed the ‘auto-play the next video’ feature on YouTube and use our search terms to suggest more videos similar to what we have just viewed to keep us watching and watching.

The collection of points and completion of levels is part of a process known as gamification theory, utilised to promote ongoing engagement. These dynamics are challenging enough for adults to manage, never mind putting this responsibility onto young children who cannot self-regulate. It’s up to parents to take control. Just like we regulate our children’s sleep and diet, the same principles apply when introducing technology into their lives.

Healthy relationship

But we must also regulate the type of screen usage children engage in because not all screen usage is bad. This is why we need to treat technology like food. Technology is not good or bad - it can be both. Like there is no such thing as good and bad foods; there are only good and bad amounts of certain foods, which again comes down to regulation.

We need to focus on the ‘time spent’ on technology and consider the notion of ‘time well spent’. No one would expect a child never to consume chocolate, but we would also not permit children to have chocolate for breakfast, lunch and tea. Technology is so pervasive that we need to decipher our usage, similar to how we conceptualise our diet. It’s not about your child never having technology - it is about creating a healthy relationship with it, maximising enjoyment without compromising their social functioning.

Getting a device for your child is akin to getting a puppy, and the work only starts then.

Here are some tips to help your child create a healthy relationship with technology:

1. Start tight and loosen as you go. Keep your supervision levels at a high level initially and regularly spot-check their friends’ list and ensure they are not connected to anyone they don’t know.

2. Set the rule: ‘The better you manage this, the more responsibility they will get’. If they hand up the device promptly and politely, they will get extended time the next day. If they do not manage this, they will have less screen time the next day.

3. Teach them the difference between time poorly spent and time well spent on technology. For example, spending 30 minutes on YouTube learning a new song on your guitar is beneficial, whereas spending 30 minutes playing a game that gets them upset and angry is not.

4. Role model good technological usage. If you are checking work emails over breakfast, your child will see technology as a priority. Be mindful of your use and attitude toward technology; they will learn from you.

Technology is a fundamental part of our lives. But how major a role it plays will be determined by the relationship we form with it. Many influences in the technological world will promote the creation of bad habits and normalise excessive usage and engagement but it is up to us as parents to counter these messages and promote a moderate relationship.

• Dr Colman Noctor is a child psychotherapist