The Tech Addiction Epidemic: How Screens Are Reshaping Our Kids’ Health

Andi Lew NOV 2025

You & your kids addicted to tech?

It’s a case of “monkey see, monkey do,” and it’s a real health issue.

The epidemic is the secondary lifestyle that has become the byproduct of using too much technology. It’s not just about being seated, but it’s the type of posture we have developed, which is scary and a huge concern!

Absolutely, children should be limited to screen time, and in my professional and personal opinion, I believe no child should have technology until at least the age of 10 or 11.

Their developing brains are not equipped to process such fast-moving imagery.

I remember growing up and watching a television program like "Australian ABC Playschool," which was shot all in ‘one take’ for a reason. It allowed a child and the viewer to not be overstimulated. That slow, moving panning of the camera allowed our brains to keep up with the way we are supposed to view imagery.

Now, prolonged use of any type of screen causes eye strain, poor posture, and the soft tissue in the spine starts to form in a hunch back shape, meaning that the nerves in the thoracic region are compromised. Distorted signals to the lungs and diaphragm create feelings of anxiety.

As a qualified chiropractor‘s assistant, I’ve seen too often somebody with a closed heart posture and a rounded spine that puts them in psychological distress and feelings of depression just because the communication from the brain, down to the body and the nervous system, is now distorted as a result of forward posture.

My son didn’t get phone usage until he was 11. We were employed by the Australian Telco company, Telstra, to tell the story and make an ad about it. We set boundaries, and he understood the ramifications and dangers before any kind of adult device was given. And that’s exactly what it is! It’s an adult device that’s been given to children. Just put that into context.

Now, my son doesn’t even have social media, and he’s almost 16.

When I grew up, I remember my parents had limited time for television. It was no more than one hour a day, and we would sit with the family to watch the show. Having parental guidance (PG) on the type of entertainment we were exposed to was crucial, as a conversation could be had around what was viewed.

It should be no different from using technology and creating time constraints or guidance.

In fact, it’s worse because of ‘tech neck’ & posture issues.

Other health ramifications are the brain wave activity, which is compromised by the electromagnetic fields (EMF) and radiation.

We should also note that it is disruptive to sleep and melatonin production, which is the sleep hormone.

Exposing eyes to the blue light will certainly impact the quality of sleep for anyone, but especially children. Another big health issue is overdosing children on melatonin Gummies. This is the sleep hormone, but this hormone is naturally produced when children are not exposed to technology at night, and we allow our eyes to adapt to the morning light for the first hour upon waking as well, instead of turning to technology in a dark room.

As a health and wellness expert and certified Coach, this is one of the biggest epidemics and problems for children to date. I’m extremely concerned about parents and grandparents allowing babies to be babysat by an iPad or an iPhone. We are supposed to be having multiple conversations with our children, as this is how they learn from the way you are perceiving the world as well.

The amount of tech time during a stroller or pram outing removes the amount of conversation and learning time for the child. They miss out on the ‘emotional refuel’ as well. This results in extremely stressed children, and then we wonder why we cannot soothe them after a trip out.

Grandparents have mutual benefits in limiting screen time for their grandkids. One of the beautiful joys of being a grandparent is that having a small human to look after allows a sense of purpose, extra movement, and being present, or contributes to feelings of well-being for both.

Absolutely, there can be damaging psychological effects if certain imagery is witnessed.

Usually, being supervised with an adult is going to work better, but the adult needs to be aware that children should not be exposed to anything other than slow-moving and relaxing imagery, like nature and animals, or cartoons that are educational and not violent.

FaceTime with a family member can be okay, but I would avoid doing those kinds of calls at night, where the melatonin hormone will be disrupted. Usually, a phone call would be better to hear the person’s voice and keep it on loudspeaker away from the children’s brains.

I also recommend having products from Leela Quantum to help us harmonize our electromagnetic field and radiation.

Grandparents sometimes like to ignore boundaries, like when they may think they’re being a fun and favored grandparent by giving Candy or junk food to their grandchild, but instead are disrupting their microbiome and immune system. More articles like this are imperative to educate the wider public.

This is why I wrote my book ‘Wellness Loading, disconnect to reconnect’.

Flipping through this book and creating a higher sense of purpose and understanding the health benefits of disconnecting from technology is crucial.

Activity such as connecting to nature, cooking from scratch and playing with food, and active servicing community or something creative at home will allow the person having the digital detox to have a higher sense of self-worth and feelings of well-being.

Understanding that technology is the new epidemic will help all caregivers navigate the importance of having boundaries on tech usage, but it needs to start with parents and grandparents. Children learn by watching, not being told. If the child is watching the caregiver on technology all the time, the child will want it as well.

A fun game to play is that the TV or technology no longer works! Then replace it with something animated and creatively fun.

If anyone still has difficulty with technology, addiction, tantrums, or sleep, I would love to help with Wellness Coaching.

Or - Watch Episode 36 of my podcast, "Well to Do."

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