In our hyper-connected, technology-driven world, the creeping dominance of digital devices in our children’s lives has become all too easy to overlook. Screens are everywhere—smartphones, tablets, gaming consoles, and streaming platforms saturate childhood. These tools, designed for education, entertainment, and social interaction, are undoubtedly useful. But for many children, these devices have crossed a critical line from helpful tools to something potentially more harmful.
The question we must wrestle with as parents, children’s and youth ministers, and church leaders is this: Are our children addicted to digital technologies? Even more sobering is the reality that society often views this dependency as normal or even acceptable. Digital addiction has been normalised to such an extent that we may no longer recognise it for what it is: a form of enslavement that demands our attention.
Unlike substance abuse or gambling, which are stigmatised and seen as overtly harmful, digital addiction is often socially acceptable—even encouraged. Screens are handed to restless toddlers to calm them, offered to school-aged children to keep them occupied, and relied upon by young people as a “safe” way to connect with friends. Yet this convenient solution often carries an invisible cost: the creeping dependence on technology that quietly reshapes behaviours, relationships, and even identities.
A Silent Epidemic
This dependency on digital devices has become so ingrained in our lives that we rarely pause to question it. Many of us have normalised behaviours that, if seen in other contexts, would raise serious concerns. Imagine if a teen’s compulsive need to check their phone were instead a compulsion to drink or gamble. Yet because the dependency involves screens, we shrug it off as harmless, even inevitable.
Consider three of the most common ways this addiction manifests:
- Compulsive Checking of Phones
For many young people, separation from their devices triggers visible anxiety. Their phones have become lifelines—a source of identity, validation, and comfort. Notifications function as Pavlovian triggers, reinforcing an automatic cycle of checking, scrolling, and repeating. Over time, this habitual behaviour mirrors addiction in other forms, fostering dependency and eroding the ability to be present in the moment. - Endless Scrolling
Social media platforms are intentionally engineered to keep users engaged. The endless feed, the allure of likes, and the promise of the next viral video trap young minds in hours of mindless scrolling. For children and young people, this is more than just wasted time—it’s lost opportunity. Hours that could be spent cultivating relationships, or exploring creative pursuits are consumed by algorithms designed to maximise engagement. - Escapism in Gaming
Gaming offers a compelling and often corrosive form of escape. Virtual worlds provide a sense of accomplishment, control, and belonging that may be missing in real life. But this escape often comes at a cost: the neglect of real-world relationships, responsibilities, and spiritual growth. The line between healthy enjoyment and destructive dependency blurs, leaving young people unprepared for life’s challenges.
Social norms have shifted to accommodate these behaviours. It’s now acceptable for families to spend meals absorbed in separate screens, for young people to prefer the company of their devices over siblings or parents, and even for young people to scroll through socials during church services. What might have shocked us a decade ago has become commonplace.
We must ask a hard question: Have we accepted what God calls slavery as normal? Scripture warns us of the dangers of allowing anything to take mastery over our lives. Romans 6:16 reminds us, “Do you not know that if you present yourselves to anyone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness?” Digital addiction, like any other, reveals a deeper spiritual problem: idolatry.
Why We Need to Wake Up
The prevalence of digital addiction among children and young people is not merely a modern parenting challenge—it is a spiritual and cultural crisis that demands our attention. Here’s why we must wake up:
1. Digital Addiction Distracts from God’s Purposes
One of the greatest dangers of digital addiction is how it shifts the focus of a child’s heart. Created things—social media platforms, gaming worlds, and endless entertainment—become objects of worship. These distractions subtly displace the Creator, luring young minds away from eternal truths and grounding them in fleeting pleasures.
2. Addiction Shapes Hearts and Minds
Addictions—digital or otherwise—don’t just alter behaviour; they shape the heart. Proverbs 4:23 reminds us, “Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.” Digital addiction teaches children and young people to seek instant gratification, validation, and escape, reshaping their desires and how they process emotions.
3. Technology Erodes Relationships
The irony of our “connected” digital world is how isolating it has become. Children and young people often withdraw from real-life relationships, choosing screens over face-to-face interaction. This has profound consequences:
- Within Families: Silent scrolling at the dinner table replaces meaningful conversation, straining parent-child relationships.
- Within Friendships: Digital interactions lack depth, leaving young people feeling lonely despite being constantly “connected.”
- Within the Church: Young people glued to screens during a church service or youth group miss out on the richness of fellowship and discipleship.
God created us to live in community, to love and be loved in tangible ways. Digital addiction undermines this design, replacing genuine relationships with shallow, fleeting interactions.
4. Dependency Weakens Resilience
Digital addiction hampers a child’s ability to cope with life’s challenges. Constant distraction leaves little room for reflection, perseverance, or boredom—critical experiences for building resilience.
- Children miss out on learning to be still before God.
- Young people avoid confronting difficulties, escaping into the safety of their screens rather than seeking biblical wisdom.
In a world increasingly hostile to truth, our children need spiritual and emotional resilience to stand firm. Digital dependency leaves them unarmed for the battle.
5. Digital Addiction Normalises Idolatry
By tolerating digital addiction, we risk normalising idolatry in our homes and churches. The first commandment, “You shall have no other gods before me” (Exodus 20:3), is a stark reminder that God will not share His glory with another. Yet, how often do we allow screens to take the place of worship, joy, or comfort that belongs to God alone?
A Call to Action
The issue of digital addiction is not just a matter of parenting styles or cultural trends; it is a battle for the hearts and minds of the next generation. Left unaddressed, this “acceptable addiction” will shape our children into people more attuned to the algorithms of the world than the voice of their Creator.
Waking up means recognising the spiritual dangers at hand and committing to intentional discipleship. It means setting boundaries, modelling healthy technology use, and pointing our children to the One who offers true satisfaction. As Jesus said, “I came that they may have life and have it abundantly” (John 10:10). Let’s help our children live that abundant life—not enslaved to screens, but free to love and serve the God who made them.
