A psychiatrist offers insight on going screen-free as an intervention for children presenting behavioral challenges:

“As is my usual practice during an evaluation, I ask this mother about her son’s screen-time habits and for a timeline of when various devices were acquired over the last several years. I explain to her how electronic screen-time, particularly the interactive kind, can overstimulate and stress the nervous system. I tell her that even though we can clearly identify other circumstances that would stress out any child (e.g. his parents‘ divorce), this just means that Justin’s brain is even more vulnerable to electronic stress than it would be otherwise. She nods; this makes sense to her. Yet when we start discussing what to do about it—a strict electronic fast in which there is no gaming, computer use, iPad or smartphone use for at least three weeks—zshe becomes uncomfortable and starts shaking her head.”

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