Lockdown fallout

In the shadowy aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, the world bears witness to an avalanche of technological innovation with catastrophic impact on young people. Looking back to 2020, the public rejoiced over minimal physical illness and death in children. While it is a blessing to be celebrated, I continue to be extremely concerned about the ongoing impacts of social, emotional, and psychological injuries children endured during COVID-19 lockdowns.

As children shifted to remote learning while experiencing cancellations of extracurricular activities and in-person interactions with anyone outside their immediate families, many children used electronic devices unsupervised to fill hours of isolation and boredom. Parents were preoccupied with stressors including transitioning to remote work, losing their jobs, working on the front line with fears of COVID-19 exposure, fearing family members becoming ill, and trying to manage homeschooling.

Kids born as digital natives became even more tech savvy using remote-learning platforms. The inability to gather in person normalized talking to friends and even strangers through online connections. Augmented-reality learning tools blurred the lines between what’s real and what’s not. Gamification of nearly everything distorted ethical lines, as it became the norm to gamify real-life situations, including violence and abuse.

Recognize the aftermath

Artificial intelligence (AI) is changing the world indelibly. Our children are growing up in a world with these technological advances, and the culture is normalizing them.

• Kids prefer indoor, sedentary, online activities over unstructured, outdoor playtime.

• Digital communication is primary, leaving kids anxious about face-to-face interactions and lacking skills in reading body language and resolving conflict.

• Instant gratification is normalized by constant access to digital entertainment, which uses dopamine-driven rewards for emotional regulation, while long-term goals are undervalued.

• Watching electronic media individually on personal devices is common, creating digital silos within families.

• Short-form digital content is overstimulating kids’ brains, shortening attention spans, and making them less inclined to read.

• Traditional safeguards provided by present adults are weakened by unsupervised online access and constant exposure to predators and explicit content.

• AI enables nudifying apps, which can easily generate pornography by removing the clothing of individuals
shown in innocent pictures and videos.

• AI creates chatbots designed to act as a child’s “friend.”

Rely on Christ

In a fear-saturated culture, children need adults willing to engage in faith-informed relationship building. If you’re concerned for this generation, I urge you to:

Pray for this generation, that God would raise up courageous leaders.

Seek to be a disciple of Christ, modeling for future generations what it looks like to be “in the world but
not of it.”

Speak truth with compassion and respect, and seek to understand the challenges of growing up in today’s world.

Reclaim the hope

“52 Habits for Healthy Families,” heard on The Dr. Nurse Mama Show, is your weekly dose of practical, grace-filled guidance for building strong, connected families – one habit at a time. Each Friday, we dive into a simple, stackable habit – rooted in faith and pediatric science – to support your family’s emotional, physical, and spiritual well-being.

This year, we’re placing special emphasis on tech habits – helping families reset digital boundaries, foster face-to-face connection, and raise resilient kids who are confident in their identity in Christ and know how to live well, both online and off. Join us as we reclaim hope for healthy families!