What does child addiction to electronic devices say about society today?

on Feb 13, 2024

From the writings of the Rev. Billy Graham

Q: There are many articles these days about child addiction to electronic devices, particularly cellphones and tablets with cartoon-clad covers. I see toddlers in strollers tapping and scrolling faster than any adult does. Concern is building as to the negative impact it is having on behavior. And no wonder, when adults walk through parking lots and cross streets with their faces gravitating to screens that will deliver every distraction thinkable. What does this say about society today? – S.D.

A: This is the most entertained generation in history. Large-screen TVs pull in hundreds of channels. Sports teams take in (and spend) billions of dollars. Children are upset if they don’t get the latest games on their devices, and adults are always on their smartphones even when in a restaurant for a meal. There is a frantic search for entertainment, and it is a symptom of something deeper.

Some have suggested that we are the most bored generation in history — and perhaps that is correct. Down inside is an empty place in our hearts — a restlessness, a search for inner peace. And the more we try to satisfy it with entertainment, the less content we become. People need something more to live for. Only Jesus can fill that empty space in our hearts, and He will, whether it is a child’s heart, a parent’s heart, or the hearts of the elderly. As we open our lives to Him and live according to His ways, He brings us opportunities to serve Him — and others — and we find that boredom goes away and joy fills our hearts. God’s Word points us to the future — to Heaven — where our hearts will be full and overflowing with thankfulness to God for what He has accomplished on the cross. And when we surrender to Him in this life, He fills us with peace and true contentment in this life.

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(This column is based on the words and writings of the late Rev. Billy Graham.)