Screens Don’t Raise Children – Relationships Do: A Psychoanalytic Educator’s Perspective on How Digital Technology Is Reshaping Childhood

Human relationships are necessary for children to develop containment, emotional regulation, social skills, and a sense of self. Yet children and adolescents increasingly learn, play, communicate, and interact with one another through screens. Beyond the more obvious risks of harmful online content and cyberbullying, there are subtler developmental concerns when screens displace essential human experiences. Turning to screens to manage emotional discomfort or boredom can interfere with the development of frustration tolerance, creativity, sustained attention, and persistence. Drawing on clinical and school-based examples, this paper explores how parents and educators can help children develop a thoughtful relationship with technology while preserving the human relationships essential to development.