The vicious circle that overloads children with emotions
Many parents are worried when their children are often irritable, difficult to concentrate, or restless. According to psychologists, this is not an isolated phenomenon but reflects a notable trend related to modern lifestyle.
Dr. Sumalatha Vasudeva - a psychologist at Gleneagles BGS Hospital, Bengaluru (India) - said: "What we are seeing is not necessarily the personal problem of each child, but a vicious cycle between screen use, sleep and stress.
Electronic screens today are densely present in children's lives, from studying, entertainment to communication. Although they bring many benefits, excessive use causes negative impacts on the brain.
According to Dr. Vasudeva: "Fast-moving images and continuous stimuli from the screen keep the brain in a state of alertness. When this lasts until evening, children have difficulty relaxing and directly affect sleep quality.
Sleep plays an important role in regulating emotions, controlling behavior and restoring energy. When sleep deprivation occurs, the brain, especially the emotional control region, functions ineffectively, making children easily irritable and difficult to control themselves.
Tension amplifies negative behavior
Besides screens and sleep, stress is the third factor contributing to exacerbating this situation. Children today face many pressures such as studying, expectations from family, social media comparisons, and lack of free play time.
When children are overstimulated, lack sleep and are under emotional pressure, the nervous system will always be in a state of stress. At that time, even a small impact can cause a strong reaction," Dr. Vasudeva explained.
This explains why many children overreact or cannot calm down when reminded. According to experts, in a state of overload, the child's brain is not capable of self-regulating emotions.
To improve, parents need to establish healthy living habits: limit screen use time, especially before bedtime; maintain stable sleep hours; and create conditions for children to exercise and communicate directly.
Dr. Vasudeva emphasized: "A grumpy child is not'unruly', but is often tired and overwhelmed. What children need is support and understanding, not punishment.
