Constant connectivity and technology use is reshaping childhood, and for children who have experienced early adversity and trauma, the stakes are even higher.
In this blog post, you’ll learn from research on early adversity and technology, and gain practical strategies to move from merely reacting to technology use to helping children develop the skills they need to flourish, both online and offline.
- The cost of technology for children
- Where trauma and technology collide
- The science of early adversity and technology
- Understanding the adversity-technology spiral
- Navigating digital technology with wisdom
“To live just about anywhere on the planet is to have access to the entire base of human knowledge in just a few clicks. So much information is available to us, on every conceivable subject, that we haven’t noticed what it’s done to us.” – -John Eldredge
In just a few decades, digital technology has shifted from room-sized computers to pocket-sized devices containing technology more sophisticated than that of the first moon landing. These advances have brought tremendous opportunities, from access to information to disaster response to gospel outreach. However, there is often a cost to progress, and digital technology is no exception. As continual access to technology has climbed, so has the incidence of mental health problems, sleep challenges, isolation, and even accidental death.
The costs of technology for children
As with many ills of our current era, children seem to be bearing much of the consequence for these costs. In children, research has previously demonstrated that language acquisition, attention, physical health, academic achievement, moral development, and personal safety can be negatively impacted by digital technology exposure.
These themes are concerning, but mental health may be the area in which the costs of technology use for children are most obvious.
One study of almost 28,000 young people in 41 nations found that delaying smartphone ownership was connected with better adaptability and resilience, drive and motivation, mind-body connection, cognition, social self, and mood and outlook.
Similarly, we also see a decrease in multiple mental health problems when smartphone ownership is delayed. All problems surveyed showed a downward trend as the age at first smartphone ownership increased.
In short, delaying smartphone use could be one intervention to support improved mental health in children and adolescents. Perhaps this is why tech industry leaders delay or limit their own children’s access to personal technology devices and social media, citing concerns about distraction and addiction.
Trauma & technology collide
Although the risks of digital technology use are concerning for all children, they are even more pronounced for children and adolescents who have experienced early adversity and trauma.
Early experiences like abuse, neglect, violence and exploitation can disrupt healthy brain development, laying a foundation for difficulties in thinking and learning, increased vulnerability to high-risk behaviors, chronic disease and functional impairments.
At the same time, Scripture never gives adversity the final word. God has created each individual in His image and with a good plan and a purpose. He has made us to be more than conquerors (Romans 8:37).
Scientifically we see that, although early adversity can create special vulnerability to some negative outcomes, early adversity in itself doesn’t determine our future. In fact, there is an entire field of research on resilience, or the concept of overcoming difficult circumstances. The experience of early adversity comes with risks to be conscious of and a motivation to be even more intentional in our caregiving, offering every child in our care every opportunity and advantage to fulfill their potential.
It’s through this lens that we must consider technology for a child who has experienced adversity or trauma.
While parents and caregivers want the best for all children, many caring for children who have experienced early adversity may not realize that digital technology use can amplify the physical, cognitive and behavioral risks these children are already facing.
The science of early adversity and technology
Several years ago, a dear friend and adoptive mother approached Dr. Mandy Howard and me about the issue of problematic technology use in children who had experienced early adversity. Well-connected in the adoption community, she was alarmed at the number and severity of stories she was hearing about technology playing a detrimental role in the lives of children who had been adopted.
She asked us to review the empirical literature to determine what was already known. After thoroughly investigating the research, we found no published peer-reviewed studies on the topic. So we launched the first study of its kind examining the relationship between childhood vulnerability and problematic technology use.
We surveyed 616 adults about their experiences of childhood adversity and their habits and practices around technology. In particular, we examined the relationship between early adversity and problematic technology use.
We found a decisive relationship between early adversity as children and problematic technology use. Participants reported struggling to control their media use, feeling drawn back to devices even when they wanted to stop, and using technology in ways that interfered with sleep, work and relationships. Individuals who reported facing greater challenges early in life were more likely to struggle with controlling their media use later on. [See infographic in English or Spanish.]
While we gathered data for this study, we also surveyed another group: caregivers of current children. The findings were clear.
First, higher levels of early adversity were associated with a greater likelihood of problematic technology use, consistent with our first study. Second, children who had experienced foster care or adoption showed higher levels of problematic technology use than children who’d not had these experiences. Third, when we analyzed different types of early adversity (for example, physical abuse, emotional neglect or household instability), all types were linked to an increased likelihood of problematic technology use compared with children who had not experienced that adversity.
Importantly, these relationships remained significant even after accounting for the total amount of time children spent on screens. In other words, the relationship was not simply about how much children used technology. [See study infographic here].
There are clear, persistent and concerning connections between early adversity and the risks of technology use.
Understanding the Early Adversity–Technology Spiral
Early deprivation, maltreatment and other adversity don’t directly cause technology problems, but they can set the stage. Adversity can alter developing brain systems in ways that make some children more susceptible to misusing technology.
This lays the foundation for the Early Adversity-Technology Spiral: early adversity creates vulnerabilities in the brain, making children more likely to turn to technology in ways that provide quick rewards or emotional relief. Technology misuse or overuse then further shapes those same brain systems, increasing the likelihood that these behaviors will continue.
The more this cycle repeats, the stronger the patterns of impulsive engagement, rapid reward seeking, and difficulty disengaging become.
Understanding this spiral helps us see why the role of loving, attentive adult guidance is so essential. The powerful pull of screens reflects a deep interaction between a child’s developmental history and the robust reward systems built into digital devices.
Recognizing this relationship is essential for caregivers and practitioners, guiding them both to establish wise boundaries and oversight, and also to provide the support, guidance and opportunities children need to develop healthy coping strategies, self-regulation and attention skills.
By understanding the underlying dynamics of the Adversity–Technology Spiral, we can respond in ways that help children break the cycle and build resilience for the future.
Navigating digital technology with wisdom
The evidence is sobering and the risks are clear. If we are to offer the children in our care an optimal chance of fulfilling the purpose God has for them, it will require intentionality, commitment and persistence.
To hide our children from technology or pretend it isn’t a problem isn’t the answer. Rather, we want to prepare our children to flourish in an increasingly digital world. We must gradually build their child’s capacity, offering developmentally-appropriate exposure to digital technology within the shelter of guidelines and boundaries.
This model requires effort in the short term but builds long-term resilience and self-governance.
In the weeks ahead on the CAFO blog, we will continue the conversation on what it means to set wise boundaries, respond to emerging risks and nurture healthier patterns of growth in children who have experienced early adversity.
– Dr. Nicole Wilke is the director of the CAFO Research Center.
Navigate Technology Wisely for the Children in Your Care
Vulnerable Children in a Digital Age brings together the wisdom of Scripture and insights from science to help Christian caregivers and practitioners understand what’s at stake and respond with confidence. This book offers practical, evidence-informed strategies to see risks and opportunities, gain actionable practices and navigate emerging challenges. You will be well-equipped to help vulnerable children navigate technology in ways that support long-term healing and resilience.
