11/12/2025
Muy cierto!
“Is the amount of time spent plugged in affecting our ability to be emotionally and psychologically intimate?”
Gordon Neufeld was asked this question in an interview back in 2013. This is what he answered:
“The research is unequivocal and very clear in showing that the pursuit of digital intimacy is interfering with what children really need.
Digital intimacy is like cookies. Cookies have been around for years, but the issue is the same. We know what to do. When a child asks, "Can I have a cookie?" and it's 4:00 in the afternoon, we answer, "No, because it will spoil your appetite for dinner." It's the same with digital intimacy. It titillates the attachment circuitry, but it doesn't fulfill it. It's empty of the nurturance. But still, it's very appealing, and it's addictive. So, the problem really is just like cookies.
Digital intimacy ruins the appetite for the real thing. So, when kids are gaming or even when spouses are gaming, they lose their appetite for genuine intimacy. Kids lose their appetite for getting their intimacy needs, their hunger for significance and attachment, with the family, and it erodes the relationship between them and their parents.”
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12 years has passed since and Gordon Neufeld is revisiting this subject in SCREEN SENSE: an online Saturday Symposium which takes place November 22, 2025 - 9:00 am – 3:00 pm PT.
Together with Deborah MacNamara & Tamara Strijack, Gordon will explore how screens compete for the attachment that should ground our children in caring relationships — what’s happening and why, how to recognize when something is amiss, and how to restore healthy connection in a digital world.
They will share insights, critique current explanations, and offer practical guidance for all ages — along with the language and understanding needed to open new dialogue between parents, families, and educators.
Register at https://www.neufeldinstitute.org/screen -
There will be a replay available for 1 month.
Deborah MacNamara, PhD
