Inner Ray HealthCare

I was recently in conversation with the Head of a school’s Special Needs division. She spoke with quiet urgency about a trend she’s been seeing—a dramatic increase in children needing special support. Not just academically. But emotionally, socially, and developmentally. And it’s not isolated. Across schools and clinics, more and more children are showing up with symptoms that look like autism, ADHD, or behavioral disorders. But the causes are not always neurological—they’re environmental. They’re cultural. They’re digital. Children are being raised by screens, not people. Access to technology at a very young age has changed the way kids grow. Tablets replace toys. Reels replace storytelling. Parents, overwhelmed and overworked, lean on screens because they have to. It’s not laziness—it’s survival. But the cost is massive. Many young children today: Struggle with eye contact Show delayed speech Can’t hold a pencil properly Don’t know how to play with others Get overstimulated or bored ...