Faith, screens and family life explored at Bible and Beer discussion on digital parenting
In a candid discussion about how digital life affects the developing brain, educational psychologist Dr Erika Galea warned that Generation Alpha, those born from 2010 onwards, are growing up in an environment saturated with rapid-fire information and constant stimulation, a reality that is fundamentally changing how they learn and what they value.
“We cannot raise our children for a world that no longer exists,” Dr Galea told parents gathered at The Grist Brewhouse in Mrieħel for the latest instalment of the Bible and Beer series, organised by St Paul’s Missionary College, which dealt with parenting in the digital world.
She stressed that discipline, values and parental presence are more essential now than ever before.
As the government considers legislation to restrict social media access for children aged 13 and under, Dr Galea advocated for a more stringent approach, stating that from a neuroscience perspective, children should not use social media until the age of 16.
Parents must understand that what children see and hear is shaping their minds
Dr Galea urged parents to focus less on exam marks and more on emotional intelligence, critical thinking and reflection. “We need to teach them to slow down and recognise what is true from what isn’t,” she said.
She added that while parents have the potential to give meaning to their children’s lives, they must first make sense of the world they themselves inhabit in order to guide them effectively.
Dr Galea warned of what she called a “dopamine-dependent generation”, where immediate pleasure from screens leads to anxiety, addiction and lack of patience. “Mental health problems are increasing because our brains are being trained to always want more,” she explained.
Among her practical advice, she suggested removing screens before bedtime and modelling balanced technology use, as parents must demonstrate the behaviour they wish to see in their children.
Children need parents, not friends
Educator Sr Veronica Gerada spoke of the increasing anxiety, fear and panic she observes amongst young people. “We’re over-protecting them in the real world and not protecting them in the virtual world,” she said.
After 10 years teaching adolescents, she has witnessed first-hand the impact of excessive digital stimulation on wellbeing. “The connection between mobiles and anxiety in children is so strong you cannot say there’s no effect,” she stated.
She observed that the most troubled children are those whose parents let them do whatever they want, emphasising that children need parental guidance. “We need to be present as parents, otherwise parents become their friends. Children need parents, not friends. They already have friends,” Sr Veronica said firmly.
If you’re always online, you cannot be with yourself
Sr Veronica also remarked on how continuous online activity distances both children and adults from their interior lives. “If you’re always online, you cannot be with yourself. Without that interior connection, life loses meaning, and without meaning there’s no true joy,” she said.
Like Dr Galea, Sr Veronica called for closer collaboration between parents and schools, and for parents to support one another in facing the pressures of modern parenting.
Another striking idea that emerged during the discussion was that children should be allowed to experience boredom, as this creates space for imagination and creativity to flourish.
Social media has destroyed the sense of sacrifice and service
Journalist and broadcaster Mark Laurence Zammit opened the wide-ranging discussion with a stark examination of how capitalism, advertising and social media affect our contentment and sense of belonging.
“We’re living in the best of times, the longest period of peace and security, advances in science, the longest lives, the most wealth, but we’ve never felt worse,” he said, pointing to the relentless pressure to buy and compare ourselves to others.
Zammit explained that “everything revolves around a capitalist system that needs you to be dissatisfied” in order to keep purchasing. “For the economy to keep turning, people need to keep buying, but we don’t need much to be happy. You can be happy with nothing, and capitalism can’t stand that.”
He described social media as a system deliberately built to keep users slightly dissatisfied, ensuring they continue scrolling. Yet he noted that the Church remains one of the few places still creating spaces where people gather in genuine community.
“The greatness of the Church is sacrifice and being of service to others. Social media has destroyed that,” Zammit said.
His message to parents was clear: offer children something more beautiful than the internet. “Unless we give them something more beautiful than the internet, they won’t leave it,” he said.
Throughout the evening, which explored the intersection of technology, community and emotional development, participants reflected on how they can protect their children without isolating them, and how to prepare them for a rapidly changing world whilst helping them grasp what truly has value.
The relaxed atmosphere, complete with food and good company, allowed parents to share reflections on the daily challenges they face in guiding their children through a digital world that scarcely pauses for breath.
The Bible and Beer series, organised by St Paul’s Missionary College, continues to offer a space where faith and everyday life meet, encouraging reflection, dialogue and the sharing of ideas in a time that often feels fragmented.