Health Desk- Do you allow your little one to play with Mobile or Tablet? Should children be given mobiles? Do you know how all these gadgets are affecting the learning ability and personality of our little ones?
In this post, we are going to tell you what are the disadvantages of using mobile for children below 12 years. In the last 2 decades, devices like mobile phones, tablets have increased the accessibility and use of technology among young children.
What happens when children watch mobile?
1 .Depression
2 .Anxiety
3 .Attachment disorder
4 .Not paying attention
5 .Autism
6 .Bipolar disorder
7 .Frenzy
8 .Problems like problem child behavior are increasing.
1. Pressure on the eyes-
The side effects of Smartphone and similar Gadgets are first visible on the eyes of the children because they keep staring at the backlit screen for hours. It can also be called computer vision syndrome.
If you want the well-being of your children’s eyes, do not let them watch the screen for more than 30 minutes at a time.
2. Slowing down of physical development-
The type of technology that we have today limits the movements of children. Due to which their physical development can lag behind.
1 out of 3 school going children show stunted physical growth which affects their academic abilities and competencies. By engaging in physical activity, children learn to focus and develop new skills.
The interference of technology in the lives of children below the age of 12 years has adverse effects on their development and academic progress.
3. Increase in obesity-
Children who were given these devices to use in their rooms were found to have a 30 percent higher risk of becoming obese.
Even among obese children, 30 percent have diabetes and the risk of paralysis and heart attack increases when they grow up. All these hazards reduce their life expectancy.
It is being said that in the 21st century, the age of children will not be as long as the age of their parents.
4. Lack of sleep-
60 percent of parents do not monitor their children’s technology use, and 75 percent of children are allowed to use technology in their bedrooms.
The sleep of these children in the age group of 9 to 10 years is getting affected due to interference of technology which affects their studies.
5. Aggression-
Violence is shown a lot in media, TV, movies and games, due to which aggression is increasing in children.
Young children these days are exposed to physical and sexual violence programs and games that are full of scenes of murder, rape and torture.
Violence shown in the media is classified as a public health risk in the US because it distorts the development of children.
6. Digital amnesia-
Children’s ability to focus is badly affected by high-speed media content, which makes them unable to concentrate on one thing and remember facts.
Children who suffer from the problem of distraction, they have difficulty in studying.
7. Addiction-
When parents themselves are engrossed in their gadgets, they start distancing themselves from their children on emotional grounds.
For better development, it is necessary that parents give time to children. When children feel the absence of parents, they get lost in the flow of technology and information and become addicted to it.
About 10 percent of the children who use technology a lot have become so addicted to it that they even forget their food and drink and stick to their Gadget from waking up in the morning till sleeping at night.
8. Dangers of radiation-
In May 2011, the WHO declared the radiation risk of the 2B category of cellphones as a possible carcinogen.
But in the year 2013, Dr. Anthony Miller of Toronto University’s School of Public Health said in his research that on the basis of radio frequency exposure, not 2B category but 2A category should be considered carcinogenic.
Children are our future but the future of children who use technology excessively is bleak.
9. Rapid development of brain is harmful-
By the age of two, the size of the child’s brain almost triples and physical changes continue to take place till the age of 21.
The early development of the brain depends on the presence or absence of various types of environmental stimuli.
Overexposure to technology on the developing brain can lead to changes in learning ability, lack of attention, poor eating habits, poor eyesight, hyperactivity and self-discipline problems.
10 .Harm to children from mobile. Should children watch mobile or not?
a) Recently there has been a lot of research on this subject, from which it has been found that instead of benefiting our children, technology is harming us in the long-term, yet a large number of parents are allowing their children to use them unabated Because they think that by using them children are becoming smart and stay busy.
b) Now people have started keeping these devices even near newborn babies and toddlers, which is affecting the development, behavior and learning ability of children badly.
c) The impact of technology on young children is 4-5 times faster than on adults and it can create many disturbances in their natural development.
d) Children should be allowed to use mobile phones, tablets and smartphones only under strict supervision. It should never be bought for their personal use.
