Hisham Sarwar
Using phone or IPads, Tablets can effect the learning and social skills of the children. The addictive games involve kids so much that hours in a day is spent playing games on them without realizing what damage they are causing on the brain. The blue rays emitted from the screen is not just bad for the toddler’s eye but also their brain.
“The impact these mobile devices are having on the development and behavior of children is still relatively unknown.” Boston University School of Medicine
Early childhood use of interactive media has shown adverse effects on growth of kids, they spend more time on the gadgets then a average kid of their age who is indulged into all sorts of outdoor, social activities. According to a published research at http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/135/1/1, use of digital devices cause distress and hinder the social, leadership growth in kids.
Kids younger then 2 and half years can not learn much from videos or digital devices, in particular “games” as they do from real life activities, outdoor games. Putting them on digital gadgets at this young age can result in “hindered to social, emotional development”
The addiction can also be determined from the fact that when you try to take away digital screens from the kids who spend a lot of time playing games, temper tantrums begin to show and outbursts are severe resulting in crankiness, bad behavior.
These digital devices are a form of digital drug for the kids. The alarming study reveals that they effect brain’s frontal cortex of kids. It is a central system which controls functioning, over usage effects the impulse control in a way that Heroin does.
Once someone goes over the line and gets fully addict, be it drug, digital — They need rehab and this is where the real danger is.
However, if these digital devices are used for education purposes in a day time under a supervision of parents or an adult, they are educative and do result in growth of kids.
Moving away the gadgets is not easy but for the sake of bright future of the kids, this is an important step. One possible solution is to do honest conversation with the child and telling them gently why their screen access is being limited. Perhaps, eat dinner with the child without any electronic device, just like Steve Jobs used to do with his kids, a ‘Tech Free’ dinner.
There must be a reason why Silicon Valley tech executives, enroll their children in no-tech Waldorf Schools.
We are not just imagining it, our kids are addicted to their phones and games and it is not healthy.
