It is human nature for parents to overindulge their kids. They tend to buy them toys of all sort and these days they buy them gadgets that some years back were seen as an item exclusively reserved for adults. Nowadays kids are given cell phones, laptops and tablets as birthday gifts. Yet on various media outlets, there is a constantly reminded of the dangers caused by the unrestricted use of these devices to the psychological, emotional and physical development of children.
The unrestricted use of handheld devices by children has been proven to be responsible for their learning and the development of their behavioral pattern which they carry will most likely into adulthood.
11 reasons why you should keep your children away from handheld gadgets
1. Addictions: Studies show that 1 in 11 children aged 8-18 is addicted to one form of technology or the other. Lack of parental attachment and supervision has led to children finding a ready alternative in their handheld device and gadgets.
2. Obesity: It has been observed that children with handheld devices in their rooms have a 30 percent increased risk of obesity. They sit around all day playing with their devices and lacking the necessary daily exercise required. It is estimated that 1 in 4 Canadian children and 1 in 3 U.S. children are obese. Studies also show that 30 percent of children who are obese will develop type -2-diabetes. There is also a high risk of early stroke and heart attack for an obese child and their life expectancy is shortened as a result. The scary part of it is – this generation of children may be the first generation in history to have a life expectancy below that of their parents.
3. Sleep deprivation: When children are given an unrestricted access to handheld devices they tend to abuse its use, by not knowing when to quit. Even when showing signs of tiredness they tend to keep going denying themselves much needed sleep. It is believed that about 60 percent of parents do not monitor their children’s use of gadgets, and about 75 percent of children aged 9-10 are allowed access to devices in their bedrooms, their ability to concentrate in class is therefore diminished from keeping late nights and their grades suffer as a consequence.
4. Accelerated brain growth: Studies show that the brain of a child between the ages of 0 and 2 years, triples in size and continues in a state of accelerated development up until adulthood – 21 years of age. The brain responds to environmental stimuli as it develops early in a child’s life. When a child’s brain is overexposed to technologies it is likely to cause such a child to show signs of increased impulsivity, decreased ability to self-regulate, cognitive delays and impaired learning.
5. Eye strain: With increasing unrestricted access to technology and its unsupervised use, children have begun to spend most of their day staring at a screen. There is a growing increase in computer vision syndrome and an increasing number of children with eye problems. Proper supervision should be advised and children should only be allowed to stare at a screen for a period of 30 minutes at a time to avoid the risk of a serious eye condition.
6. Hindered development: When unrestricted use of technology is allowed for children under the age of 12 it is detrimental to a child’s development and learning. With handheld devices increasingly leading to a more sedentary lifestyle, this can greatly limit and restrict the movement of children, which can lead to stunted growth.
7.Aggressive tendencies: Overexposure of children to technology depicting violent themes and scenes can be a primary cause of child aggression. Media violence in the United States has been branded as a Public Health Risk due to its unpremeditated effect on child aggression. It has been reported by the media that there is an increased use of restraints and seclusion rooms for children who display uninhibited signs of violence. The exposure of a child to repeated incidence of physical and sexual violence in games and unrestricted internet videos can greatly influence the behavior of such a child. An adversely affected child may be tempted to reenact the violent scenes depicted on his parents, siblings or peers and to deadly effect.
8.Mental illness: A recent study in Canada has shown that 1 in 6 Canadian children have been diagnosed with mental illness. It is widely believed that the primary cause of increasing cases of child anxiety, attachment disorder, depression, attention deficit, autism, psychosis, problematic child and bipolar disorder is linked to an abuse of handheld devices and technology.
9.Digital dementia: It has been proven that children with decreased concentration, memory and attention deficit have been exposed to high-speed media content overtime. Studies have shown that such exposure can cause the brain to thin-out the neuronal tracks on its frontal cortex. This greatly affects a child’s ability to learn as a result of the child’s difficulty in maintaining attention for a considerable stretch of time.
10.Radiation emission: The World Health Organization (WHO) in May of 2011, classified cell phones as a category 2B risk (possible carcinogen) because of its radiation emission. Dr. Anthony Miller from the University of Toronto’s School of Public Health in 2013 recommended that based on study, radio frequency exposure should be reclassified as 2A (probably carcinogen), and not 2B. Children from an early age are dangerously exposed to radiation emission from their various handheld gadgets.
11.Unsutainable
The traditional ways of educating children has been replaced by more conventional means involving the use of technology based tools that are designed to aid learning. This in itself poses a danger to the health of children as it has increased their use of handheld devices under the guise of working on one project or assignment.
Original Source: Living Traditionally
Other Sources:
http://organichealth.co/11-reasons-why-children-under-the-age-of-12-shouldnt-use-handheld-devices/