Many researchers have studied that children spend average of their time on different gadgets like telephone, radio, TV, games, xbox, ipod and stereo system. Kids use gadgets for various purposes like playing games, watching videos, listening songs, chatting with their friends, browsing different websites. They spend most of their time in these activities and don't pay attention to their posture, screen brightness, and screen distance from their eyes which ultimately affect their vision and health.
Staring at electronic screen continuously for long time causes distress. Kids suffer various problems like eye irritation or have difficulty to focus for a while. If we are facing problems to cope with screens, imagine how our child's eyes must be going through. In this era, we can't keep ourselves or our children away from these devices so we can try to minimize the impact of these devices on our children. It's really surprising a 2 year old baby can and knows how to use a gadget, similar to how a kid knows to use a feeding bottle. A study has been conducted in USA on kids and result shows 1 out of 3 children can use a tables or phone before before they even talk?
A lot of research has been done on this type of phenomena; this session describes the negative impact of gadgets on children.
NEGATIVE EFFECTS OF GADGET USE
1. Speech or Language Delay
In Order to understand the speech or language delay in children first we understand the different between the speech and language. Speech refers to verbal form of communication used bu humans, and language refers to the whole system of communication spoken or written, verbal and nonverbal. A child with a language delay might pronounce words well but only be able to put two words together. A child with a speech delay might use words and phrases to express ideas but be difficult to understand. Speech delay, also known as alalia, these two problems often overlaps. Many researchers have studied this and also concluded many theories about it. By using a screening tool, researchers studied that the more time children spends on smart phones, tablets and electronic games and other handheld devices the more likely the child have delay in expressive speech. Children will learn to talk and communicate through interaction with others. This is the way how they will learn communicate well if they are not communicating they are not learning. Every one minute that your child is spending on the screen time is one minute fewer that he could speak or learn with others.
The study found that the more time children between the ages of six months and two years spent using handheld screens such as smart phones, tablets and electronic games, the more likely they were to experience speech delays.
2. Attention deficits
Attention deficit: Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is mental disorder. It refers to problems like paying attention, excess activity or has difficulty controlling behavior which is not appropriate. This can occur in children and cause them to be fidgety, unable to focus, restless and easily distracted. This change in behavior can cause problem at school or at home as well.
3. Learning Problems
Children learn lot of things before the age of five event toddlers learning perspective is much faster than children. If they are using gadgets their time to communicate with their parents and learning is bounded. They need proper time talking with their parents so they can learn new words and how to communicate. They need their parents not gadgets. Also exposure of these gadgets a linked to cognitive delays and impairing learning. Researches at the university of Washington reveal that modern gadgets are not necessary in child development.
4. Anxiety
Anxiety is fear about future events and reaction to current events. These kinds of feelings may lead to various physical symptoms, like shakiness and fast heart rate. This phase is usually harmless and temporary but children who are suffering from anxiety experience nervousness, shyness and fear. They try to avoid people, places and activities. Child shows aggression or appears tense when they can't get online and this feeling magically goes when their devices are given back. This behavior can be easily notice. Dr. Graham says 'Child gets upset or shows anger when by small things and when they get online they become calmer. He said parents should not the signs of agitation, anxiety and irritation in children'. Dr. Watts added: It's pretty normal if a child gets upset not being anger or depression not being online then it's time to start a conversation.
5. Childhood Depression
Childhood depression is very common and severe medical illness that negatively affect child behavior. The way the think and act. Too much gadget use introduces depression in children of certain ages. It also leads mental health issues in children in childhood and adolescence. They may act depressed or we can see worst of these symptoms in a couple of days.
6. Negative Impact on Character
This is one of the biggest problems in this growing world of technology. Children use internet to see adult content rather to search for educational websites. This practice leads bad impact on their character. They forgot their moral values. They are the future of the country. They become mentally advanced beyond their age.
J Depress Anxiety, an open access journal
