SCREEN DEPENDENCY
DISORDER IS REAL
This is the gift of
modern technology. It is real, it is on the rise and it is damaging your
child’s brain. Screen dependency disorder, which is closely related to Internet
addiction disorder is playing havoc with the life of our children. We are
witnessing a growing trend of addictions to what I would like to call
demoralising desires and temporary pleasures.
As parents, you
need to understand what screen addiction is. Screen addiction is when too much
screen usage makes a child completely lost in it and they end up feeling that
screens alone will make them happy. They reach a point where they always want
to go back to it every time their hands are free! Screen addiction today is
also called digital heroin – which means it’s as bad as drugging a child. It
ruins relationships within the family, children get into a cocoon, conflicts
arise, etc.
Physiological impairment
1) Causes headaches- Prolonged
exposure to bright
blue light coming from the screen generally
induce headaches in children. The
underlying problem is that, constant headaches decrease a child’s
ability to concentrate and perform tasks efficiently.
2) Leads to poor
vision- I think you’ll agree that the number of children wearing spectacles
nowadays is much more than that during our childhood.
3) Decline in
physical activity- With tonnes of interesting and engaging content available on
screen, physical activity will seem more of a task to children.
4) Affects
posture- Excess time in front of gadgets affect your child’s posture. It forces
your child to remain in unhealthy postures for prolonged periods, resulting in
severe neck pain
5) Causes obesity-
According to American Heart Association, 1 in 3 children are obese. Obesity is
a major health-related problem arising due to excess screen time.
6) Causes
irregular sleep cycle- Another problematic aspect of too much screen time is
that they have been shown to disrupt sleep. This causes the child to keep on
tossing and turning around, unable to fall asleep. Lack of sleep or irregular
sleep affects a child’s sleep cycle, daily routine, and in turn, his/her
health.
Psychological impairment
Ever
noticed how irritated a child gets when you take him/her off the screen? That’s
because they are being denied the stimulating experience that screens provide.
1) Takes a toll on imagination- Imagination and creativity
are an integral part of your child’s development.
2) Unable to tolerate
losses- Most activities
on the screen like games make life simpler and are more attractive for your
child. So, whenever faced with a loss or an unfavourable result, he/she always
has a choice to restart, sparing the disappointment of a loss.
3) Gives way to anxiety & depression- A
child who spends more time on screen is prone to be either anxious or depressed
when asked to get off screen — you may have already seen this yourself.
4) Increases violence- A child who
plays a lot of violent games is said to imbibe and imitate what he/she sees.
For example: if a
kid plays a lot of action games, he/she will constantly be seen punching,
hitting, or shooting imaginary opponents. However, the problem is that,
involuntarily the child becomes rude, agitated, and often
picks up fights with siblings, friends, classmates.
5) Leads to lesser social interaction- The
worst effect of tv/gadgets on children is perhaps social disconnection. Research also shows that too much screen time
also causes speech delay — which means, the more the screen time for your
child, the longer it will take for their speech to develop!
And that’s not
all… Screens trigger the reward mechanism or the pleasure parts in the brain –
which makes the child more addicted. The reason this occurs is that screens in
whichever form – tabs, smartphones, TV, video games, etc. are extremely
stimulating.
Health Hazards
In the recent years,
there has been a lot of speculation about the impact of cell phone radiation on
our body. A study by The Journal of the American Medical Association stirred
the debate when it investigated the repercussion the mobile phones could have
on the brain activity. The possible health hazards of mobile phones for
children are as follows:
Non-Malignant Tumors: The study has shown that children who
use mobile phones have a possibility of developing non-malignant tumor in the
brain and ear.
Cancer:- The WHO has classified cell phone
radiation as ‘possibly carcinogenic to humans’. Children absorb more than 60
percent of the radiation into the brain than adults. Their brain’s thinner
skin, tissues, and bones allow them to absorb the radiation twice than the
grown-ups.
Effects On The Brain: Scientists have discovered that just 2
minutes of the phone call can alter the electoral activity of the kid’s brain
for up to an hour.
As
a parent, you must take preventive measures to minimize your child’s exposure
to the harmful effects of mobile phones. Here are some simple steps to
help you battle these addictions.
1.
Parental teamwork- It is absolutely essential for parents to discuss
and decide how to tackle this situation together as a team.
2.
Monitor what your child is watching- Keep home entertainment in a shared area
of the house to watch with them as often as possible. It’s not about ‘not
trusting’ them. It’s about protecting them from things they don’t know.
3.
Have clear rules- Agree on time limits for logging on, playing, messaging, etc.
each day and stick to them, no matter how much they nag or cry; don’t give in
just to silence them.
4. Address online stranger dangers- You may feel like you’re scaring
your kids when talking to them about the dangers of being online, but it’s
better for them to be scared than to be unaware.
6. Inculcate time for books- As your child begins learning to read and write, this
will require them to slow down their mind.
7. Play games with them- Children love to play and be amused. Computer
game manufacturers have subtly hijacked the language of play.
8. Practice what you preach- Be honest. Are you
spending more time with your laptop/phone than with your family? Are your
kids just imitating you? Switch off your laptop and put your phone on
silent when sharing time with your family. Set times when you will check
email and messages, and stick to them.
9. Provide alternatives- Do you feel it’s too late
and your child is already too addicted that they may throw tantrums when you
change the rules? Maybe it’s turned into a default activity simply because
there’s nothing else to do.
Practical Mobile Phone
Safety Tips for Kids:
·
Do not give cell phone if your child is
under 16 years. A child’s brain is too sensitive to withstand the effects of
mobile radiation.
·
Do not let your child hold a mobile
phone directly up to his head.
·
Do not let your child make calls in
buses, trains, cars, and elevators. The mobile phone works harder to get the
signal out through the metal, which increases the power level.
·
Do not let your child use cell phone
when the signal is weak. It will increase the power to the maximum, as the
phone attempts to connect to a new relay antenna.
·
Limit the use of cell phone around children.
·
Do not let children take mobile phones
to school.
·
Do not leave mobile phones in your
children’s bedroom at night.
So
these are the harmful effects of mobile phones on children. What changes have
you made in your child’s cell phone usage considering these potential health
risks? Please share with the other Parents and Teachers and even your children.
Reasearch
and compilation-
Obed
Khan- Teacher / Trainer / Life Coach
(Vowel Education Academy)
vowelhelpdesk@gmail.com
