When it comes to technology, we all know how it is evolving at a rapid pace and how it has impacted the way we communicate, work, spend leisure time, teach or study. If we talk about the future, it is predicted that the usage of technology will only increase. The 21st-century generation is super smart, quite adaptive to technology, which has its pros and cons.
Today technology plays a very crucial role in education and learning. As, now everything is just a fingertip away, so schools and parents are also trying to make their children get the most of it. We understand that being adaptive to technology is very important in this modern era. But are there any hidden dangers of the technology? Let’s move on to a detailed analysis of how technology is impacting a child’s mind:
Badly Harms Attention Spans
This is one of the most common concerns raised by parents about technology and children. Technology is completely changing the way how a child’s brain is wired. There is a huge difference between the brain of an adult and a child (no matter how smart he/she is). Children’s minds are developing minds, and when they get exposed to such technology, their brains start adapting as per the internet. This means their mind scans things quickly and processes multiple things at once. Young brains are vulnerable, as the previous generations used to read, imagine, and indulge in extracurricular activities that require attention, focus, and creativity.
Increases Aggression & Impulsiveness
Since we all know technology comes with high levels of visuals and audio, which have a deeper impact on the mind. The stimulated violence shown in popular video games and shows overpowers the behavior of children. This also makes them lose empathy, emotions, and they’re more likely to argue with parents, teachers, and peers.
Reduces Physical Activity & Impacts Health
Time spent using tabs, mobiles and laptops is equal to time spent doing nothing if they are not learning something. The more your child uses technology the less likely he/she is to indulge in physical activities. As access to these devices has become very easy, they are now taking a toll on children’s health. Playing games or watching videos gets combined with snacking or eating regular meals get combined with watching videos, resulting in overeating. Over time it can impact their health, leading to sudden weight gain, inability to focus, laziness, and more.
Affects Relationships, Interpersonal Communication & Social Skills
The way kids nowadays use mobile phones, they are prone to get addicted to technology, which will directly impact the time they spend with their friends or family. Whether it’s trying to reconnect with a sibling, friend or entertaining themselves during outings. Children are more interested in staying virtually connected via texts or photos instead of meeting people. They won’t be able to express themselves or communicate what they feel and will eventually lack interpersonal and communication skills. Staying in a virtual world rather than reality will only have negative effects on their mind.
Consuming Harmful Things While Browsing the Internet
Internet is not always a safe place, especially for young minds. While browsing online, they might come across misleading things like a virus, phishing, and other dangers often disguised as ads. They might also get tempted to consume adult content, which they shouldn’t. Children can take advantage of the internet only when things are monitored by their parents. Otherwise, the internet can have a bad impact on a child’s gullible mind.
Insomnia or Reduced Sleep Quality
Most people including children and teenagers use mobiles or tabs before sleeping. Did you know? The lights emitted from these devices disturb the sleep schedule and natural sleeping patterns. Sometimes it can cause insomnia and can also reduce sleep quality. Nowadays, children sleep less than they should, lack of sleep can have major consequences on mental health. As, when we go to sleep the brain takes care of a few “housekeeping tasks”.
Did you overuse your phone at night? And woke up feeling dizzy the next day, these effects will only increase with time if you don’t pay attention.
Effects on Eyes & Posture
Constant usage of gadgets intensely harms eyes and posture. As we already know that spending a lot of time using screens can damage our eyes and impact vision but children don’t understand it quite right. Apart from this, it can cause posture issues and back pain, which hinders them from walking or sitting straight.
How to prevent this addiction to technology in children?
- Make a schedule for using any device like TV, phone, or tab along with their schedule to study and play outdoor games.
- Don’t put any electronic device in their room like a gaming station, laptop, computer, or TV.
- Take note of their screentime and put restrictions depending upon age group.
- Put passwords in all devices and only give access when it’s time. You can also make it more fun by rewarding them with 1 hour of online games for completing homework on time.
- Always turn on the kid’s mode while handing over any device to them. Don’t forget to turn on the screen timer.
We understand that technology is very important in today’s era and it is impossible to monitor each activity of your children in case have a hectic schedule. But if you want your child to unlock his/her full potential, you need to take the charge.
