Handheld Devices and Children

By

Sana Hassan

Why are Handheld Devices bad for children?

The innovative technologies have made it possible to fit a computer in the palm of your hand. Everyday work is becoming easy, convenient and techno-logic. This ease of access has its dark sides as well. The fault lies in excessive usage and increased reliance on the gadget even when they are not needed. This practice is particularly high among parents with little kids. Hand the children your cell phone and your work is done for a few hours. Here is how these devices can affect your children.

Brain Development

During growing ages, especially the period between 1-12 years, the brain undergoes rapid development. This development is dependent on the external stimulus and environment. Moderate screen usage is helpful, but excessive restricted this development. The neural pathways do not develop as they do with the interaction with the natural external environment. In later life, these under developments are commonly found associated with the psychological issue. Impaired learning, cognitive deficits, and decreased learning ability are also found in such children.

Delayed Development

Due to the effects on the brain and others, such children fail to mature at a normal pace. It means that a child with overexposure to gadgets will fail to learn at a school as a normal kid would. This is accompanied by lower IQ levels, creative learning abilities, and self-sufficiency.

Mental Illness

Overexposure to screens, games, and story lines that are inappropriate for children plays role in development of mental illness. The violent content, physical abuses, substance abuse, make the child grow into a less empathic and less compassionate being. Moreover, depression, anxiety, aggression, mood swings, bipolar disorders, and psychosis are also prevalent among these kids.

Sleep Deprivation

Increased screen time means decreased hours of sleep which leads to deprivation. The lack of sleep results in decreased concentration span, irritability, and low grades. Prolonged disturbed sleep cycles change the structure of the brain and pose negative impacts.

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Conclusion

It is important to let children be aware of the latest gadgets, technology, and usage. It will help them
keep in pace with developments of the world. Moderate use is the key to this. The devices should not be
allowed before or during bedtime. Unsupervised TV hours should not be given to children under 13
years of age. The devices should only be used for productive and positive purposes.