American Academy of Pediatrics and the Canadian Pediatric Society recently stated that children up to two years should not to have any contact with intelligent technologies; from ages 3 to 5 years their time should be limited to one hour, and 6-18-year-old children should spend no more than two hours daily. Children and young people use all these smart technologies 4-5 times more than they should, and this might cause severe, often even life-threatening consequences.
The so-called handheld devices such as mobile phones, tablets, electronic games today are found in every house, and parents usually give them to their children without much of the thinking. But many specialists agree that parents, teachers and even government should limit kids’ time using these devices (in particular for children up to 12 years). And here are five reasons to conclude this with various studies.
1. Obesity
TV and video games are very closely related to the obesity problem. Children who are allowed to have electronic devices in their rooms are, in fact, 30 percent more prone to obesity. One in four Canadians and one out of three American children are obese. One-third of these children develops diabetes. Obese people have a higher risk of having a stroke or heart attack, and it shortens their lifespan. It is due to obesity many twenty-first century children may be the first generation to live shorter lives than their parents.
2. Lack of sleep
60 percent of parents do not control how much their child use technology, 75 percent of children are allowed to have electronic devices in their bedrooms. Hence, 75 percent of 9-10-year-old children lack of sleep which affects their development as well. And yes – it is all due to the fact, that children spend a lot of time looking at blue screens. As many studies have shown, even adults suffer from consequences of using modern technologies before going to bed, so imagine how much worse everything works with weak children’s bodies and minds.
However, adults are better able to use technology for their benefit. They optimize their workflow using modern apps or use services such as Hemingway, Grammarly, or writemyessays to study. Children, on the other hand, spend more time playing games and watching cartoons and movies.
3. Radiation
In May 2011, the World Health Organization classified mobile phones and other wireless devices as Class 2B risk (possible carcinogen) for possible radiation emission. Canadian Health Organization in 2011 raised a warning, which states: “Children are more sensitive to many factors than adults because their brains and immune systems are still developing, so it cannot be said that the risk for adult and child is the same.”
According to the University of Toronto School of Public Health doctor Anthony Miller, radio frequency effects should be downgraded to 2A (probable carcinogen), rather than 2B (possible carcinogen). At the same time, American Academy of Pediatrics called for a review of technological equipment radiation levels, so soon we might hear even more bad news about it.
4. Dependence
Parents, who spend more time on handheld devices, are moving away from their children more and more. Without parental affection, children can also “tie up” to various devices, which can lead to addiction. One of eleven children aged 8-18 are dependent on technology, and you can start blaming yourself for that – not the new technology!
5. Delayed development
Technology usage restricts movement, which can cause developmental problems of your children as well. One out of three children who started attending school is with noticeable development impairment, which adversely affects the literacy and academic achievement. Movement improves concentration and learning ability. Using technology at a very young age is harmful to a child’s development and learning, so you as a responsible parent should encourage a kid to move around and be active, and not just sit in a corner watching small screens.
To sum up: technologies are fun and very practical, but children should face them as little as possible. Sometimes it really pays off to be a little bit traditional and let your kids use their own imagination with simple wooden toys instead of watching colorful cartoons or crushing candies in your smartphone. Moreover, it is always a few times more pleasant to gift a child something we can love more than any electronic device he is ever going to have. And for that reason – definitely, surf the web and check these 30% Off Kohl’s coupons to shop for the best toys and stuff your kid will love for sure!