Cut down on your screen time
Kids today are smart enough to know how to use a smartphone and iPad before they know how to take their first step or hold a pencil. But as they grow a little older, do they remain as smart as they should — physically, mentally and physiologically?
I am afraid not, too much and too early exposure to gadgets, screens and all kinds of video games is affecting children in all kinds of ways, and many of the effects are adverse and seen for the first time in kids. These affects are so noticeable and serious that medical practitioners and researchers are identifying new conditions and syndromes in children, such as electronic screen syndrome (ESS), Computer Vision Syndrome and “internet use disorder” (IUD), along with more familiar issues such as obesity, depression, anxiety, attachment disorder, attention deficit, autism, bipolar disorder, psychosis and problematic child behaviour.
disorder” (IUD), along with more familiar issues such as obesity, depression, anxiety, attachment disorder, attention deficit, autism, bipolar disorder, psychosis and problematic child behaviour.
The American Academy of Paediatrics estimates that ‘the average child spends seven hours of their day looking at a screen, be it a video game, computer, cell phone or television’.
Don’t shrug this off as a boring lecture by an adult and keep the magazine down to get back to one of the screens in your home. Read on, it will take a few more minutes but will do you a world of good — just like a caution or scolding from your mother, which isn’t pleasant to hear, but you know it is in your best interest.
We are going to talk about the effects of screen time and you owe it to yourself to read on and be informed — at least know what can go wrong so that you can spot the red flags and ration your screen usage yourself.
Brain development interference
Our brain develops rapidly till the age of 21, and between 0 and 2 years, an infant’s brain triples in size! This early brain development is determined by environmental stimuli, or lack of it.
According to a report by Dr Cris Rowan, a paediatric occupational therapist and author, “Stimulation to a developing brain caused by overexposure to technologies (cell phones, internet, iPads, TV), has been shown to be associated with executive functioning and attention deficit, cognitive delays, impaired learning, increased impulsivity and decreased ability to self-regulate, eg tantrums.”
Researchers have also found that the frontal lobe — the part of the brain which is responsible for the child’s attention span, controlling emotions and empathic skills — becomes somewhat retarded due to too much screen time.
Addiction
Many of you, and adults too, find yourself getting bored if there is no internet connectivity or cable TV keeping a screen alive to occupy you. You start feeling restless and moody. This is the effect of addiction to screens.
Dr Rowan explains, “Too much screen time creates notable changes in brain chemistry - most notably, in the release of dopamine, a neurochemical also known as the pleasure chemical.”
When playing a video game, as you progress in the game’s levels and gain points and awards, you feel pleased as the brain releases dopamine every time you ‘win’. So when not playing the game, you are likely to start feeling down and deprived due to the lack of this pleasure chemical in your body. Then you start craving fro the pleasure of playing the games again. This can lead to serious trouble later on as a person can become addicted to other kinds of things too.
Delayed development
When a child simply looks at a ball rolling across a tablet screen, it is a two dimensional process. But when playing with a real ball, the child experiences three dimensions that can never be replaced by what is happening on a screen. Movement enhances attention and learning ability. Due to this reason and more, it is seen that technology use can result in delayed development as it restricts movement.
According to other research findings cited by Dr Rowan in her report on the effects of screen time on children, “One in three children now enter school developmentally delayed, negatively impacting literacy and academic achievement (HELP EDI Maps 2013). (Ratey 2008). Use of technology under the age of 12 years is detrimental to child development and learning (Rowan 2010).”
Letting toddlers and very young kids watch too much TV or their tablet screens can also delay their speaking and language skills. Children learn language best by interaction and being talked to, from the speaker’s the facial expressions and body language and hearing the tone of voice. This full experience can’t be replaced by what they see and hear on a screen.