Nowadays, many children are provided with mobile phones from an early age too, according to some parents, keep in contact with their parents when they are out home. But, are we aware of the risks that new smartphones have? As I see it, new technologies and children should be controlled by adults as far as is possible.
My main reason to think this is a psychological reason. Young children are not able to understand the risks and problems that smartphones can produce. Children want to be like their classmates, to be in fashion. Managing a smartphone with its characteristics is a difficult task that requires maturity.
Technology has done a lot to make our lives easier and more efficient. Yet as a parent, you ought to be concerned about the impact that devices such as smartphones can have on your child. At a time when it is becoming commonplace for kids to have their own mobile device, shouldn’t you be worried about what negative impact a smartphone could have on your child’s growth?
1.They alter the parent-child relationship:
Even while smartphones can be convenient, they alter the bonding that is supposed to exist between a parent and child. The connectivity attached to smartphone use cannot be the same as the genuine connection which the parent and child are meant to have. Children are still passing through a period of growth, and you need to establish your relationship with them. With smartphones, you have speed and instant answers available; yet this could lead to your kids making bad choices in the long run.
2. It limits their creative minds:
With easy access through a smartphone to a majority of their play, kids now have a platform to be bombarded with various exciting games. These games limit their creativity and imaginations and slow their motor and optical sensory development.
3. It causes them to get less sleep:
According to this study, a smartphone in the bedroom can bring about significantly less sleep, later bedtimes, and more fatigue. Your child needs to be getting plenty of sleep and have his brain rested for the next day’s activities. A smartphone certainly wouldn’t help him attain that.
4. It doesn’t give kids the time to reflect or learn about the consequences of their actions:
Imagine a kid having a conversation on a chat site and things go wrong. “I wish you lose your life” is uttered at him. Even perfectly nice kids would spontaneously react by saying, “I wish you lose your life too.’” This happens because the child is not offered the opportunity to reflect on the impact and the negativity of their actions or what they say. With a smartphone, things happen fast.
5. It doesn’t give kids the time to reflect or learn:
About the consequences of their actions imagine a kid having a conversation on a chat site and things go wrong. “I wish you lose your life” is uttered at him. Even perfectly nice kids would spontaneously react by saying, “I wish you lose your life too.’” This happens because the child is not offered the opportunity to reflect on the impact and the negativity of their actions or what they say. With a smartphone, things happen fast.
6. It harms your child’s mental health:
According to experts, amongst the causes of depression and anorexia in kids is the use of the smartphone and connection to the internet. Since through it, kids are bullied and often unsupervised, there is a negative impact on their mental health.
7. It indirectly causes obesity:
Too much time spent on smartphones also affects the physical health of your kids. With a smartphone, your child is subjected to remaining at a particular spot for hours. Such technology overuse is now a factor causing obesity.
8. It causes behavioral problems:
Spending more than two hours per day on a smartphone is enough to cause emotional and social problems. Accordingly, exposure to the games available on smartphone apps links children to an increased risk of attention problems.
9. Tumors:
Now, we don’t mean to scare you with this information, but it is good to know that studies suggest a possible increased risk of tumors for those who use cellphones excessively. There is limited evidence that tumors are caused due to cellphone radiation, but as a parent, you may want to limit the time your kids use phones to avoid any other possible risks.
10. Affects Brain Activity:
Studies suggest that the human brain is sensitive to electromagnetic radiation; however, there is a need for more studies to prove the radiation could disturb brain activity. Since, mobile phones primarily function on electromagnetic waves for all forms of communication, even internal, and the brain has its own electric impulses wherein communication is carried out in the neural network, it could affect the brain. However, as mentioned earlier, more research needs to be done to prove that radiation affects brain activity.
11. Academic Performance:
Many children carry phones along with them to their schools. Chatting with friends or playing games during school breaks, or even in class, is increasing day-by-day. This results in children failing to pay attention in the class, missing out on important lessons, and consequently, being clueless about studies and examinations.
12. Medical Issues:
With children glued to the mobile phone during their free time, they don’t partake in physical activity and get fresh air. This puts them at risk for obesity and other illnesses, which can later develop into harmful diseases such as diabetes and hypertension.
13. Inappropriate Media:
Like any other gadget, the mobile phone is also a tool and can be used for wrong purposes. Kids could come across inappropriate messages, images, or texts shared by their friends or in the group, and further pass it on to others. They can find their way to pornography at an early age, changing their perceptions and thought processes. Even exchanging images of their own, irresponsibly, can create a fiasco that impacts their lives for a long time.
Mobile Phone Safety Tips to Decrease the Risk
Taking the right measures to ensure mobile phone safety for kids is extremely important while they are growing up.
- As a general practice, avoid giving cell phones to children under the age of 16. You may stay in touch with the teachers and school staff to ensure your child’s safety and health if needed.
- Some parents may choose otherwise, and that is fine too, as long as the child has no or limited access to content that will take his focus off his studies.
- If you are worried about the radiation, you may make your child wear a wired headset or limit his talk time when he talks on the phone, instead of holding it to the ear.
- As mentioned earlier, there isn’t enough evidence to prove cellphone radiation can cause tumors, but if it eases your anxiety, go for it.
- Avoid constantly giving your child your mobile phone when he is in the middle of an activity as it will only distract him or lead to falls and injuries.
- As an adult, parents and other people in the house need to restrict their use of phones when they are around children.
- This is not only for purposes of avoiding radiation, but to create a behavior pattern as well.
- Keep your mobile phones safely with you and out of sight of your kids at night. Children may quietly try to get a hold of it, without you finding out.
As with every technology or tool out there, a mobile phone is a double-edged sword. The technological prowess of the smartphone is tremendous, and it is quite a learning tool for children as well. However, keeping things in moderation and restricting usage hours goes a long way in ensuring children’s well-being and inculcating good behavioral habits in them.