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 with 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 impedes their ability to learn
According to researchers, a smartphone is detrimental to a child’s social-economic development as it diverts a child’s attention. According to the findings, the use of interactive screen time on such devices could also impair a child’s development of the skills needed for math and science.
6. It causes an addiction
It jeopardizes the child’s overall development. By engaging them in so many activities, a smartphone could become a source for an addiction. This kind of addiction engages their minds and captivates them for a long time, even to adulthood.
7. It has a negative impact on 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.
8. 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.
9. 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.
10. It desensitizes children to violence
Through the smartphone, kids are exposed to violence in games and through cyberbullying on chat sites. This desensitizes children and prompts them to accept that violent behavior is simply a normal way to solve problems.
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