Screen Time and Technology

There is no doubt that technology has become a daily part of our lives and brought about a tremendous change in our day-to-day activities. With our dependency on technology for almost every activity has brought in great advantages, unfortunately, certain repercussions should not be neglected and need immediate attention. 

Technology, if used for educational and learning purposes can be phenomenally helpful. However, if it is not under supervision and if a certain time cap is not implemented, certain critical aspects in children might get affected. 

Here are some of the areas where uncontrolled screen-time could affect the children:

Thinking and Learning:

Most of the learning happens through external interactions with the world. Therefore, parents must ensure that the right content and experience are given to ensure proper learning. It also depends on how much time is involved. If it goes beyond a certain time limit then it may lead to certain unhealthy repercussions such as: 

• Lowered attention span. 

• Inertia or lowered motivation

• delayed motor skills 

• hampered critical thinking. 

Behavioral Traits:

Interactions and learning go hand-in-hand. This instills certain behavioral traits which add value to growth. However, if the screen-time goes beyond a permissible limit it may lead to certain distortions such as:

• Anxiety 

• Aggression 

• Violent tendencies 

• Fear 

• Irritability 

Mental Health:

Too much information overload or entertainment through the screen can overwork the brain. As a result, it slows down the receptiveness among children and therefore, affects their performance. And it slowly snowballs into an inferiority complex and as a result, might lead to depression. 

Physical Health:

There is a growing concern among researchers who found out that those who spend a lot of time on their screens have compromised their physical activities. Therefore, there have been studies where it shows that children who spend too much on screens and lack physical activity are more prone to obesity. Activities that lack physical movement have been shown to increase blood pressure. 

While the impact of technology has several benefits, the above-mentioned concerns should not be ignored. Here what parents can ensure to avoid the above problems: 

Encourage discussions:

Too much screen time and the internet may deprive the children of social interaction which will hamper their growth. Ensure, you talk about what they have learned and also try to engage them with experience and real-life examples with what they have learned. This will kindle some interest and they will come back to discuss more. 

Non-screen activity:

Taking some time off-screen can be beneficial. Help them inculcate some old-school habits such as reading books, painting, writing, etc. This will help them recuperate from the mental exhaustion the children may suffer after a certain time on screen. 

Hobby: 

While this is pretty subjective, hobbies may be referred to as activities that will help them enhance and hone their creative skills. Research suggests that children who are into music and learning any instrument perform well in their academics and are less likely to suffer from mental health issues. 

Technology has been a great boon in the present times and has helped a lot in the field of education too. However, there should be aright amount of balance between the amount of time spent on and off-screen to ensure the growth and health of the children. As there is an old saying. All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.