The Good the Bad and the Ugly of Technology

Our lives are so fast-paced these days that we find it difficult to keep our children always engaged with something constructive. So during our multi-tasking phases we succumb to our children’s demands and let them watch ample television or give them the ipad. It is okay to do this once in a while, but not all the time. We need to restrict childrens' screen time. Children need to learn to entertain themselves, learn to introspect in their solitude, and come up with creative ways to keep themselves busy. 

They should not watch mindless television and play games on their ipad which restrict their learning curve and creative process. Children at 6 months of age know how to use an ipad and the phone. Before they turn two they are so proficient that they know more than most adults. The brain of a child develops at an accelerated pace between 0 to 5, and even though genes play a role in deciding their IQ and EQ but it is also the environment and how we nurture them. Use of technology with children has its upsides and downsides.

 Times are changing and we live in a world where everything is governed by technology. Children do need to be exposed to technology but for a restricted amount of time. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, children above the age of two should not be exposed to more than two hours of screen time in a day. But you cannot have a blanket rule for all age groups, as children grow older and their needs and wants vary with age.

Children - 18 months and under

This age category shouldn’t to be exposed to digital media; not only is it not good for their eyes but it also unnecessarily over-stimulates them. You would rather talk to the child or read a book. But doing a 'Facetime' or 'Skype' call with a relative is highly encouraged because it helps develop social skills. 

Digital media at this age can affect behavior and interfere with sleep-wake cycle. It’s important for babies and their primary care-givers to maintain eye contact for better brain development and bonding. Screen time causes disconnect between children and parents.

Children - 2 to 6 years old

These children should not get exposure to digital media for more than one hour per day. It is better for them to be involved in physical activities and activities which enhance socialskills, improve gross and fine motor skills.  Obesity is a major problem prevailing in a lot of countries and watching mindless television and having no physical activity adds to this existing epidemic. 

Even if your child wants to work on the ipad, download applications which support and enhance their learning process. A lot of children play video games which cause changes in their behavior; some children show symptoms of aggression, low attention span, irritability, mood swings. On television, the child should watch educative programmes and cartoons, where the language and content is suitable for kids to watch.

Children - 6 years and above

Children at this age have time divided between school time, at least one hour of physical activity, social and emotional interaction, homework and sleep time. All this time put together would be about 20 -22 hours so the remaining time can be used for screen time. Time spent online for homework or studies should not be included.

Most of these screen devices like television, mobile phones and tablets all emit electromagnetic radiations which are harmful for children’s brains and their eyes. Studies have suggested that prolonged exposure to these devices may put children at a risk of certain types of cancers.

Disadvantages of too much screen time:

a)     Sleep deprivation : all gadgets from television, ipads, tablets emit blue light from the screen which confuses the body that it is daylight and the child is wide awake at bedtime and hence gets less than the requisite number of hours of sleep, and has behavior problems, performs poorly at school, lethargic, lacks decision making skills.

b)    Obesity: Kids spend less time being physically active as they spend more and more time being glued to the TV or ipad. Eating in front of the television causes them to eat more than usual; this causes children to gain a lot of weight.

c)     Vision problems: staring at the screen for too long cause’s vision problems.

d)    Lack of social skills: kids who spend a lot of time in front of the screen prefer not interacting with other kids their age due to limited face to face contact with people.

e)    Aggression: Kids who play lot video games, especially violent games end up becoming physically violent.

Tips to reduce your child’s screen time:

·        Set a screen time limit: either fix it to only on weekends/ half an hour a day.

·        Make meal time : Family time

·        Make your bedroom screen free

·        Set a good example yourself

My son never showed interest in any cartoon up till he was about 4.5 years old because I never encouraged screen time. If he wanted the ipad I would encourage working with applications which challenges him mentally. He watches 'YouTube' videos, which are age appropriate and cartoons, where the language and content is suitable.

The real problem is not whether machines think but whether men do – B. F Skinner