Parents must be more aware of how technology impacts the development of their children by limiting screen time.
By Diana Morales
Parents need to limit the screen time of their children.
When I was younger, my parents would always make sure that I was not spending too much time on my phone because they said it could “rot my brain”. Although I listened to them, I never understood why they would think that technology is a bad thing for me. Now that I am older and have a younger brother who simply can’t seem to let go of his tablet, I can see where my parents were coming from.
However, one thing that has changed is that my parents don’t limit my brother’s screen time. Feeling as the times have changed, I noticed how children these days are more drawn to technology now more than ever before.
I admit that I spend a lot more time on my phone than I should, but even I know my limits. Many kids these days just don’t have enough discipline to put their phones away when they should and this is causing major problems that more parents need to address.
Apart from being distracting, technology is hindering the academic performance of children and adolescents. Spending more time staring at a screen instead of engaging with family or going outside can be severely damaging to the way a child develops.
According to Kids Health, “Media use can distract kids from important tasks, interfere with homework time, and hurt school performance. It can limit quality family time and make kids feel lonely or isolated.”
It is understandable that sometimes parents can’t give their children the attention they need, but there are other activities for children to engage in apart from consuming media. Simply going outside and being socially active can allow a child to understand the world around them.
“Numerous studies show that higher levels of social media use among children and adolescents are linked to adverse effects, including depression and anxiety, inadequate sleep (which can disrupt neurological development and lead to depression and suicidal behaviors), low self-esteem, poor body image, eating disorder behaviors and online harassment.” (The Annie E. Casey Foundation).
Many children already struggle with paying attention in class and it wouldn’t help if they get unlimited access to media that influences their behavior. There are times when not even the parents can see the issue that technology brings to their children. The recommended screen time is two hours or less a day according to the National Institutes of Health.
Instead of giving a child a phone, parents should look into activities that are more physically active. Children have a lot of energy that most adults don’t have and that energy definitely shouldn’t be wasted lying in bed playing games.
A better and simpler alternative to being online could include: going out on walks, going to visit a local park, or signing up for an after-school sports program that the child is interested in.
These activities shouldn’t be seen as a chore so parents need to take their time to communicate with their child and allow them to understand the benefits of not being on their technology devices. It is best to stop the issue as soon as possible before it worsens.