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And what our kids should do? For little children, imitation is a major development
milestone. Their parents’ behavior is the common object of kids’ imitation games.
How should they stay away from gadgets if their parents are stuck to iPads,
Kindles, smartphones?
Action figures, puzzles, board games are no longer the favorite toys of today’s
children. Touch screens have taken over all other forms of playful delight for
kids. Maybe, this is why a personal tablet or smartphone are still the most
desired presents for Christmas or birthday among kids 5-12.
A research by Michael Cohen Group reveals that 60% kids under the age of 12
play on a portable screen often, while 38 percent play very often. Gadgets have
become the most preferable toys of younger generation.
A Mommy-Blogger’s Opinion
Sedentary lifestyle causes one more acute problem – childhood obesity. Taking a
tablet or smartphone to the dinner table, a kid can’t control the normal food
intake. Either he or she eats too quickly or too much since they are concentrated
on the screen, not on the meal.
Gadgets addiction can affect a child’s sleep. Children too excited with gaming
have problems with falling asleep. Many parents complain that they can’t simply
make their children go to bed because of long-drawn playing.
But the most risks are connected with the mental health of children. Gadgets
overuse is always a risk factor for child depression, anxiety, autism, psychos and
other problematic child behaviors. According to the Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention, in the U.S. over six million children between 4 and 17 have
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). In the last two decades this
figure more than doubled to 11 percent because of the skyrocketing use of
mobile devices.
A Mommy-Blogger’s Opinion
Studying with colorful and amusing mobile applications is far more engaging.
Students have a wide choice of educational apps, videos, games, websites. Kids
can take the learning home and learn while playing games. For example, it can
be a real fun to learn Math with these tricky Math games.
Many schools equip children with special learning tablets. However, students
may not always use them for educational purposes. Remember the case
with Los Angeles Unified School District. Schoolchildren managed to bypass
the filtering software on their school iPads and updated their social media pages
and stream music.
At nursery age, mobile apps can replace a good deal of educational toys. A tablet
becomes a universal portable set of toys for almost all educational reasons. With
it, it’s easy to learn colors and shapes, explore music, train word composition,
paint, count, solve puzzles, etc.
Children are getting smarter as they go ahead with tech gadgets, no one can
deny this fact. Maybe, in 10-15 years we’ll get a generation of tech geeks, next
Steve Jobs, Bill Gates and Mark Zukerberg…
As you see, children under 13 shouldn’t play any violent games at all. It turns out
that any games showing or implying fighting, shooting, as well as various
zombies and monsters should be deleted from your kid’s device if he or she is
under 13.
Here are some more recommendations for parents from the American Academy
of Pediatrics:
Keep the TV set and Internet-connected electronic devices out of the
child’s bedroom.
Monitor what media your children are accessing, including websites and
social media sites.
Never use gadgets to pacify your children. There are other ways available.
Coview TV, movies, and videos with children and use this as a way
to discuss important family values.
Develop a family home use plan for all media. As part of the plan, enforce
a mealtime and bedtime “curfew” for tech devices.
Establish reasonable but firm rules about cell phones, texting, Internet, and
social media use.
A MOMMY-BLOGGER’S OPINION
While it’s too early to talk about a special treatment programs in hospitals, some
of their methods can be easily implemented at home:
Start with a 72 hour digital detox. Eliminate any gadgets use by your
kid. Refuse any access to gaming or TV as well.
Try to distract your child with other activities that get him or her moving
physically or challenge mentally.
Then you reintroduce gadgets in a controlled manner – with restricted
usage times.
There is a special iOS app which automatically tracks how much your child uses
iPhone or iPad each day. You can set daily limits and be notified when your kid
goes over. In this article a mom describes her first steps to gadgets addiction
recovery for all her family. She succeeded, why can’t you?
However, if you feel difficulties implementing these recommendations, don’t be
afraid to take a professional help. Here are also some toll-free helplines from the
health counsellors and psychotherapists: