Harmful Effects Of Mobile Phones On Children
Mobile phones started as a replacement of pigeons carrying messages from one person to another. From allowing phone calls and sharing messages, mobile phones today incorporate camera, calculators, alarm, notebook facilities, email synchronization, access to the internet, entertainment platforms, games, various apps which fulfill more or less every requirement we have u2013 from ordering food, medicines, grocery and to shopping clothes and other necessities. On the other hand, apart from all these benefits, mobile phones come with their own drawbacks such as addiction, over-usage, FOMO, an inactive lifestyle, etc. This also brings us to the bad effect of mobile phones on child. Kids being addicted to cellphones is one of the greatest concerns in todayu2019s times. Kids of the past grew up with physical toys, playing with bricks and mud; but todayu2019s kids grow up with mobile phones. They begin to consume YouTube movies, songs, videos, games etc. from a very early age which brings us to a debatable topic of weighing the benefits Vs. risks of cellphone effects on child. Benefits of cellphones on children: Easy communication u2013 working parents can stay in touch and monitor their children through phones until they are back home. Safety u2013 your child having a phone during emergencies is always better u2013 allows him/her to reach out for necessary help! Peer contacting u2013 calling/texting school peers for doubts or other fruitful communications. Digitally equipped u2013 having access to cellphones makes children digitally equipped u2013 which is definitely important and crucial in todayu2019s digital world. Boosts creativity u2013 playing games, watching videos or cartoons naturally boosts the creativity of the brain. Primary education u2013 brains of toddlers and kids are very sharp and have very high grasping capabilities. On watching cartoons, videos, informational clips, little ones begin to recognize and learn shapes, colors, alphabets, numbers, voice and tone understanding etc. Information access u2013 education these days demand web search u2013 a smartphone makes online data and information easily and readily available for student use. Entertainment u2013 entertainment is crucial for adults as well as for kids u2013 but as long as it is consumed in the right amounts and does not become an addiction which leads to bigger problems. Harmful effects of mobile phones on children Obesity due to sedentary screen time u2013 spending too much time on mobile phone(s) results in a sedentary lifestyle u2013 a lifestyle with poor activity u2013 which increases the risk of obesity and other internal health complications. Risks of Health Hazards u2013 as per The Journal of The American Medical Association, usage of mobiles can have intense effects on the brain and other parts of the body. Few most strongly associated hazards of extended/unreasonable use of mobile phones on children are: cancer, effects on the brain, non-malignant tumors etc. Effect of mobile radiation on child u2013 a childu2019s brain is extremely sensitive to handle the effects of smartphone radiation. So as parents, always make sure to keep your childu2019s phone fully away from the child when he/she sleeps. Lakh of sufficient sleep u2013 addiction to phones can keep kids awake late during the night. And lack of sleep can lead to various complications in the short as well as long run. Deteriorating sleep quality u2013 research suggests that the blue light emitted screens of cell phones hampers with the production of melatonin. Melatonin is the hormone that controls and stabilizes the sleep-wake cycle (also known as circadian rhythm). When this hormone is imbalanced, the sleep and wake cycle is disturbed thus leading to poor sleep quality. Increase in irritability u2013 a poor sleep pattern needless to mention, results in increased irritability and discomfort. Aggressive behavior u2013 once irritability has set in, anger, frustration, and other aggressive qualities begin to rise up. Decrease in focus and attention spans u2013 while an adult can manage with 6-7 hours of sleep every night, a child must ideally sleep for at least 8 hours every night. When the sleep requirement is not fulfilled (due to lack of rest to the brain), the effectiveness and concentration levels of the child begin to drop. So make sure that your child sleeps well. Poor academic results u2013 because YouTube is the clear winner against Mathematics! Interest and time invested into entertainment is often likely to lead to poor academic results u2013 sooner or later. Hobbies take a backseat u2013 with inactivity in the mind, hobbies and other productive interests begin to fall down. Encourage our child to paint, sketch/draw, indulge in musical/dance activities, take part in sports and other such u2013 which will help in keeping the creative juices flowing. Distance with family u2013 with increasing interest in phone, kids begin to feel distanced from parents and this is not a good effect at all. Differences with parents u2013 when the mind gets too involved with something, there is a natural and automatic tendency to ignore the other stimulus in the environment. Access to unfitting internet data u2013 children are sensitive and not prepared for all kinds of information available on the internet. Unmonitored usage can lead to accidental or deliberate access to shocking, unfiltered or harmful content on the net which can adversely affect the childu2019s mindset. He/she might end up feeling scared, shocked, confused etc. Inappropriate behavior u2013 Inappropriate behaviors such as sending sensitive pictures, videos, and messages are a very big issue with teens. Once they go into the wrong hands, it can spread like wildfire. Also, children, even as young as seven, can easily access any pornographic website from smartphones. Also, it can teach your kids to engage in exam malpractices and cheating during exams. Once caught, it could put a halt on your childu2019s school career and they might have a hard time transferring to another school if they get expelled. Tips to mitigate mobile effects on kids Now that we know the effects of mobile phones on childrenu2019s health, let us look at some simple tips and tricks that will help us eliminate the negative impact of mobile on children: a) Decide the amount of time your child must have access to the phone. b) Once the time is fixed, make sure the timings are strictly followed to. c) Explicitly convey proper etiquette of phone usage to your child. Teach them with love and gradually imbibe a mature understanding of the scenario in them. d) Avoid showing entertaining content or allowing your child to play games while having meals since this might create a subconscious association of phones with food u2013 which is risky since it is prone to addiction. As parents, you do not want to create a situation where your child does not eat food without video/games. e) Do not let the phones stay with the kids when they go to sleep. f) Like mentioned earlier, to avoid radiation affecting the brain, keep phones away from children especially while they sleep. g) Explain to them the above-mentioned risks u2013 whichever and whenever possible. This information helps them feel responsible themselves to limit and use mobile phones in the right way. h) Mainly, if your child cannot spot his/her belongings, then is likely that he/she is not old enough to handle a phone yet and as parent(s), you must refrain from giving him/her a personal phone in the first place.
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