TECHNOLOGY USE CAN CAUSE SOCIAL AND BEHAVIOURAL PROBLEMS IN CHILDREN
Written by Liza John
Human beings are the farthest from nature than ever have been till date. Worse, the distance is increasing. Worst, they seldom realise or acknowledge the harm. But was this stretching course taken voluntarily? Well, yes and no. Hi-tech is an asset in innumerable ways, yet we can’t overshadow the dark side of it.
From 2020, the world has been going through constant changes. You can no longer see children hurrying to the school building not to get themselves late.
Now they are probably circumscribed within the four walls of their house, eyes pointed to the big, luminous screen, doing their online classes, or surfing the internet. The child’s age and cognitive ability, determines the impact of technology on them.
For example: a two-year-old child won’t benefit from using a smartphone, but given the conditions, someone older could get digitally learned by technology.
How Do Kids Become Antisocial in Real Life?
Amidst all the benefits of social media platforms, the ill-effect can make children anti-social. People generally show the best part of their life in those sites, so, when the viewers compare those highlight reels with their behind-the-scenes, they might begin to feel insecure. Those curated content they watch can result in lower self-esteem among some. It’s a step ahead to the creation of superiority and inferiority complexes.
It’s reliable and easier to communicate virtually than to reach out in real life. As the information you show in the media is under your control but in real life, you show the ‘real you’. Most kids heavily engaged in media are out of that practice. But it’s necessary to have real bonding at times. Studies have shown that some social platforms can be one of the many causes of social anxiety.
How Does Unmindful Utilisation of Technology Affect Us on The Behavioural Spectrum?
Humans have an average attention span of a goldfish’. This headline is podcasting everywhere. Studies of the early 2000s showed that the average attention span of human beings has decreased from 12 seconds to eight seconds. This causes impatience and frustration, leading to absent-mindedness.
Too much screen time during the day kills a lot of time, reducing their lifespan. Continuously engaging the brain into processing information is unhealthy. So, it’s recommended to go for nature walks.
The obesity rates are increasing significantly in children and adolescents. If they are sitting around, tapping the screen for hours, then their physical movement naturally gets restricted to a certain amount. Thus, they should be encouraged to head outside and communicate with their peers face-to-face, play with them, go for runs, do anything that keeps them away from the screen.
The exposure to blue light from the LCD screen before sleep can affect their natural cardiac system, causing inability to sleep. There are apps to reduce the blue rays, such as twilight, but it’s better to keep the screen light away for an hour right before you go to bed.
Cyberbullying is hitting the peak at this moment. Bullying in any form can lead to mental distress, anxiety, and depression. It can even lead to suicidal thoughts. So, it’s very much important that they have a safe place to vent out all the pent-up stuff.
Why Is Complete Abstinence Not Fruitful?
The previous generation of kids lived in a world without smartphones, laptops, or any hi-tech gadgets inside their home during childhood. But most generation Z kids had it all since birth, so these gadgets seem to be a necessity to them. Therefore, forceful abstinence can make them desperate.
It will restrict them from exploring the innovative, fruitful, and productive side of it. Thus, parents need to be empathetic and should encourage understanding conversations with their kids about setting time limits and app restrictions, until they are capable of making their own decisions.
Why Is Moderation Important?
Children are born innocent. Mostly, they won’t understand the difference between productive and useless surfing. Moreover, the algorithms of social media platforms are designed in such a way that the audiences are bound to get intrigued by it. Naturally, children become the most innocent and accessible prey. When addicted, their brain coordination changes and pleasure hormones, that is dopamine, get secreted during the wrong time. The more they are into it, the worse the addiction gets. It takes genuine efforts to get normal again.
So, What’s The Solution? Should Parents Stop Their Kids from Using Technology?
Well, that mentality would cause more trouble than the actual problem. Technology is booming, virtuality is everywhere, so kids do need to learn the basics. But too much of anything is unhealthy, be it the fat you consume, or the exercise you do. Thus, we must stick to moderation.
Technology is forever to stay and continue to evolve, expand, and reshape the world. So, using that in moderation to capitalise the benefits and lessen the negatives shouldn’t be an issue. It’s high time, we should be mindful of our actions and the results that follow along. Only then, overall growth is possible.