There has been a lot of talk about the harmful effects of smartphones in children. According to one survey, 65 % of children from age 8 to 11 own a smartphone. 67 % of parents think that the government should make legislation to determine the appropriate age for children to have smartphones. Some parents are even supportive of imposing a ban on children under the age of 16. They believe that children only need a basic phone to be safe, there is no imminent need for a smartphone. Some schools in France have already banned students to use a smartphone during class hours. But it is a work in progress.
The reason for such surveys and research is that there have been adverse effects of the smartphone in children. Surely, a smartphone is quite an astonishing technological achievement but is it really worth it with having all the negative effects on young children. That is a long discussion, and here, we are going to discuss the harmful effects of smartphones in kids in this blog.
Smartphones are pocket size phones which are no less than a minicomputer. Smartphones are so popular now that even a 10-year-old kid is using phone better than an adult.
Smartphones have plenty of features that are enough to keep the children sitting on a couch doing nothing all day but browsing different interesting features. The children can play games, chat through social media apps, search for new things, watch videos, listen to songs, and plenty of other stuff all through their smartphone.
Smartphones have unlimited access to the internet among other things. Unlimited access can give them a chance to find things that sometimes require Parental Guidance. Although it is such a mainstream for school-age children, there are some negative effects of smartphones in children.
Smartphones and other smart devices are one of the main reasons why kids of this generation don’t take much interest in outdoor activities these days.
There are numerous adverse effects of technology that tend to be overlooked when we measure technological advancement and its benefit. Let’s see those harmful effects through a detailed look:
Having a smartphone in a kid’s pocket means he is surrounded by radioactive rays which are dangerous for health. The smartphones emit the radioactive frequency which can have a serious impact on the human brain. The Journal of the American Medical Association has conducted a study which stirred some shocking revealing. According to this study, children could have been exposed to the following diseases: Cancer & non-malignant tumors. Human brain is a sensitive thing. It can get messed up when radioactive ways penetrate through it. A simple 2 minutes call can let your ear absorb the electoral activity which goes into your brain and can alter your moods and other behavioral patterns. It could disturb the child’s learning ability as well.
A smartphone contains a lot of features. So, when a child has access to everything through his or her phone then there seems to be no need for taking interest in-class lectures or homework. Whenever they need to know something, they can simply search in on Google. Some students even use cheating to pass the exams. The fact that a child doesn’t know what is best for him or her at this point can lead him or her to losing interest in academics altogether.
Children addicted to their phones can also have low grades which cause low self-esteem, loneliness and some other consequences in schools. But the negative effects of smartphones can sometimes lead to extreme behavior. Sending inappropriate photos and texts among teenagers is a growing problem. Unlimited access to the internet can also get them access to pornographic websites which is enough to spoil a child’s brain. These things can imprint their amateur brains for the rest of their lives which is just sad.
Although it is hard to keep young children away from their smartphones, parents must try their best. Here are a few things that can help parents keep the children off their smartphones.
Parents shouldn’t use their smartphone during meals to set an example. Set the rules and just focus on eating at that time.
Encourage your children to play outside in the playgrounds with other kids to boost their social skills. This way they can also improve their physical activity.
Parents must limit the screen time of TV, Laptop, and Smartphone. They should manage a schedule in which they get to spend enough time for sleep and physical activity.
Give your children enough time where you get to talk with them and do some activities rather than leaving alone in their bedrooms.
Being a parent means you are responsible for your child. So, you must follow some smartphone safety tips to decrease the risk of the adverse effects of smartphones in children. Here are a few safety tips to overcome the negative effects of smartphones.
Do not give your child a smartphone under the age of 16. If they need to use the smartphone, limit their access and don’t leave the phone in their rooms.
Parental control apps are becoming popular. So, install one in your child’s phone to keep an eye out for their activities such as iKeyMonitor.
Now that every one of you is well aware of the harmful effects of smartphones, it is important to take some measures to keep your children away from smartphones. Make sure to adopt smartphone safety tips to avoid the negative consequences of smartphones in kids. Like when you give them a phone, you make them understand the safety measures to keep them safe from any harmful effects of smartphones in children.