Effects of electronic gadgets on children

With the advanced of modern technology nowadays, electronic gadget has become part and parcel of our life whether at working place or at home. Without knowing,our children has been exposed to gadgets very early in their life. Experts have warned that parents who allow babies and toddlers to access tablet computers for several hours a day are in danger of causing “dangerous” long term effects.

A study done by Dr Nirmala Karuppiah from the National Institute of Education’s (NIE) in Singapore in 2013 looked at how pre-schoolers in Singapore use gadgets such as computers, tablets and smartphones. The study found that 65% of the children started playing with electronic devices before they turned three.Most of the children – 95 per cent – played video and simulation games on the devices. Half of them said they used them to play educational games such as spelling quizzes. Other uses include surfing the Internet and social networking.

Personally,i am not against gadget usage among children,but having said that, we all as parents should aware that its usage should be done with moderation. Children should be supervised and there should be rules on 'how much' time can be spent on gadgets per day. There are always risks involved if the children misuse or use it without supervision and limitation.

The bad effects of unsupervised and excessive electronic gadget usage are as follows:

• Child become addicted to gadgets and develop an obsession with the device.They would ask for it constantly if parents refuse to give them the gadgets.Some kids may show tantrum and increased agitation if it was removed from them.
• Child become anti-social and become attached to the gadgets most of the time. This condition will prevent them from forming normal social relationships and having activities with their friends.
• Child is exposed to health risks such as poor sitting postures and excessive strain to their eyes by sitting in front of and staring at electronic screens for too long
• Child is exposed to emotional risks like cyber-bullying, which could lead to serious consequences. Children could pick up negative habits like being violent, or face problems in socialising with peers. In the long run, this could impact them mentally when they realise they actually have no friends outside their electronic world.
• Excessive gadget usage may affect child's school performance. According to an article from USA Today, children that are exposed to 8.5 hours of television, video games, computers and other media every day may be losing the ability to concentrate. Similarly, a study conducted by the Kaiser Family Foundation found that heavy media use amongst pre-school, elementary and high school students is associated with several potential setbacks, including behavioral problems and lower grades.
• Increased gadget time causing them to have lack of physical activity indirectly lead to childhood obesity. Childhood obesity has become alarming problem worldwide.

There's a study conducted in UK,showed that about one third of parents actually regret giving gadgets to their children. As we already know that excessive gadget use may be detrimental to our children in long run,so we need to find solution. I firmly believe that moderation is the key. Always supervise our children and try our best to engage them in healthy activities,either with friends or family members in order to limit their gadget time.

Be a responsible parents and do no harm :-)