Why and how to limit your child’s exposure to technology

These days, kids are operating devices like a Smartphone literally months after they are born. If you take a look at the local playgrounds, you can see children as young as 3 or even younger clutching their mom’s or dad’s phone to view videos or play games. Today’s children are using technology at a very young age, both at home and school.

Why to limit

Technology is undoubtedly the main source of learning and entertainment for today’s kids. But for school goers it can be a double-edged sword. Here are the reasons why the use of technology should be limited for kids as well as school goers.

• Reducing sleep time – Technology might interfere with sleep. Sleeping time is getting reduced for today’s busy children who often have huge homework pressure as well as different after-school activities cramped into weekdays and extracurricular activities on weekends. Add to 3 to 4 hours of TV watching, your child can easily have a recipe for sleep deprivation. Electronic stimulation from TV watching or using computer may also interfere with sleeping pattern of a child.
• Cutting down quality family time – While using technology like games, computers or TV, we simply stop interacting with each other. And considering how difficult it could be for a family to find some quality time to spend together, having technology cut into those precious moments is something that you, as a parent, should prevent feasibly. Remember, face to face interaction time is far better than watching a movie together.
• Encouraging less attention – According to researches, having too much screen time is directly associated with severe attention issues.
• Interfering with studies – Children watching a lot of TV or playing games on Smartphone or computers are likely to read fewer books and thus get lower grades. Cutting down screen time may improve your child’s health and grades remarkably.
• Leading to less physical activities – More screen time often equals to less physical activities and thus higher risk of obesity in children.
• Exposing to inappropriate content – Many TV commercials and shows depict violence, alcohol and drug use, and sex which are not good for children. Ads to promote products like property in Mumbai are admissible while an ad of condom may not be suitable for little children. Some commercials promote toys and junk foods in a very alluring way to get children want those items.

How to limit

Simply turning off the TV or computer when they are engrossed in it is not a good way to divert their craving for them. There are a number of ways through which you reduce their exposure to technology and some of them are discussed here.

• Don’t keep a TV set in their room – Having a TV set in your child’s room may be linked to lower test score, sleeping disorder and even obesity.
• Turn it off – When your child is not watching any particular program of his choice, keep the TV turned off. Keep it turned off even during mealtime or when they are doing their homework.
• Limit screen time – Limit the amount of time they spend on watching TV or watching games on computer to specific hours a week and not more than that. Stick to that number. Also don’t give your Smartphone to your child always even if he nags.
• Find alternatives – You should always be innovative to find ways to spend more family hours together without any tech devices like playing outdoor games, board games or reading books.

Though technology has a number of benefits, overuse may not be recommended.