7 Reasons Why You Shouldn’t Hand a Smartphone to Your Child

There are serious concerns about the effects of smartphones and other handheld devices on kids. Experts say gadgets have negative impacts on children’s brain, health, and social skills.

Technology such as smartphones and computers has changed the look and feel of childhood. Today, we rarely see kids playing on the street or in the playground like the children of 20 years ago. Now in their rooms they are glued to screens playing video games on electronic devices. While this change can be convenient as there is less mess and noise around the house, parents should be careful when handing gadgets to their children. As these devices have bad effects on kids.

1. Eye Problem – staring at gadget screens for long periods of time can cause eyesight problem at an early age. This is because of the increase eye strain that happens when the eye tries to adjust to the lights coming from the screen. This can result to myopia or nearsightedness, an eye disorder that makes distant objects look blurry. In addition, children tend to focus so much on the screen that they forget to blink their eyes. This can cause dryness to the eye surface which can lead to redness, itchiness, tears, and sand like feeling inside the eyes.
2. Radiation – smartphones and other gadgets emit radiations that can affect brain activity and cells in the body. This can cause tumor or cancer. If radiation is harmful enough for adults, how much more to children who have a delicate body.
3. Sleeping Problem – a study reveals that allowing children to use mobile phones, gaming consoles, or computers can negatively affect the quality of their sleep. These electronic devices are powerful enough to disrupt the kids’ regular sleeping pattern as they are addictive. Making children want to stay awake even in the wee small hours.
4. Learning Problem – handheld electronic devices can cause attention deficit to children which is very important in learning. This is because the devices make their brain preoccupied and unable to focus in other activities.
5. Poor Social Skills – children can be too attached to smartphones and other gadgets that they become uninterested in the outside world. Even when playing with their family or friends. This can greatly affect their ability to interact and communicate with other people. Your children may grow up being introverts or socially recluse if they continue to choose gadgets over physical social interaction.
6. Bad Behavior – As mentioned above, gadgets can be addictive. Children may be agitated when their device is taken away from them or when their parents refused to allow them to use it. It’s better to remain stern and not give-in to their whimpering when they want to use a gadget to prevent them from being obsessive.
7. Obesity – children need exercise to burn calories and they will not get this sitting and holding gadgets. Encourage your children to play outside. Give them a bicycle, go on a camping trip, or schedule a swimming day.

Smartphones along with other gadgets also have good effects on children. There are so many things they can learn from these devices. But in this critical stage when they are still developing physically, mentally, and psychologically it is important to guide and be with them. This is the time when they need your attention the most.