Why Some Kids Almost Always Have More Fun

I recently did a quick search on my Android smartphone app store. My intention was to find as many apps using the keyword “smartphone use monitor” and check how these apps can minimise the exposure to digital platforms among young people. The search fetched dozens of listings of apps that promised to monitor screen time.

Addicted to Smartphone

No doubt, these apps enable parents to have better control over their or their children’s technology use. Yet, it remains unknown how much technology is a “healthy” daily dose?

We live in a digital society, and ‘digital’ is now part of everyday life. Multitasking has become a new norm for many parents as well as children who find it hard to switch off. Especially worrying is the rise in the use of technology among young children and teens.

Today the use of learning or educational technology (Ed-tech) in a classroom (e.g., quizzes on smartphones) has become the norm. Besides, the use of gadgets at home is on the increase too.

To illustrate, today, young children and teens spend more time on their smartphones than they did ten years ago. Chatting to friends on social media, playing computer games, watching YouTube videos, and television is an everyday pass time activity for many. Staying in with gadgets and engaging with friends or even strangers on social media has replaced authentic interactions with real people.

Yet, research found that when young people and teens spent more time on their smartphones and gadgets, they were likely to suffer from behavioural and mental problems.

The increasing use of smartphones and devices was particularly harmful to young children and teenagers. Lack of focus, sleep disturbance, and psychological issues such as anxiety and depression were among the side effects of technology overuse reported by the study.

Ed-tech: The Benefits and Drawbacks

In schools, there is increasing use of gadgets and mobile devices. There is a belief that technology can make children smarter, teaching them the necessary digital skills. In recent years, there has been a big push towards using Ed-tech in the classroom.

Without a doubt, while learning technology has some benefits on learning and can reduce teachers’ workload, there are notable adverse effects.

Dr Manfred Spitzer — the leading German psychiatrist, psychologist and neuroscientist argues that the use of learning technology in education carried significant risks and side effects.

As a matter of fact, today many Silicon Valley parents recognise this. They restrict their children from the extensive use of technology gadgets. In the interview with The New York Times, the late Steve Jobs of Apple admitted limiting the use of gadgets at home. Besides, Bill Gates of Microsoft admitted restricting his children too.

There is a trend among high-level tech executives and Silicon Valley entrepreneurs who have set limits for their own children for years. These parents understand the danger of the very technology they help to create. Yet, the rest of us seem to believe that we can reduce the negative impact of gadgets by merely installing a few digital well-being apps.

Technology is Complex

The nature of technology is complex, multifaceted, and dynamic. Because technology evolves all the time, it’s almost impossible to estimate how it impacts on well-being and mental health of young children or a teen.

There is increasing evidence from studies in the neuroscience field that digital devices have negative consequences on the mind. The impact of technology on younger children and teens is particularly profound because their brains are still developing.

A recent study by a Keiser Foundation found that by the time children reach adolescence, their screen time increases to seven and a half an hour per day. Furthermore, more than one-fourth of teens are multitasking using different media. It also found that on average, teens spent ten hours and forty-five minutes per day watching TV programs.

The outcome?

Poor health outcomes, mental issues, behaviour problems, and lack of attention. And, it doesn’t matter whether the child is from a more impoverished social background, has unhealthy eating habits or less exercise. The effect is negative on everyone.

A Simple Solution to Technology Overload

The report published by Kaizer Foundation in 2009 found that most children had no home rules how much time they spent with video games, television, or computers. Also, children whose parents used devices all the time were likely to develop similar habits to their parents.

Therefore, parents have a significant influence on shaping their children’s relationships with gadgets, as children tend to mirror their parents’ behaviour.

There is a simple solution to “unplug” yourself and your children from digital devices and reconnect to nature. This may seem like an impossible task for many parents due to a lack of time or interest in outdoor activities. Yet, to stay healthy young people must learn to love the natural world.

Taking young children to places where they can play in a natural setting has many benefits. These include improved mental health and endurance, increased focus, and better learning ability. But, first, parents need to change their digital habits and appreciate the benefits of nature.

So, why nature?

Evolutionary, we as species have an innate tendency to seek connections with nature. A famous American biologist and naturalist Edward O. Wilson refers to this phenomenon as biophilia. Biophilia means “love of life or living systems.”

According to Wilson, we are attracted to all that is alive and vital because we are the product of biological evolution. Furthermore, our mental abilities can be improved by spending more time in nature.

When we choose to stay inside of buildings and cars, with gadgets as opposed to the natural world, we disconnect from the very nature of us as species. And we pay a high price for it compromising our mental health and the health of our children.

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Originally published at Katerina.Thomas.com

About the Author:

Dr Katerina Thomas is an experienced educator specialising in creativity and entrepreneurship. She writes on topics related to entrepreneurial resilience, creativity and innovation.