Impacts of Gadget on Your Child

Gadgets are indeed one of the most intriguing technologies ever invented in the world. Along with the rise of the digital era, it is almost impossible to see any household without at least one gadget. Our lives are somewhat dependent on these technologies, not only for communication, but for other day-to-day activities as well.

Despite the modern advancement these technologies have brought us, they also bring some impacts and consequences towards us, especially on children.

Gadgets and children

For most children growing up in this era, they were raised around technologies, especially smartphones. Since they were born, gadgets are always around them, from parents capturing pictures of them with smartphones, watching cartoons from a television, playing games on a tablet, seeing their mothers working with a laptop and so on.

Not to mention when Covid-19 strikes us, almost all education industries have conducted online teaching and learning. This adds more to the usage of gadgets in their daily life. With all these needs and consumption of gadgets, it is not surprising that gadgets have become a big part of children's lives.

Benefits of gadgets on children development

Based on studies, the use of gadgets can bring benefits and positive impacts on children's development (Srinahyanti et al., 2019).

1. Improve cognitive skills: Cognitive abilities include the ability to process information, remember, reason, and relate objects to one another. With gadgets, there are numerous interactive applications, educational games and various kinds of helpful applications that challenge and improve children's cognitive skills.

See also How Video Games Affect Intelligence for balanced perspectives on screen-based learning.

2. Improve motor skills: The ability to control movement through the coordination of the nervous system and muscles such as hands, fingers, lips and tongue is referred to as motor skill. Children exercise fine motor skills when using gadgets, which is also regarded as an important factor in cognitive development in early childhood.

3. Increase knowledge: Almost everything can be found on the Internet. With proper usage, countless new useful information and knowledge can be gained. Furthermore, while using gadgets, children can learn through the pictures, videos, numbers and colors they see.

4. Enhance competitiveness: A child will understand winning and losing when playing games. This activity can drive them to struggle and exert effort and be more enthusiastic and motivated to achieve their goals.

Negative impacts of gadgets on children

1. Addiction: When you find your child is having a hard time to stop using gadgets, even when they do not necessarily need to use them, this may be a sign of addiction. Using gadgets at an excessive amount of time can lead to addiction. This addiction develops as a result of the excitement of using gadgets that makes them want to use it more and more.

Learn more in Understanding Addiction and Kids Born in the Digital Age.

2. Delay in speech and language: Early childhood is the sensitive learning period for children. They learn language and speech skills by having interactions while playing with other children, reading books, or having normal daily conversations with parents. If they spend a very long time devoted to gadgets instead of utilizing their sensitive-learning period by playing outside, speech and language development may be affected.

3. Lack of interest in education: Gadgets may cause children to become lazy and lack interest in studying. They like the pleasurable feeling of playing games instead of learning at school. Neglecting their education will cause them to have long-term struggles later in the future.

This also may be due to a condition called ADHD or "Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder" which often happens to children with gadgets addiction. It refers to issues such as attention deficit, excessive activity, or difficulty in restraining inappropriate behavior.

4. Health issue: Children who prefer playing with gadgets will definitely have less time to do other physical activities such as playing outside and some of them may also have improper meals and sleeping habits.

Research links poor sleep and sedentary habits to health complications. See What Happens When Your Child Does Not Get Enough Sleep? and Why Should You Let Your Child Play Outside.

5. Social incapability: As a result of being addicted to gadgets, children have more tendency to be detached from their surroundings and focus on their gadgets, than to have a real social interaction with family or friends. This can cause children to have problems socializing with other people.

Ideal screen time for children at early age

The ideal screen time for children in their early childhood is 5-30 minutes at a moderate intensity of 1-2 times per day.

For balancing technology with traditional learning, see Opportunistic Learning by Using Technology and Traditional Learning.

What to do if your child is obsessed with gadgets?

Set a screen-time limit for your children and do not allow them to use gadgets apart from the time allocated.

Encourage them to play outside and have interaction with other children.

Avoid using gadgets to distract your child when you are unable to entertain them. Instead, you should keep them occupied with toys, games or books.

Be a good role model to your children. Show them positive hobbies and if possible, avoid playing with your gadgets in front of them.

Be involved in your children's daily life. In this way, children are less likely to depend on gadgets to make them feel less lonely.

Nevertheless, gadgets have their pros and cons towards children but, the best way to prevent gadgets addiction in children is by not giving them access to gadgets at an early age. Early childhood period should be utilized as a learning development phase, and part of growth process. Fill in your child's growth years with activities that can be beneficial for their future. Instead of gadgets, discover their other hobbies or talents that you can nurture from now until they become the best at that!

Did you know?

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