Experts link electronic gadgets to retardation in children

Not even the guarantee of a mother’s spanking later in the evening deterred children from pursuing such little pleasures.

Fast forward to the era of modern technology; where fun means endless hours in front of digital screens. It is not uncommon to find children hunched over electronic gadget screens in trance-like positions.

Undoubtedly, the advancement of technology has changed how societies run, with gadgets like mobile phones, video games, computers, tablets and televisions becoming fixtures in households and in the lives of children.

To put things into perspective, about 4.3 million households in Kenya now own TV sets, according to the latest statistics from the Communications Authority of Kenya (CAK).

With the average number of children per household being 3.9, according to data from the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics, at least 17 million children are exposed to TV programmes.

Data from CAK also confirms that 72 per cent of the country, children included, has access to the Internet, majorly through smartphones which are now increasingly easy to acquire.

A report by Jumia Business Intelligence and GSMA Mobile pointed at smartphones, and by relation Internet connectivity, becoming even more prevalent as handset prices keep falling.

Yet, even as TV, the Internet and other related media continue to serve as great and readily-available tools of information and entertainment, scientists are warning parents to regulate the amount of exposure children, especially those under five, get to these technologies.

According to available data, the first five years of a child’s life are integral towards their development into stable human beings later in life, and therefore, they should be brought up with utmost care and affection.

Dr Catherine Syengo, a psychiatrist and the head of mental unit in Kenya’s Ministry of Health, says there is a growing concern over children becoming addicted to technology and spending too much time on various screens. Dr Syengo adds that by virtue of children spending too much time in front of screens, most of them end up socially retarded.

“Too much technology leads to behavioural change like children becoming overly agitated and slowing their development. It denies them a chance to develop special skills that are learnt while interacting with others during play, for instance sharing and waiting for your turn,” she said.

A 2016 study also linked increased screen time to poor quality sleep and behavior problems for children. 

The study, published in the Journal of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics, concluded that screen time likely impacts children’s behavior and capacity to pay attention via several mechanisms as it leads to sleep disturbances and negatively affects the brain development of children.

An earlier study also found a direct correlation between children who spent a lot of time watching television and attention deficiency. 

“The number of hours viewed per day at both ages one and three was associated with attention problems at age seven,” the research report said.

Further, the Association of Teachers and Lecturers in the United Kingdom warns that as preschool children spend more time using screen technology that they become less able to perform basic tasks such as using building blocks. Older children found it difficult to use pen and pencil for school work.

The Association’s concerns are supported by the findings of a research by global security software maker AVG in which children between two and five years of age were surveyed.

The study found that more of the preschool children in the survey could use technology than could perform basic tasks such as tying their shoes, riding a bicycle, or swimming. 

For example, 58 percent of the pre-school children studied could play computer games, compared to only 9 per cent who could tie their shoes.  

Several other studies have found a direct linkage between exposure to violence through television, film and video games, and the development of aggression in growing children.

About 67 per cent of television programs and 50 per cent of video games bear violent content, which provokes increased aggressive behavior, as per a study published in the Aggressive Behavior journal.

“Children’s consumption of media violence early in the school year predicted higher verbally aggressive behavior, higher relationally aggressive behavior, higher physically aggressive behavior, and less pro-social behavior later in the school year,” the report said.

Tellingly, the damage on children does not just come from their direct interaction with the media-the lack of attention they get from their parents spending time gazing at screens or absente leaves children feeling abandoned.

From an online survey of 6000 children and parents 54 percent of children said that their parents checked their smartphones too often, and 32 percent felt unimportant when parents were distracted.

Dr. Madrine King’endo, a psychologist pointed out that technology has replaced the human touch and is negatively impacting how children grow and function.

“It is unfortunate that children are growing up with cartoon characters as role models, this is largely because they grow up consuming too much digital content. The development of a child is very critical and during this stage they ought to be exposed to people and alternative recreational activities to turn out as functional human beings.”

So, how do you ensure that your children don’t become the victims of too much screen time?

Dr. Syengo advises parents to consciously watch the amount of time they allow their children in front of screens, and where possible limit such exposure to particular hours of the day, when they can easily monitor the content.

“It is important for parents to limit screen time to one hour a day and monitor further by controlling the content that they consume. Where both parents are not available during day time, leave strict instructions with the nanny, this will also ensure that the children explore other activities like reading books,” she said.

Another way of protecting your children from the perils of too much screen time is to get them out of the house. Creating alternative items of play, will encourage children to abandon the gadgets, allowing them enough exercise and the opportunity to break away from the injuries habits that come with spending too much time in front of screens.

Playhouses, for those with enough space, will encourage active play within the homestead. And for those limited by space, it is advisable to exploit communal facilities, such as football playgrounds and swimming pools as well as fun parks.

Within the households, experts advise, parents should minimize the use of gadgets as children tend to pick up character by imitation. Mobile phones and related gadgets, too, should stay away from family events such as meals to encourage conversation and healthy relationships between parents and children.

TV time too, the medics say, should be greatly monitored to ensure that children only watch programmes that are enlightening and for short periods of time.

Family time within the household should be structured away from the television, which for most households takes the place of the fireplace.

Instead of congregating around the television, parents should encourage children to meet around a table and take part in other interesting activities like crayoning and board games.