So-called ‘iPad kids’ in this generation can be seen using gadgets at every nook or corner or even in their mother’s lap.
Most parents believe, it is safer to accompany their kids with gadgets instead of leaving them alone to get hurt roaming around or disturbing them while they are coping with their daily tasks, but experts think the opposite.
They inform that media consumption is prevalent today, and its impact on children depends on age, frequency, content, and context.
Digital media has long been part of everyday life. According to the Berlin Centre for Addiction Prevention, children these days are growing up in a world where smartphones, tablets, and YouTube are common.
According to a study published on Thieme Connect, toddlers under three do not benefit from screen exposure; instead, early excess to screen time can impair development, such as delayed language development and weaker motor skills.
The study finds that it also increases the risk of attention disorders, anxiety and depression.
Another study by the Media Education Research Association Southwest finds that children up to preschool age cannot yet distinguish between reality and screen content.
These children perceive what is real and absorb it unfiltered as the rapid and intense stimuli of colors, sounds, and movements that overwhelm the child’s brain, leading to concentration problems and making it less sensitive to subtler stimuli.
Digital content on screens also affects a child’s self-activity, or the ability to act, explore, and discover independently.
Researchers inform that it is important for preschool children to learn new skills; therefore, they are required to use gadgets, but longer use may also affect them badly.
According to researchers, the average attention span of preschoolers is only about 10-15 minutes, and longer videos can overwhelm the brain and impair concentration.
Researchers also explain that the reason for media consumption among children is important.
If the parents are providing media gadgets to alleviate boredom, or calm the child, it can negatively affect them in self-regulation.
According to the KIM Study in 2022, 70% of children regularly use the internet. Usage among 6-7 years old is 38% while among 12-13-year-olds, it's reported as 99%.
Parents at this stage should help children select their content, set rules, and establish breaks in between watch times.
Discussion about advertising data and online protection is equally important.
Media is negatively affecting children’s mental health, disturbing their sleep patterns as well as their eating habits.
Other negative impacts include exposure to violence, sexual content, and self-harm promotion.
The study concludes that digital media is now an integral part of childhood, but parents should take responsibility and monitor its everyday use and its impact according to different age groups.
The report suggests that parents should not be technophobes and should take the role of guiding them to the digital world and limit their screen time as per the harmful impacts on their physical as well as mental health.
