Teething while Screening
If you’re anything like me you probably can agree that your phone is like a one- stop shop for everything we need. Need a quick outfit idea? Google it. Want to know the answers to your math homework? Google it. Got a crying toddler? Youtube.Nowadays the age for screen time exposure can start as early as 2 years old, due to parents just wanting to keep children occupied. Nothing wrong with that, but I wondered how screens can affect our minds. Especially the minds of young children.
As I started my digging I quickly learned that there was a problem. I know it might seem old timey to say but our phones do play a big part in the way we act, especially toward others. According to the Florida Tech website, screen time can affect the can: harm attention spans, reduces self-soothing and self-regulation, mood swings, school performance and retention of learning materials.
Harming Attention Spans
First, we will start off with the impact tech has on a child’s attention span. In the Florida Tech article, Jim Taylor Ph.D explains how the fast exposure can manipulate a child’s mind. He states ‘because a child’s brian is still developing and very moldable, the fast paces of internet scratch molds the brain into thinking at high speeds.’ While that might seem amazing, it pushes children to be less patient. Fast speeds encourage children not to be able to handle doing one thing for too long. “The youth is the hope of our future,,” said Jose Rizal, highlighting just how important it is to keep our youth patient and caring.
Self- Soothing & Self Regulation
What is self- soothing and regulation? Self-Soothing is a way for individuals to regulate their emotions and manage distress following a traumatic experience. This is the same response that aids in calming a toddler when they are having ‘terrible twos meltdown.’According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, handing over a cell phone or tablet may calm a raging preschooler, but the distraction of mobile devices may negatively affect children’s opportunity to learn how to self-soothe and regulate in those moments. It might not seem alarming, but healthy self-soothing is important.. It allows a person to not rely on substance to fill their voids. Without help, I could see that not turning out beneficial.
Mood Swings & Security
The violence of video games and youtube videos no doubt have been the inspiration for aggressive school bullies or uncontrollable teenagers, but,what if the aggression starts earlier than we think? An article in The New York Times noted that, “Parents, grateful for ways to calm disruptive children and keep them from interrupting their own screen activities, seem to be unaware of the potential harm from so much time spent in the virtual world.”
Surely Mickey Mouse wouldn’t cause a two year old to be aggressive— but without parental controls Mickey can turn into Micheal Myers; which in itself is a problem. The vastness of the internet makes it very hard to allow your kids to surf the web safely. Things like spam blockers, age restrictions on YouTube and age friendly apps for streaming can all help limit the inappropriate content but what can help the most is just taking a screen break.
While you might be reading this and thinking I sound anti-tech or old school, I’m just worried about the progression and the effect it might have on the next. Hmm,– maybe the old timers are right, maybe phones will turn us into zombies.
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