Children and Technology Dependence

Over the years our dependence on technology has grown immensely, and there is no doubt that our children are also becoming more reliant on technology as well, whether it’s from television shows, cell phones, tablets, or game systems. While it may seem beneficial for #children to have access to these types of #devices for educational purposes, it might not be so healthy for their brains.

This topic has become close to my heart lately because of some personal experience. Last year my husband was excited to purchase a tablet for our two-year old so he could learn. While it seemed like a good thing at the time, I recently learned that it is becoming a huge problem. Parents, if you are not sure whether your child is addicted to their media device, try taking it away for a day and see what kind of response you get. My experience resulted in a whining, tantrum-throwing child all day and a throbbing headache on my end. It was eye-opening, thus leading me on a bunny trail of research to find out if what we thought was a helpful tool really was a death star for our family.

As of right now, 42% of children between 0-8 years old have a tablet device. On average, kids 8 and under are spending almost two and half hours a day with screen time, according to a recent study by Common Sense Media. This little statistic convicted me since I ashamedly admit to letting my child play on his tablet up to five hours in a day so I could work and get house chores done. Let’s face it parents, it’s tempting to let our child be entertained and quiet while we try to get things done. As much as I planned to be that perfect mom: doing crafts, teaching the alphabet, getting creative with Pinterest-worthy activities, I have failed miserably at it and it has taken a while to realize what I was starting to do. Fortunately, my child is two and I have time to correct it now before he starts to develop further problems from too much technology. So how does all this technology affect our kids brains?

A new study by the American Academy of Pediatrics has discovered that screen time on handheld devices significantly delays speech among toddlers up to 2 years old. When it comes to children who have televisions in their bedrooms, they are more likely to have sleeping problems, with later bedtimes and shorter sleep cycles. This results in a cranky child without adequate rest. What is more concerning is some of the issues like ADD, depression, and mood disorders that can stem from too much screen time. In the first few years of a child’s life there is so much growth that happens, especially with the nervous system and connections firing back and forth in just nanoseconds. With all these electronics, their brains are going into overdrive. They start to get addicted to them. With every hit of technology, #dopamine fires into their little brains and creates a stronger addiction. It’s very similar to what sugar or even cocaine does to the body. Eventually your children will get more irritable, throw more tantrums, have less patience, become more distracted, and possibly more aggressive. So what can we do?

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends only an hour of screen time a day for toddlers. The solution is get involved. You want to make sure that during that screen time you are also interacting with them, explaining what is happening and helping them learn from it. The rest of the time, we should be involving our children in imaginative activities, creative activities, spending time outdoors, playing with them and teaching them. It’s not really that difficult; yet, many parents feel it is because we are already so busy with everything else in our lives. But consider this, there is nothing more important for a parent than to take care of and give their very best to their children.

While technological advances over the years have simplified our lives, it is important that we pay special attention to the implications of it as well. Really, how healthy is it for our children to have so much access? In what ways are we harming their development? In what ways is their safety compromised? What about the electromagnetic waves that we don’t see? Are we setting our children up for larger health issues down the road? What are children #learning on their devices when parents aren’t watching? These are just a few of the questions that come to mind when I think about how devices are becoming so commonplace in the home and accessible by kids. What do you think?

Hi, my name is Tara Mathews – the mom, the myth, the legend…ary. I spend early mornings with God and late nights on my computer. I am a Writer and the creator of the Courageous Confident Woman, where I empower Christian ladies through Gods Word. I’m also Superwoman, though the children trample over my cape and render my super powers ineffective periodically. Feel free to e-mail me at CoachTaraMathews@gmail.com