Zero to eight common sense media

Monitoring toddlers and technology 4

Monitoring Toddlers and Technology Informative Essay

English Composition

Monitoring toddlers and technology is a concern because it can cause social skills problems, obesity, and learning develop. If parents do not control children's gaming time, they will not complete their school homework. Most parents want their children to focus and be successful in school; however, if they let them spend most of the time playing on their Xbox there will not be enough time for learning. Electronics has become our children’s best friend

it is changing every day and will forever be a staple in our lives.

It has been showed that in a long term the use of technology in children could cause social skills problems. (Common Sense Media, 2013, p. 1) Children constantly using computer and other devices tend to interact less with their peers. (“Healthy Digital Media Use Habits for Babies, Toddlers & Preschoolers,”2016) They are constantly out of focus because they are regularly looking at the phone. Those kids do not know how to handle face to face conflict because they are ascribed to objects instead of peers and parents. They also show trouble initiating interactions with other, even with their parents. Furthermore, family has become detached from each other, and we know as a family we need to be connected.

The use of technology is good for educational activities. However, it also has the power to be one of our biggest enemies of our children Again, technology is one of the biggest cause of obesity in children. Childhood obesity is the leading health concern for parent in the United States(“American Academy of Pediatrics 2012”). Parent use technology to keep their children occupied, not knowing that too much screen time can cause unhealthy habits that persist into adulthood. An increase in exposure to technology means in a decrease in physical activity.

Many parents have lost control on how much technology their children use because technology is available everywhere in the school library and other study centers.

Not to mention parents are now using technology to keep their children busy while they are working, shopping, driving, etc. (Common Sense Media, 2013). Children now spend an average of seven hours per day watching TV, playing video games and using the Internet.” The American Pediatric Association” states that the amount recommended time per day is one or two hours. Children’s between the ages of five and ten spend less than four days per week playing outside. Most parents are working while going to school as well.

Additionally, on an average, kids between eight and ten spend more than five hours in the big screens. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 7% of children age 8 and up have been diagnosed with ADHD and learning disorders (“Journal of Pediatric Psychology July 2007”). Until now, no one knows for sure to what degree these cases have anything to do with technology.

Meanwhile the degree of ADHD rising rates can be ascribed to technology, but some believe that combined media are having a noticeable impact. A study by (“Kevin O. Hwang, MD, MPH 2010”) also found that exposure to screen media was associated with attention problems. Entertainment affects children’s mental processing; research believes that overstimulation from media may be a possible cause of ADHD. One study, found that kids under the age of 5 who watched two hours of TV a day were 20 percent more likely than kids who watched no TV to have attention problems at school age. Kevin O Hwang, MD 2010.

In conclusion, Children need the time to learn how to interact to be able to build healthy relationships with siblings, parents, friend and their neighbors. As a parent, we know that TV and electronics might provider entertainment and temporary relief to the parent in need of a break. Electronics cannot substitute emotional and social connections between children’s and parents Again, technology is everywhere. It has become impossible to avoid using it. Although, there is evident the overuse of technology can cause harmful effects in children. The parent can prevent these effects by teaching their children to have self-control and limit their use of electronics. By establishing proper values in the children, we can avoid obesity, learning, and development problems and our world can be a safe and better place.

References

Common Sense Media. (2013, October 28). Zero to eight: Children's media use in America 2013. Retrieved from https://www.commonsensemedia.org/file/zero-to-eight-2013pdf-0/download

American Academy of Pediatrics. (2016, October 6). Healthy digital media use habits for babies,

toddlers & preschoolers. healthychildren.org. Retrieved from

https://healthychildren.org/English/family-life/Media/Pages/Healthy-Digital-Media-Use-Habits-for-Babies-Toddlers-Preschoolers.aspx