• Home

Should we tech down kids?

Dubai - Parents should monitor use of gadgets by children, but the issue is about overreach.

Read more...

The idea of limiting your child's technology use may sound like the best way to decrease its negative impacts on mental health, but the reality for parents today is, it's just not that easy anymore.
With Bill Gates and Steve Jobs - two of the biggest tech figures in recent history - rarely letting their children use the very products they helped create, the warning signs may have been there from the get-go.
But with gadgets now the mainstay, parents say they have become a "necessary evil".
In an online poll conducted by Khaleej Times, 696 readers were asked: 'Would you ever enforce a gadget-free policy at home? The majority (402 respondents) said 'no', while 294 said 'yes'.
And interestingly, of the 446 readers asked if they ever use technology as a pacifier for their child, the majority (278) said 'yes', while 168 said 'no'.
Mother-of-two Puja Gandhi told this newspaper that you cannot expect to be gadget-free in today's world - especially when children have to access through online portals.
However, establishing screen time rules for the whole family is the "need of the hour".
"The current generation of children spends more time in front of a screen than ever before. In my opinion, screen time for recreation/enjoyment (outside of an educational setting) beyond an hour a day is too much."
And for father-of-two Adarsh George, the dependence kids have on gadgets not just for recreational time, but for education too, is worrying.
"Children now sit in front of a screen as a necessity. The impact this tech overuse is having on them is quickly becoming a grave situation."
With kids more or less glued to the internet, he said peer pressure is a big reason for this.
"If they don't know a particular song or skit, they get teased, so it has become a catch-22 situation for us. If we take the phone or gadget away, it will limit his connection with friends and could impact him socially. But constant use is imapacting health too."
Psychologists have long discussed the dangers that smartphone and tablet use can have on young brains. However, although 'gadget addiction' is not a term recognised in the "Diagnostically Statistical Manual 5 or the International Classification of disease (Tenth Edition)", Dr Adrian Harrison, Psychologist at kidsFIRST Medical Center told Khaleej Times the concept is "relatively new and still being actively researched".
"Children being addicted to anything is not good, parents need to address the early signs quickly so to reduce its lasting effects."
But echoing the concerns of George and Gandhi, he said the withdrawal process can be a difficult period for parents.
"Parents often experience an unwanted behavioural response such as tantrums, crying, aggression, sulking, swearing, when the item of strong connection (device) is withdrawn."
But when implemented at an early stage, he said these "unwanted behaviours" are often short lived.
"If the connection with the device is more entrenched, then a clearly communicated and systematic reduction in device-use is necessary such as gradual withdrawal, psychology education."
For parents who want to be more responsible, but realistic, when it comes to their child's gadget use, Harrison encouraged them to 'SLAM that device': Specify, Limit, be Aware and Monitor usage.
There is no denying that overuse of gadgets can affect children's social and psychological well-being, as well as their overall health. And Sara Powell, Art Psychotherapist from ATIC Psychological and Counselling Centre, Dubai said the effects can vary from child to child.
"A vast amount of research has been conducted in the last decade, concluding that excessive use can lead to numerous negative outcomes; such as, increased stress, disturbances in sleep, symptoms of clinical depression and suicidal ideology, a distorted sense of reality, inattention, stunted development of creativity and heightened anxiety, to name but a few."
While there is no doubt technology skills are needed for the future economy, the issue for younger generations is when "these devices are used in excess".
"These adverse effects can lead to disruptions in child development and mental health. It would be recommended that parents work on limiting the use of gadgets when appropriate," Powell said.

Common cases

A common case seen by Natalia Gomez Cartlier, Art Psychotherapist and Psychologist (ATIC) is when the need for the gadgets, specific games, or platforms, creates what is called an "arousal addiction".
"This a desire to stimulate a state of constant arousal that might cause a need for the gadgets, and creates a disruption in the family as the person prefers the gadget to face to face interaction. This also causes the central nervous system to be activated and generates stress."
One of the best ways to instil responsible usage of electronic devices is by way of example.
Cartlier said "modelling" is one of the most effective ways to show how gadgets can be used in a way that is productive and where there are in control of the technology at hand.
"We can also share with them our challenges and how we feel when we connect and when we disconnect. Having clear family or house rules around technology is really helpful. For example, no phones during dinner time can create an increased possibility for connection and teach the children that we prioritise our time together."
kelly@khaleejtimes.com