Internet technology and video games have become addictive to so many children. Many kids have become victims of Internet predators and others have become video game addicts, which leaves them with no time to interact with other children and this has resulted in increased cases of loneliness and depression among children. The most common electronic devices used by children include: video games, smartphones, television, computers, tablets, Internet, social networks, chatting services, calculators and much more. Many researchers have studied that children in United States of America result shows 1 out 3 children can use a phone, tablet, or any gadgets before the can even talk. Children spent most of their time using gadgets for listening to songs, interacting, playing video games and etc.
For some kids, playing with electronic devices is not just a part of life, it’s the only thing in life that they want. Technology has completely changed virtually every aspect of our society over the past few decades, from the way we work to the way we socialize and everything in between. One of the differences that have been most noticeable is the change in the way that children play and interact with each other from previous generations. Although technology does provide many positive benefits for learning, it also can have several negative effects on child development and quality of life.
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The main advantage of electronic gadgets use is that children can have better motor skills, they can enhance more their fingers, lips, tongue and toes. This is a healthy exercise for toddlers when growing up stage. So, when toddlers are using of gadgets, they’re also enhancing and exercising their small movements. As compare to playing outside, this is safer and they have no risk or injury that can cause compared to playing outside and have physical activities. As a result, they know much better on how to operate and use the gadgets and it is testing their motor skills as well. In improving skills and learning, it can also help because these are the process of information, remembering things, advance memory and knowledge. These skills are related to memory and language. Nowadays, electronic devices help children to have a faster and better development of memory. Some games can help their cognitive skills like puzzles, scrabbles, word search etc. These games can help their memory to learn and think faster than the usual. Using of gadgets can keep a child busy for hours and also it can help parents to do their household chores because they can leave their children with their gadgets and thinking there is no risk of getting injured or harmed because they’re just watching and interacting with smartphones devices. Also, they don’t have to worry about major mess like painting the walls, scratching the wall or any risky doings of a child. They can have more fun and interact more because technology can help their motor skills to enhance and learn on their own way because it has an advance learning for children to read books online than the older books (Ramey, 2012).
Speaking about the disadvantages of electronic gadgets for children, it should be noted that the overuse of mobile devices can be harmful to children’s health. The more they use mobile devices, the less physical activities they do. The problem is that playing games online is combined with snacking, substituting the balanced alimentation. As children spend more time in front of those screens, most of the time in the couch, less time they spend outside playing, running and burning off calories. Over time, those habits can lead to a significant weight gain. A child may also be less able to identify social cues and be less attentive. A child may avoid social interaction to spend more time using electronic devices to avoid social situations due to social anxiety because of underdeveloped social skills. A child who excessively uses electronics may become isolated and fail to develop normal communication skills such as conversational skills, listening, and making eye contact (Ortiz, 2017).
In conclusion, using of electronic gadgets must be limited more on children and must practice physical activity more to improve their strength, muscles, interacting with real people and also their communicating skills. Parents and guardians must know how to discipline their children as a young age because if they let the social media rule their child’s mind it can affect in so many ways that includes their children’s lives.