Children and gadgets. Advantages and disadvantages
In the era of modern technology, it is difficult to meet a child, especially a schoolboy who does not have a smartphone or tablet. And this is not the whole range of gadgets that can be found in children from early life. In the list of gadgets of a 5-7-year-old child, one can attribute the following:
- mobile phone;
- the tablet;
- MP3 player;
- GPS-clock-navigator;
- stationary personal computer or laptop;
- eBook;
- game console for the TV.
The list is impressive. “What’s wrong with buying a phone for a child?” – most mothers and dads reflect. But no one thinks about possible problems in the future when buying devices. So what are the pros and cons of gadgets? How to purchase a phone or set-top box or any other gadget can hurt the education of a student? There are several reasons, among which:
- Addiction. The most common phenomenon. The child is fond of the virtual world, the face with reality is lost, relations in the family deteriorate, physical activity is reduced. Dependent child is hard to return to the former mode of life. The circle of interests is drastically changing, and it is very difficult to get carried away with something new. Psychologists work with deeply dependent children, as parents alone can not cope.
- Education level is falling at school. The child is so used to using the computer when doing his homework, that it becomes difficult to perform tasks at the lesson in school. Not to mention other gadgets – pocket. With their help, children are distracted much in the classroom, receiving in addition to poor grades for knowledge, poor behavioral assessments.
- Visual impairment in children at an early age due to constant eye strain. According to the doctors, sight is easier to plant, than to restore later. Often, you can not do without an operation.
Are there any advantages to all of the above devices? As such, there are no pros. Buying a new phone or tablet to the child, the parent teases itself with the thought that it is for the good. But there is no good then. It’s just a tribute to fashion, the fear of looking “wrong” among other families. It turns out, buying children all these gadgets, adults decide their inner complexes.
In today’s world, the only thing a child needs is a telephone. But not the smartphone of the latest generation. A usual push-button old mobile phone. The child is always in touch, parents are calm, he does not interfere with his academic performance, there is no dependence on him. And we are talking here about a child of school age. Yes, the child will be unhappy, it is not “fashionable” by the estimation of youth. But in this situation, the parent should explain the reason for refusing to buy a modern smartphone in favor of the button model. This point needs to be thought out long before going to the store.
Another point, in addition to the restriction in the purchase of new gadgets, should limit the use of devices already purchased. The problem of the modern family – parents do not have enough time for their children. Caring and love is now accepted to express through money, the acquisition of know-how and the fulfillment of the various vagaries of the child. However, no one thing can replace a live communication. No computer will give a greater leap in the development of the child than classes with parents, let it be reading books, solving homework, explaining a new one, taking up a family hobby, etc.
But children are inquisitive from nature. Not finding the proper source of new information in the parents, they switch to computers. Children need to be loved. Not by the method “the more expensive the phone, the stronger the love,” but directly by living communication, discussing the events of children’s life. Go to the park and teach the child to ride rollerblades – better games on the console. Sorry, not all parents understand this.