Parents had long been concerned about their children spending more and more time on phones and laptops, which reached an all-time high during the pandemic because of virtual teaching. Parents are rightfully concerned about the increased screen time because it has several long-lasting harmful effects. Increased screen time has a direct impact on children’s vision and raises the risk of vision impairment. Children were already spending approximately 7 to 8 hours every day in front of a screen, which has further increased now. Their vision is likely to be obstructed and cause eyestrain.
Their physical and mental health are both negatively affected. Headaches, neck pain and weariness amongst children have become commonplace. Several mental health professionals have suggested that excessive use of electronic devices has raised anxiety, depression and hypertension amongst teenagers and young adults. Also, now that children are spending more time online, physical activity has declined. This has resulted in obesity and high blood pressure at younger ages. Children have formed an unhealthy addiction to their devices because of which they often neglect their studies as well.
Given their young age, children often overshare on social media, which results in cyberbullying and trolling. This again negatively impacts their overall well-being. Also, children are often exposed to harmful content at a young due to the absence of controls on social media websites. This can be distressing for them. The Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development claims that computers distract children and make them lazy thinkers. They avoid working out solutions and instead look for readymade answers to questions. Although technology has become an integral part of the educational process, parents and teachers must find a balance between traditional learning and screen-based learning to reduce children’s screen times.
Zeeshan Ali
Karachi
