Children and Gadget addiction

A question which many parents ask is “when can I start giving my child the I phone/pad/tab”? Especially with the trend now where new age parents give their little children the Smartphone or the I-pad and say “ Oh! My child already knows how to use the tab/phone” , “ he know where the widgets are I still have no clue as to where the others icons are” .You probably heard enough of those and these praises go on and on. At the end of the day we wonder if this is a strategy to keep the child quiet so that s/he doesn’t bother the parent .Weighing the pros and cons of giving these gadgets to the child at an early stage has been a point of debate ever since this gadget /gizmo phase started.

Studies say that too much of usage of the touch screen can inhibit the motor skills of the child. Different muscles are used to type, point, click, and touch the screen that are actually suppose to control a pencil. So spending longtime on the User friendly gadget can actually hinder his/her growth.

Secondly, the technology used changes the chemistry of the children's brains so that they end up not being able to concentrate for long periods. There are studies to say that it may be contributing to an increase in ADHD (attention deficiency), as the brain reacts in a different way when compared to the regular pen-pencil and paper activities. This kind of an interface is changing the way our children's brains operate.

The parent –child interaction also is reduced which leads to other cognitive deficiencies and the way the child operates his brain as the years progress. The child can also develop a distance between him/herself and the parents which in the long run can lead to emotional confusion during adulthood.

Ultimately we can’t stop the parent from not giving the Gadget but the least we can do is to cut down on the usage and limit the time spent on playing with the Ipad/phone or Tab and try to focus the Childs attention with hands on creative activities and develop and closer bond with the child.