Page 95 - El Placer de Volar 3ra Edición

Kid’s Zone

Por: Lissett Flores | Lbfd80@gmail.com

Screen addiction

in children

We are in a full digital age, it is undeniable
that screens play a central role in everyone’s
daily lives, but it is somewhat worrying when
we observe the predominant role they have
taken in the lives of our little ones.

It is important to explore the impact of screen addiction
in children and offer some recommendations, from
specialists, so that parents can mitigate this problem that
nowadays is more common than we think.
Why might a child be addicted to screens?
As the language therapist and preschool teacher, Diana
Sanabria, explained to us, dopamine is the hormone
responsible for promoting and reinforcing habits.
The stimuli produced by screens and digital content
can activate the dopamine reward system in the brain,
creating a dopamine feedback loop, similar to the one Effects on their development and strategies for parents
found in the brains of users of other addictive substances.
What are the effects of screen addiction on child
Likewise, since screens emit tactile, visual and auditory development?
stimuli at the same time; Children receive overstimulation
There are many effects that children can experience from
that few things in the environment can generate, which
the indiscriminate use of screens; and these will not be
causes them to lose interest in other activities and/or
seen immediately, but may occur in the medium or long
forms of entertainment.
term. Among them are:
1. Impact on physical health
Excessive use of technological devices can contribute
What strategies can we apply to avoid
to a sedentary lifestyle. This, in turn, increases the risk of
screen addiction?
childhood obesity. Additionally, prolonged exposure to
1. Set time limits screens can lead to vision problems, such as digital eye
strain.
2. Promote alternative activities
3. Be a role model 2. Cognitive development problems
4. Create a balanced environment It can affect children’s cognitive development, affecting
attention, memory and problem•solving ability. In
5. Dialogue openly
addition, they may have difficulty concentrating on tasks
6. Gradual changes that require critical thinking and creativity.
3.Emotional and Social Effects
The main recommendation given to parents to “The comprehensive development of children is given
achieve a successful process is to make routine by the achievement of milestones established by age.
changes progressively and with a lot of patience. For this development to be possible, children need to be
Although some contradictory behaviors are
exposed to real situations, where they develop motor,
observed in children, such as anger, sadness or social, linguistic and problem•solving skills, which are
anxiety, it is appropriate to explain to them the completely limited with the use of screens, since our
benefits of these changes, but without returning the
device. children are going to develop in the as they run, climb,
paint, assemble, disassemble, shout, speak, trip and learn
With a conscious and proactive approach, it to get up, among other skills that they will not be able to
is possible for children to enjoy the benefits of achieve with a screen in hand,” emphasizes the specialist.
technology without falling into addiction.

Photograph: Emerson Estanga
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