The Harmful Impact of Electronics on Teenagers

It's simple to see how kids might spend a significant portion of their waking hours plugged in when you take into account time spent on computers, time spent online or on smartphones, and time spent playing video games. Electronics may be problematic if they are used excessively, even if they are beneficial for communication, education, and entertainment.

Risk of Obesity Growing

According to the Texas Heart Institute, too much screen time may encourage a sedentary lifestyle, which is one of the main causes of obesity and a significant risk factor for heart disease. According to statistics from the Texas Heart Institute and the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, up to 33% of teenagers are fat. Obesity youth have a higher propensity to become fat adults, increasing their chance of developing chronic illnesses including arthritis, diabetes, and heart disease. By substituting physical exercise for only 30 minutes a day spent using devices, these hazards may be considerably decreased.

According to the Texas Heart Institute, too much screen time may encourage a sedentary lifestyle, which is one of the main causes of obesity and a significant risk factor for heart disease.

Obesity youth have a higher propensity to become fat adults, increasing their chance of developing chronic illnesses including arthritis, diabetes, and heart disease.

Rising Aggression

According to the Palo Alto Medical Foundation, aggressive behavior may become more pronounced in teenagers who spend a lot of time watching violent television and playing violent video games. Teenagers who spend a lot of time viewing violent movies or playing violent video games are more likely to fight with their friends, disagree with their professors, and act aggressively in general.

Sleep Issues

The use of electronics in your teen's bedroom might disrupt his regular sleep pattern. Late-night texts, calls, and emails might prevent your kid from getting a good night's sleep, even if he isn't reading or responding to them, according to TeensHealth.org, a website run by the Nemours Foundation that provides parenting and health-related information. To prevent updates from interrupting sleep, suggest to your kid that he switch off his phone and computer before going to bed.

Possible Issues With Mental Health

In a January 18, 2011 article in "The New York Times," researcher Douglas A. Gentile, an associate professor of psychology at Iowa State University who studies the relationship between video games and depression, notes that excessive video game playing can worsen depression in teenagers who are predisposed to social or mental health problems. According to Gentile, young people with mental health concerns could resort to video games for solace, but if they become hooked on them, they develop social, scholastic, and emotional disorders that might continue long into adulthood. Teenagers might sometimes become so dependent on video games that they experience social isolation and depression. Gentile suggests that parents might assist by keeping an eye on gaming time and reducing it when necessary.

1. Problems with relationships and social abilities

Children are utilizing mobile devices more and more, which may lead to addiction and result in them not spending enough time with friends and/or family. As opposed to actually seeing their pals in person, they are more likely to be digitally linked with them, exchanging texts and images online.

The younger generation is developing online behaviors such as playing games, visiting websites, conversing on Facebook, uploading photographs on Instagram and Snapchat, and more. Spending time online doesn't always mean it's a negative thing, but it may seriously impair the link between parents and children and prevent kids from developing certain social skills.

2. Medical Issues

The health of kids may suffer from excessive mobile device usage. They engage in less physical activity as they use mobile devices more often. Online gaming and munching together pose a dilemma since they take the place of a balanced diet. Less time is spent outdoors playing, running, and burning off calories while kids spend more time indoors, usually on the sofa, in front of those screens. These behaviors may cause considerable weight gain over time.

Parents may discuss parental controls with their children and use the Screen Guide App to balance screen time in order to prevent it from becoming a habit. Keep in mind that it's crucial to strike a balance between the amount of time spent on digital gadgets and its quality.

Educate your kids that everything has a time and that includes playing internet games. Yet maintaining equilibrium is also crucial; otherwise, numerous issues arise. Visit this page for advice on how to have "The Tech Talk" with your kids.

3. Internet browsing might be risky

Online surfing often exposes us to hazardous items like phishing, viruses, and other threats disguising themselves as advertisements. The majority of people are aware of it and can simply steer clear of them, but what about our kids? Even the advertisement may sometimes not hurt them. According to a 2005 research, 70% of teenagers between the ages of 15 and 17 had unintentionally come across pornography online. How are things today?

The kids can use the internet to look up anything. Yet with the correct supervision, adolescents can avoid visiting risky websites and encountering dangerous individuals. Remember that you can always teach your kids to stay away from such risks.

Using parental controls and Internet filtering tools to choose the information they may access or even blocking browsers while you think it is suitable are two ways to assist kids in being safe online.

4. Constant Use of Mobile Devices Impacts Sleep Quality

Almost 72% of all kids have at least one gadget in their bedroom, according the article "Kids Are Being Kept Awake by Their Phones Even While They're Not Using Them." In a study published in JAMA Pediatrics, researchers looked at the relationship between sleep duration and quality and access to or usage of screen-based media devices.

Well, they discovered that there is solid and reliable proof of a connection between excessive usage of mobile devices and worse sleep quality. Why are our kids not getting the recommended amount of sleep?

Our brains may suffer significant effects from sleep deprivation. The brain does various "housekeeping" chores when we sleep, getting rid of the unnecessary items and repairing the neural networks so that we may wake up refreshed and ready for a new day. Yet, sleeping less implies that we are denying our brain of its fundamental requirements, which will make it difficult for us to do our daily tasks.

You may discuss the risks with your kids in order to help them sleep better. Moreover, concentrate on balancing your screen time using the ScreenGuide Parental Control App. Children's sleep quality may be enhanced by balancing screen time. Check out these 3 suggestions to help your kids sleep better at night!

5. Is Your Relationship With Your Children Being Affected by Your Smartphone?

Think about it: How many times have you checked your phone for notifications? How often do you check Facebook, Instagram, WeChat, or WhatsApp when you're with your kids?

Because mobile gadgets are such a terrific way to kill boredom, the majority of the individuals we know have probably done this several times. Nonetheless, it might be detrimental to check our mobile devices for alerts while we are around kids. Parents' use of mobile devices around young children "may be producing internal strain, disputes, and bad relationships with their children," claims a University of Michigan Health System research.

Children learn by what they observe. Children "...learn through observing us how to conduct a conversation, how to interpret other people's facial expressions," according to Dr. Jenny Radesky. Children lose out on significant developmental stages if that doesn't happen.

Getting the chance to bond with kids is one of the ideas for improving family time. To balance your child's screen time and spend more time offline with them, use the ScreenGuide Parental Control App. Spend time with them now, and do the difficult duties later, while you're not with your kids.

What issues are you having, and what steps do you take to avoid them? Share and comment on our post so we can continue to provide quality content for you!