10 Reasons Why Screens Are Bad for Your Kid

Remember when your parents used to scold you for all the time you spent in front of a bulky TV or monitor?
Of course, you do.
But now that the screens aren’t as bulky as they used to be, it should be safe to let your child indulge in screens, right?
Wrong! Here are all the reasons why screens are harmful for your kid:

Sensory Deprivation

Toddlers are the cutest and the most prone to the dangers of the screen.
Why?
Dr. Dimitri Christakis’s research has shown that early years (0-5), especially ages 0-1 are the most important in brain development.
When children watch television, their brains are deprived of a sensory experience from interacting with the environment.
So, in this scenario, the alternatives to screen-time could give your child much better brain development than the screen can.
Not to forget the it’s very easy to become addictive of the screen; once hooked on it, your child will stick to the screen for the coming years.

Sensory experiences support cognitive development

Communication and Social Skills

When watching screens, children of all ages are overloaded with information with very little participation or discussion.
Their brains are fed information without any question – a concept called “viewer passivity.”
This passivity can be dangerous for your child throughout early schooling (ages 5-10) and middle years (ages 10-15) as it allows no room for question.
They then attend college, where they are always forced to question their peers and instructors because of the abstract form of discussions that often ensue.
This is where that passivity harms them. They feel unnatural having to participate in discussion and question the teachings thrown their way. It can hinder their learning experience.

Attention Problems

Screens are based on rapidly moving images and transitions that lead to instant gratification for the viewer.
Studies have found that these rapid movements can cause immense attention problems in children.
It has even been posited that it can lead to Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder in middle school children.
It is not just about television, though. Web pages are designed to promote this behavior so that viewers can get by only by skimming the screen.
So, the more your child uses the screen, the more he/she is conditioned to have shorter attention spans!

Rapid movements can cause immense attention problems

Educational Performance

It is true that with the internet there is a world of learning resources children now have access to.
However, toddlers that have yet not developed an understanding of how to interpret the information from digital resources are being exposed to it.
Research suggests that children between the age of 0 and 2 lag behind in their language development and cognitive skills due to unhealthy screen times.

Sleep Problems

Unfortunately, in the digital age, the early to bed and early to rise routine has become very difficult for kids to follow.
Not only do they stay hooked on their screens for long hours during the night, but there is also scientific reasoning that prevents them from sleeping on time.
Electronic devices emit a blue light that reduces the levels of melatonin in a child. It is a hormone that induces calmness and is responsible for the sleep-wake cycle of humans.
Research shows that even infants below one year experience shorter durations of sleep during the night when exposed to screens in the evening.

Electronic media devices can cause sleep problems in children

Obesity

Weight gain and unhealthy eating habits are on the rise amongst young children and studies suggest screen time has a lot to do with it.
Firstly, the more time children are spending in front of a screen, the less time they are devoting to physical activity.
This lack of exercise is an obvious factor for kids not being able to convert the food they consume into energy.
Moreover, ads for high-calorie junk foods that pop up during games influence children’s preferences to a great extent. Consequently, their eating habits revolve around the same unhealthy snacks.
Obesity is also linked to sleep problems that are caused by excessive screen time.

Back Pain

Over 50% of children that experience back pain showed signs of non-specific musculoskeletal pain.
In other words, lack of or improper physical activity is a leading cause of back pain in young children.
The convenience of using their devices anywhere and in any position is accompanied by its problems. Children remain fixed to their seats for hours on end or cramp up in awkward postures.

Over 50% of children that experience back pain

Violence and Bullying

In schools and other children’s gatherings, bullying is very a real problem. Although, there are many reasons for such violent behavior, according to studies, screens have contributed to the problem.
There is a lack of parental control on the type of content children are viewing – often, it is age-inappropriate. Moreover, spending more than 2 hours a day normalizes them to aggressive behaviors, and sub-consciously they act out.

Mental Health

Mental health issues such as depression, anxiety, and loneliness are increasingly prevalent in kids nowadays.
Even though children are seemingly more connected with their friends through their mobiles and tablets, these devices have shown been to have negative impacts on their mental health.
This also links back to children falling behind in social and communication skills. They resort to spending more time alone which intensifies feelings of anxiety and loneliness.

Irritable Behavior

The exciting feeling that comes with using their digital screens releases dopamine. Sometimes, that rush is heightened when children are engaged in a very interactive, fast-paced game.

However, this release lasts only as long as the game. Studies show the sudden change leads to children becoming irritable and cranky more often.
Parents often believe that rewarding their kids with more screen time would control behavioral outbursts but those are only temporary fixes.
In the long run, they can cause more unpleasant reactions.

Rewarding kids with more screen time would control behavioral outbursts but those are only temporary fixes

Takeaway

In a world where screens promise learning and development, it seems counter intuitive to not let your children make friends with them.
However, increased screen time can lead to several adverse effects in a child’s formative years.

Therefore, regulating screen time is in the best interest of both you and your children.

JOIN OUR NEWSLETTER
Join to receive our FREE newsletter and get practical tips on raising kids and helping them fulfill their potential.
We hate spam. Your email address will not be sold or shared with anyone else.