Is your child addicted to the \u201cscreens\u201d? Here\u2019s how you can change that.<\/h1><\/h2>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tAs parents, have you observed that your children are hooked on to cell phones most of the times? Has the smart phone become the center of attraction of your house? Does the phone grab all the attention in the house? Have you snatched a smart phone from your child\u2019s hands and had heated arguments? Do you find your children to be restless and obsessed with smart phones and games?<\/p>\n
This is a major challenge of the new age parents. In the 90\u2019s, gifting a video game to children as a birthday gift or as rewards for achievements was a common thing. These games were restricted to desktops or connected to televisions. With technological transformations, these video games are on our palmtops, tabs and cell phones. Children of the millennium are forced to embrace the harsh effects of technological advances as these gadgets are common to any household, either rich or poor.<\/p>\n
![](\"https:\/\/res.cloudinary.com\/dwmomuuw9\/image\/upload\/f_auto,q_auto\/gyanpro_images\/\/2018\/08\/technology-spoiling-indian-childhood-kids-260nw-697971706-1.jpg\")
\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 Source: Shutterstock<\/p>\n
Emotional well-being, cognitive skills, relationships, linguistic skills and physical fitness are all at stake in the technology-driven world. Instead of being a help, this highly transformed device is encouraging obsessions, dependency, addictions and mental distortions. Innocent children fall into the trap of attention and the magnetism of cell phones; colorful images & eye-catching videos added with different attention-grabbing sounds, supplemented by the touch screen. Just one device taps into all the input sensories. The Visual, Auditory and Kinaesthetic (VAK), which form the crucial part of the human brain as sensory input for perception, imagination, understanding, memory or sequencing, in all cognitive skills, are all put at stake when children are exposed to such devices. Engaging long hours on gadgets over-stimulates the brain. This causes hindrance in studying. The mind is high on angst and finds it difficult to soothe down. The major challenges that the mind faces are:<\/p>\n
\n- Inability to focus and \u00a0concentrate<\/li>\n
- Struggles to sustain attention to study activities.<\/li>\n
- Feeling restless. They can\u2019t sit in one place for more than a few minutes.<\/li>\n
- Can\u2019t recollect what was studied earlier. (Memory issues mainly due to lack of interest in subject matters)<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
Over-dependence on the smart phone is nothing but soothing psychological distress. One develops an addiction when there is some psychological motive that hasn\u2019t been fulfilled. Say, for example, loneliness, bullying, or not enjoying interesting\/creative work. Playing a particular game lulls you into a distracted state. Regarding soothing those psychological dilemmas, smart phones play a role of a de-stressor. In an age of anxiety, the smart phone is a readily available device that helps soothe this anxiety in an easy way.<\/p>\n
If your answer to any of the questions below is\u00a0YES,<\/strong>\u00a0then it\u2019s time to take some serious action.<\/p>\n\n- Is your pre-teen or teen addicted to video games and social media forums?<\/li>\n
- Does your child crave for being given the privilege of a smart phone?<\/li>\n
- Does the child tend to spend most of the time playing games with the smart phone, instead of playing outside?<\/li>\n
- Is your child struggling with social anxiety, like say making good eye contact or talking to people, etc.?<\/li>\n
- Is your child getting aggressive or abusive (verbally or physically) quite frequently?<\/li>\n
- Are you stuck up with heated arguments with your child more frequently?<\/li>\n
- Are your child\u2019s academic grades going down?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
![](\"https:\/\/res.cloudinary.com\/dwmomuuw9\/image\/upload\/f_auto,q_auto\/gyanpro_images\/\/2018\/08\/695-03380348en_Masterfile.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
Here are some preventive measures towards a change:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n- Set Rules<\/strong>: Together with the child, make rules for your child concerning the usage of smart phones. Set timings for the\u00a0family as a whole<\/strong>\u00a0not to indulge in activities involving smart phones. For example, none of the family members will have access to smart phones between 7 p.m. and 10 p.m. \u00a0We have limited time to be with our family. Why lose it on gadgets and unproductive activities?<\/li>\n
- Where there is a will, there\u2019s a way:<\/strong>\u00a0A ray of hope creates a positive environment and increases the scope for improvement. Help your child gain self-confidence. Explain to your child the effects of over-usage of gadgets and encourage towards improvements. Instill the word \u2018I can\u2019 and the value of commitments. This boosts the self-confidence and enhances a positive self-image for the child.<\/li>\n
- Help children set goals of their own:\u00a0<\/strong>Goals give us a direction in life. It creates a sense of responsibility to achieve desired goals. It provides a direction and thus motivates them to focus and concentrate on the work they do. Don\u2019t hesitate to take professional help to achieve this.<\/li>\n
- It\u2019s tough to break habits, but can be replaced.<\/strong>\u00a0Identify the strengths and interests of the child and replace the time spent on gadgets with pleasurable activities. Be a vital aid to your child during this transition period. A smooth transition from screen to green is what needs to be done.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
As parents, have you observed that your children are hooked on to cell phones most of the times? Has the smart phone become the center of attraction of your house? Does the phone grab all the attention in the house? Have you snatched a smart phone from your child\u2019s hands and had heated arguments? Do you find your children to be restless and obsessed with smart phones and games?<\/p>\n
This is a major challenge of the new age parents. In the 90\u2019s, gifting a video game to children as a birthday gift or as rewards for achievements was a common thing. These games were restricted to desktops or connected to televisions. With technological transformations, these video games are on our palmtops, tabs and cell phones. Children of the millennium are forced to embrace the harsh effects of technological advances as these gadgets are common to any household, either rich or poor.<\/p>\n
\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 Source: Shutterstock<\/p>\n
Emotional well-being, cognitive skills, relationships, linguistic skills and physical fitness are all at stake in the technology-driven world. Instead of being a help, this highly transformed device is encouraging obsessions, dependency, addictions and mental distortions. Innocent children fall into the trap of attention and the magnetism of cell phones; colorful images & eye-catching videos added with different attention-grabbing sounds, supplemented by the touch screen. Just one device taps into all the input sensories. The Visual, Auditory and Kinaesthetic (VAK), which form the crucial part of the human brain as sensory input for perception, imagination, understanding, memory or sequencing, in all cognitive skills, are all put at stake when children are exposed to such devices. Engaging long hours on gadgets over-stimulates the brain. This causes hindrance in studying. The mind is high on angst and finds it difficult to soothe down. The major challenges that the mind faces are:<\/p>\n
- \n
- Inability to focus and \u00a0concentrate<\/li>\n
- Struggles to sustain attention to study activities.<\/li>\n
- Feeling restless. They can\u2019t sit in one place for more than a few minutes.<\/li>\n
- Can\u2019t recollect what was studied earlier. (Memory issues mainly due to lack of interest in subject matters)<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
Over-dependence on the smart phone is nothing but soothing psychological distress. One develops an addiction when there is some psychological motive that hasn\u2019t been fulfilled. Say, for example, loneliness, bullying, or not enjoying interesting\/creative work. Playing a particular game lulls you into a distracted state. Regarding soothing those psychological dilemmas, smart phones play a role of a de-stressor. In an age of anxiety, the smart phone is a readily available device that helps soothe this anxiety in an easy way.<\/p>\n
If your answer to any of the questions below is\u00a0YES,<\/strong>\u00a0then it\u2019s time to take some serious action.<\/p>\n
- \n
- Is your pre-teen or teen addicted to video games and social media forums?<\/li>\n
- Does your child crave for being given the privilege of a smart phone?<\/li>\n
- Does the child tend to spend most of the time playing games with the smart phone, instead of playing outside?<\/li>\n
- Is your child struggling with social anxiety, like say making good eye contact or talking to people, etc.?<\/li>\n
- Is your child getting aggressive or abusive (verbally or physically) quite frequently?<\/li>\n
- Are you stuck up with heated arguments with your child more frequently?<\/li>\n
- Are your child\u2019s academic grades going down?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/p>\n
Here are some preventive measures towards a change:<\/strong><\/p>\n
- \n
- Set Rules<\/strong>: Together with the child, make rules for your child concerning the usage of smart phones. Set timings for the\u00a0family as a whole<\/strong>\u00a0not to indulge in activities involving smart phones. For example, none of the family members will have access to smart phones between 7 p.m. and 10 p.m. \u00a0We have limited time to be with our family. Why lose it on gadgets and unproductive activities?<\/li>\n
- Where there is a will, there\u2019s a way:<\/strong>\u00a0A ray of hope creates a positive environment and increases the scope for improvement. Help your child gain self-confidence. Explain to your child the effects of over-usage of gadgets and encourage towards improvements. Instill the word \u2018I can\u2019 and the value of commitments. This boosts the self-confidence and enhances a positive self-image for the child.<\/li>\n
- Help children set goals of their own:\u00a0<\/strong>Goals give us a direction in life. It creates a sense of responsibility to achieve desired goals. It provides a direction and thus motivates them to focus and concentrate on the work they do. Don\u2019t hesitate to take professional help to achieve this.<\/li>\n
- It\u2019s tough to break habits, but can be replaced.<\/strong>\u00a0Identify the strengths and interests of the child and replace the time spent on gadgets with pleasurable activities. Be a vital aid to your child during this transition period. A smooth transition from screen to green is what needs to be done.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
- Where there is a will, there\u2019s a way:<\/strong>\u00a0A ray of hope creates a positive environment and increases the scope for improvement. Help your child gain self-confidence. Explain to your child the effects of over-usage of gadgets and encourage towards improvements. Instill the word \u2018I can\u2019 and the value of commitments. This boosts the self-confidence and enhances a positive self-image for the child.<\/li>\n
- Set Rules<\/strong>: Together with the child, make rules for your child concerning the usage of smart phones. Set timings for the\u00a0family as a whole<\/strong>\u00a0not to indulge in activities involving smart phones. For example, none of the family members will have access to smart phones between 7 p.m. and 10 p.m. \u00a0We have limited time to be with our family. Why lose it on gadgets and unproductive activities?<\/li>\n
![](\"https:\/\/res.cloudinary.com\/dwmomuuw9\/image\/upload\/f_auto,q_auto\/gyanpro_images\/\/2018\/08\/roles-played-pets-development-child.jpg\")
<\/p>\n