Harmful Effects of Mobile Phones on children: How you can keep a check?
Everything in this world has pros and cons, be it a food product or electronic device. When we talk about phones, we have multiple pros why technology has changed everything and made it easier for our generation to communicate and stay connected. We can be miles away from our family, but a single video call can remove all the sadness and glum feeling of missing them. But mobile phones can impact children. Here is a list of 10 harmful effects of mobile phones on children.
But like we said, everything has cons, and it is not easy to get rid of them once you get addicted. The same thing goes for phones. Phone with internet connectivity is a jungle of all environments where you may not know what is good and bad for you. As adults, we all know not to visit or search the Internet, but expecting the same from an innocent kid is questioning. A child is prone to the risk of the Internet as well as the phone itself.
There are tons of things that can harmfully affect children because of mobile phones. For example, a child can fall into the trap of strangers, may consume inappropriate media, develop sleeping problems, get affected mentally and physically. The list goes on, but these are some of the significant problems kids are facing due to mobile phones:
- Inappropriate Media: Providing kids with an internet-connected mobile phone is like giving them access to the entire world. The Internet contains all types of media, be it child-friendly or inappropriate. Sometimes with a little bit of exploration, kids come across adult media which is not age-appropriate. This is a problem and harmful effects people come across and report on their child’s development. To stop this from happening, you can allow app lock or kid’s restriction features that multiple apps provide. All you have to do is search for the feature in the app and activate it.
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Cyber Bullying- It is often seen among teenagers and kids that they get bullied physically and virtually. Virtual bullying can affect the child more as the bully is unknown and can be using a different identity. In addition, kids find it hard to confront their parents regarding it. What you can do is hire software services that can help you keep an eye on your child’s internet activities to make sure they are not going through something harmful.
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Eyesight: We have mentioned this before, mobile phones cause problems regardless of their connectivity to the Internet. If your child is constantly watching or using a phone, their eyesight will get affected. Since the pandemic, kids are getting education online, but you can provide Blue-light glasses to help them. You must make sure their diet is healthy and full of green vegetables.
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Cell Phone Radiation: Mobile phones have certain kinds of radiation that adversely affects the body. Radiation can cause tumours in parts of bodies and can lead to cancer. Kids who are on their phones all the time can be at risk of Cell Phone Radiation.
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Sleeping Issues: Staying constantly on the phone keeps your mind wake up. It causes problems both to your kid’s eyes and brain. It is proven that being on the phone right before sleeping can cause sleeplessness since your eyes contact the screen. Kids who have phones with them at night end up getting sleeping issues.
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Body Dysmorphia: The Internet is becoming a place full of hokum, and the delusion it creates about everything is shocking. Children and teenagers on social media platforms come across influencers setting unrealistic standards about their lifestyle and physical appearances. These kids get body dysmorphia since they start comparing themselves with these influencers and feel ashamed of themselves. It may seem like a typical issue, but it directly affects their eating habits and actions towards their body.
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Psychological Problems: Kids who use the Internet as an exploring station get psychological problems like anxiety and stress. There can be any reason behind being anxious. Parents whose kids stay on the Internet must always talk with them about what they are doing and should be patient regarding their searches. Often parents end up scolding their kids, which leads to anxious behaviour and hiding things.
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Addiction: Excess use of anything, be it mobile or intake of particular food items, leads to addiction and its adverse effects. Kids can get addicted to phone usage, and that can lead to multiple issues with them. It can also become fatal for them. Make sure your kids are controlling their phone usage and have a separate life from that.
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Academic Diversion: Mobile phone has been a distraction to this generation. Some use it for studies, while some just use it as a medium to divert themselves. It can have a direct impact on their studies. The Internet can educate kids and distract them t an extent they cannot control and get bad grades.
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Bad Posture: Constantly staying on the phone can cause issues with back, neck and posture. Bad posture can cause serious problems later in life. You may also go through immense pain if your back starts acting up.
Conclusion:
Mobiles phones can be a helpful gadget until and unless used in a controlled amount and with precautions. Of course, we can expect such maturity from adults, but as we said before, maturity from children when it comes to the mobile phone is something you should not always expect. They are new to this world and may not know the consequences of their actions, and as parents, you must guide them. Making them understand what is good and bad for them is your responsibility.
