Don’t Let Negative Technology Effects Mess Up Young Brains
Parents have gotten progressively disconnected from their babies and children. Not so long ago, parents were putting kids in front of the TV with a show or a video. Now it’s smart phones and baby iPads, in addition to putting the kids in front of a TV or movie, without realizing the negative technology effects. Future studies will show issues of technology and how it affects brains of kids.
When I was growing up, without technology, it was innocent play, time and games with parents and siblings. We learned to stack blocks, catch ball, stomp in puddles, commune with dirt, throw something at a target, climb trees, sing, swing, wrestle with pets and siblings, and more. Kids need physical play. All this is so much more valuable than what technology can teach. The dirt also helped us build antibodies to fight sickness.
When kids don’t play with other kids, or with parents, or in parks, they become disconnected from other people and even society. They get socially awkward. Technology and babies or kids are a bad combination for young brains.
The iPhones and iPads play havoc with young brains. They aren’t good for our brains, but they are much worse for developing brains and how it affects brains. The potential radiation emitted can seriously affect brains of little ones – the damage will show up in later years, or even potentially cancer. Young, developing brains have a thinner skull so that it can grow, so radiation can seep through into the brain more easily. The propped-up iPad with a baby game or video-playing, on top of a play mat, is a very bad idea.
Brains keep developing until age in the mid 20’s – the radiation can affect how the young brain develops – so keep technology away from developing brains – limit exposure by allowing only a short time on it. Young developing eyes are also in danger of the radiation effects of the technology.
Kids learn valuable skills best from humans, not as much from what technology can teach them. They are teaching kids to disconnect from humans and are teaching them to connect with robots and video characters.
We did get to watch some TV shows growing up, but it was limited. These shows were often watched with our parents. We would sit down and watch the Disney movie of the week, as a family, and from a distance. When more shows were added, we would watch as a family, because we didn’t have multiple TVs that kept up apart, and in separate rooms. We would talk about the shows as well, and bond over it. Technology was very different back then.
Even when I take a walk now, I see technology ruling the parents who are walking their babies in the stroller. A Bluetooth conversation, or smart phone is taking over the parents’ attention. On the flip side, most dog walkers are not on their phones or on Bluetooth, but they are talking to the dogs. Something is wrong with this scenario. Parents should be talking to the babies and children, teaching them about the world view they are seeing, helping to develop the young brains in better ways.
What do you think your child will do for his or her kids, with the examples we are setting for them now? The child will think technology is as cool as they see the parent thinks. I see kids just glued to phones with sensory lights blipping around – unaware of anything else going on around them and no inkling of how it affects the brain. Is this healthy? I say no! The negative technology effects on children are disturbing. It will likely carry over into the next generation because of how they were raised…
Technology is getting in the way of a relationship with family and friends. It’s potentially harming little brains and the child health. Technology and kids In their lives is not teaching kids to relate to society. Parents need to take over the job of raising their own kids, from babies on. They deserve it.
P.R.