SCREEN TIME AND YOUR KIDS
Excessive device use leads to changes in a child brain that can negatively impact all areas of their life.
---- Dr NICOLE Beverkens, Worlds leading Holistic Child Psychologist
Life was so much easier when Apple and Black Berry were just fruits.
---- Anonymous
I fear that day technology will surpass our human interaction. The world will have a generation of idiots.
----It is announced that it is said by Albert Einstein but it is take in from a dialog from a film.
I find television very educating. Every time somebody turns on this set, I go into other room and read a book.
---- Groucho Marx
Master Shravan’s mother was surprised that again in test he failed miserably and she was called to meet class teacher. This time he failed in all subjects. She was surprised to know this because Shravan was very regular in class and also was studying at home regularly. She met the class teacher of Shravan. She found that class teacher was also surprised by poor performance of Shravan’s. Shravan is a student of a Public School, of Gurgaon and was earlier a bright student till class IV but now gradually getting deleriorated in studies and his teacher asked about screening time of Shravan, mother told it is 1½ hours per day and she keeps a watch on that. Mother then after discussing with Shravan’s teacher decided to frequently peep into the Shravan’s room to see if he is studying or seeing facebook etc on his mobile, telephone. She was dismayed that Shravan was hiding his mobile in his book in bed and devoting too much time playing games and facebooke on mobile. Shravan’s parents called him and discussed with him this problem of screen time. They came to know that he always sits on backbench with 2 of his close friends and all 3 use mobile games and seeing facebook hiding from teacher. Parents of Shravan consulted a child psychologist also. The screen time problem was solved after much difficulty and now after 3 months his screen time is restricted and he has started improving in his studies. It is very easy to go down but very difficult to go up.
I can recall many benefits from meditation in my own life. My younger son, Kunal, who is now a doctor, was in class X and was to appear for his final board examinations after two months. He was studying at Kanpur’s Methodist High School, Uttar Pradesh, India. I was working at Aden, Yemen and he was living with my parents. He started neglecting his studies and his grades went down badly, to the extent that he was not permitted to appear in his board examination. I was called from Yemen. I met Mrs. Brown, the Principal, who advised that Kunal skip the examination that year and prepare for the coming year.
I pleaded with her to re-assess Kunal after two weeks and to allow him to appear for the exams if he scored over 50 per cent marks. After a lot of persuasion, she agreed. I sat with Kunal the same day and he apologized and agreed to do his best. I forgave him and we charted out a plan. It was a study plan with two breaks of 15 minutes each for meditation and visualization. He was also gins ½ hrs to see TV twice a day. Everything went smoothly and he appeared in the last after two weeks and secured 55 per cent aggregate marks. He was allowed to sit in the board exams after six weeks. The preparation went on as planned. He would meditate and in the examination hall for two minutes after receiving the question paper. Eventually, he secured 86 per cent aggregate marks in the board results. We gave due credit to his hard work, but I believed that the meditation also helped.
Figures for Britain’s office of National Statistics show for example that in 2010 – 2011 8.6% of children aged under 16 said they spent more that there hours on a normal school day; by 2015-2016 that figure risen to 12.8%. at the same time, according to the National Health Service, the proportion of children aged 5-15 with mental disorders rose from 7% in 1999 to 11.2% in 2017.
Screen time Limit.
Researches show that screen time reduces children’s ability to learn social skills. Pediatricians advice that younger than 18 months get no screen time at all, for 5 years children should be less than one hour and that too with parents. For childrens to 17 years the screen time should be less than 2 hour per day.
Over use of screen can cause harm
Too much screen time has negative effect on a kids psyche. Screens have become a part of our children time whether it is video, games, facebooks, messaging, entertainment apps by TV, telephone or tablets. According to World Health Organization over 23% of adults and 80% of adolescent are sufficiently check. The exception to his rule is video chatting with grand parents or other family members or friends, which is considered quality time. Our kids are living sedentary lives and the adults in their lives as well. Check few symptoms and signs in your kids if present may be they are on too much screen time. They may be having headache, moodiness, lack or diminished power of concentration and poor grades in class as memory also suffers.
Symptoms and signs of too much screening
•Headache
•Weight gain and obesity
•Eye strain
•Throwing tantrams
•Emotional problems
•Anxiety
•Aggression
•Stress
•Sleep- disturbances
•Disturbed concentration
•Diminished memory
•Depression
•Loss of interest in outdoor games.
•Frustration
•Screeni- ng socializing
•Inattention
•Ba- ckache
•Neck pain
•Anger
•Preoccupation of thoughts
•Can’t control screen use
How to control your kid
•Breakfast and meals should be screen free
•No screen 1 hr before bed time
•1 day screen free in a week
•Encourage outdoor games, play with them like, badminton, tennis, or merily running or jogging
•Teach observation of nature and maintain daily for ½ hrs or avoid or reduce.
•Do not use TV and phone in front of your kid
•Let him/her choose an activity and do it with whole family
It was a problem with my elder grandson, Veer also, who is a brilliant students of class v. I and him started playing badminton together in our home and then as his interest gradually increased due to competitive feel. I made him join badminton coaching at his school. He started enjoying it with his trainer. After 1 month I myself joined a nearby badminton club. Where he can also play with me on weekends. I have observe in him few changes. First his weight is reducing secondly he is more focused when in game and he is also getting less angry and more peaceful.
Mayo Clinic Health System has advised few tips to control screen time in kids. Kids are increasingly using tablets, TV and mobiles for entertainment and study and this has gone up fast due to COVID pandemic. We have to help kids by intervening in screen time and diverting them for physical activities. These tips are:
Screen use acts like drugs in causing addiction. When one uses screen it releases dopamine, a chemical in brain called “Happy Hormone” and this chemical gives feeling of enjoyment and happiness so kid wants it again and again like mood elevating drug. You should:
1.Be accountable
2.Be realistic
3.Be engaged
4.Put hand – held devices away
5.Create phone – free zones in the home.
6.Go for outside physical exercise and outdoor sports.
Teach yoga and meditation to children
No age is small for yoga and meditation. Do yoga and meditations with kids as it can reduce screen time. Yoga and meditation will help kids control their emotions and improve their physical and mental wellbeing. Children with spirituality have better confidence, higher optimism, and better grades. Such children have better relationship with their friends, family and environment. Spiritual well being gives inner peace and joy. Spirituality also improves emotional well being, immune system, self confidence, fitness and longer life span. Practicing yoga, meditation and praying keeps a child away from negative practices including screen time. Researches have shown that spiritual practices decrease activation of stress related parts of the brain and stimulate parts of the brain related to connection with others. Such practices give a child a clear sense of understanding what is right and wrong and helping to act accordingly.
Spiritual development in a child can be boosted by advising to practice yoga, meditation, helping others, spending time with nature, reading good literature and developing some hobby.
Carry home message: Play, exercise, meditate and pass time with your kids.
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