According to the survey based on a sample size of 1,000 parents conducted by Smart parent solution company, Baatu Tech, around 60% of children between the age of 5-16 portray behaviours that indicate a risk of digital addiction. The survey even states that 85% of the parents expressed difficulties in managing their children’s online content consumption. It recognized gaming and social media as two frequently used platforms for children and highlighted concerns regarding the potential exposure and inappropriate content along with their negative implications. The survey also observed that children surpassed the recommended screen time limits daily.
Read more: Social Media Addiction Among Children and how to deal with it.
Effects of Digital Addiction:
Prolonged screen time is highly linked to a sedentary lifestyle, and children who spend excessive time in front of screens are less likely to engage in physical activities, leading to issues such as poor posture, muscle weakness, and obesity. Excessive screen time before sleeping interferes with the quality of sleep and disturbs sleep patterns. It also hampers the production of melatonin, a hormone that regulates sleep, making it harder to fall and stay asleep. Poor sleep quality can have detrimental effects on cognitive function, mood, and overall health.
Digital addiction can also impact social skills, by making the child isolated and distant from the real world. It can impact how a child makes conversations and talk to other people. They can also get easily influenced by inappropriate content and portray misbehaviour. Moreover, it can affect a child’s cognitive abilities. That led to difficulties in attention span, memory retention, problem-solving, and analytical skills. Excessive screen time in children can have various negative impacts on their physical, mental, and social well-being. Therefore at the end of the day, it is in our hands to decide whether to use social media as a boon or as a pain!
Read more: What Is the Growing Concern Behind Digital Addiction?
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