We all know how closely interlinked technology has become with our lives. Even in our day-to-day lives, we remain surrounded by technological advancements in one form or the other. As such, spending time on game consoles, television, computers, smartphones, etc., has become such a normal part of our life that spending time with one’s family often takes a backseat.
This is, however, a grievous problem and should be given due consideration. No, we are not saying that you should completely cut away from the digital screens, but it is definitely important to try and establish a balance between screen time and family time. In this article from Delhi Public School, Sushant Lok, one of the best CBSE schools in Gurgaon, we will shed light on why it is vital to help your kids find a balance in their digital and family life and how it will help build harmony and a healthy family atmosphere. Read on.
Balance is Crucial to Keep Away the Negatives
We are all aware of the statement, “Too much screen time is bad for kids.” But most aren’t aware of the “How?” and “Why?” So, let’s dig into the topic further. There is a lot of research on the issue, but different studies have yielded individual results. So, which one can be trusted? While there is no definite answer, there are three answers that have always been common:
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Risk Of Obesity & Other Diseases:
It is no secret that our children spend hours on social media, video games, television, browsing the internet, and other content on tablets or smartphones. They spend hours and hours altogether looking at screens. This can lead to an increased risk of obesity and other diseases such as diabetes and cardiovascular diseases as they sit stationary in one place for hours without any physical activities. It can also lead to unhealthy habits in terms of dieting that affect the body’s immune system. -
Badly Affects Sleep Patterns and Reduces Cognitive Skills:
This effect is true not only in the case of children but in adults too. The common effects are absentmindedness, lack of reasoning, and reduced memory retention capacity. The scientific rationale behind this is that the blue light emitted by screens from the RGB spectrum suppresses melatonin levels, a hormone that regulates sleep patterns. This thereby affects the sleep cycle and cognitive abilities.
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Impacts the Development of Social Skills:
Too much time in front of a screen reduces the time for social interactions. It thereby hampers the child’s ability to mingle with others. Such children often fail to understand what is socially acceptable and what isn’t. This might lead them to do something that may cause embarrassment to themselves as well as others. It’s obvious why this may result in depression in the child.
Don’t Cut-Off, Rather Focus on the Apt Usage of Screens!
Just like everything else, even the technological advancements in the form of gadgets and digital screens have their share of pros and cons. As such, you can’t completely keep your kids away from the digital world as that is also necessary for them to thrive in modern times; what you should instead do is ensure the ‘right’ usage of the gadgets. Teach your kids to focus on apt usage of the screens and do not depend on them. Help them find a balance between the digital lifestyle and the need for family activities. Teach them about the difference between the two worlds and how establishing a sync between the two is necessary for their overall skill development. This way, they’ll not just learn from you, but even your bond with them will tighten by the day. It’ll also give them a sense of stability and security.
Thus, we, at DPS Sushant Lok, one of the leading CBSE schools in Gurgaon, would again like to echo the fact that in order to ensure the appropriate development of your children, it is important that they are provided with both screen time and family time in healthy doses. Make sure you set a cut-off point and enforce a time limit. You’ll see magical changes that’ll only bring positive outcomes in your child’s life.