With screen time interfering with children’s mental health, books are allies in the digital detox process
Technology is increasingly taking hold in people’s lives and is becoming something essential for everyday life. Be it cellphones, computers, tablets or televisions, humanity is at the mercy of these devices to communicate, work, organize and even care for and entertain children.
What many parents and guardians don’t know is that this type of entertainment can poison the little ones and harm their development. According to a survey carried out by Tic Kids Online Brasil on the use of the Internet by children and adolescents in Brazil, in 2019 89% of the population between 9 and 17 years old was already an Internet user, which corresponds to approximately 24 million of children and adolescents, of which 95% had a mobile phone as a device for accessing the Internet.
For Carmen Pareras, director of Catapult Editors in Brazil, the use of technologies is taking away interest in essential activities that help children develop.
“We see that children at younger and younger ages have had access to electronic equipment and as a result, their reading time is hampered,” she explains.
Exposure to electronic screens is not good for children
According to the WHO (World Health Organization), exposure to electronic screens, for any period, is not recommended for children under the age of two, and screen time should not exceed one hour per day for children from two to four years. Psychologist Camila de Cássia Ribeiro, of the São Camilo de São Paulo hospital network, warns of the importance of taking care of the screen time of the little ones.
“The pandemic period, in which children have stayed at home longer, has led to an increase in the use of screens in this age group due to the lack of interaction possibilities that other environments provide. Care must be taken with the time and content consumed because there are harms associated with early and inappropriate use, such as mental health issues, sleep disturbances, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and even self-image issues.” , explains Ribeiro.
In addition, the Brazilian Society of Pediatrics also indicates other harms associated with inappropriate use of screens with children: sedentary lifestyle and lack of exercise, eating disorders, myopia and computer vision syndrome, noise-induced hearing loss, postural disorders and musculoskeletal disorders, and the risk of exposure to sexual content.
Digital detox
Books can be great allies during the habit-changing process, as parents who offer literary works to their children are creating a habit that can become a healthy practice that will last for the rest of their lives.
For Pareras, contact with books can help keep children away from the digital world, as well as contribute to “creativity and ethics, encouraging imagination and improving vocabulary”.
In addition to the direct positive points, other indirect ones, such as the experience of listening to stories in a space where there is attention, will make affection become something fundamental, strengthening the bonds of trust between the adult and the child.
“Contact with books, the act of sniffing, storylines and interaction with stories helps in the psychomotor, cognitive and intellectual development of children. In addition to talking about each story read, it also becomes an alternative for bringing children and parents or guardians closer together, making the dialogue more empathic, which is important for everyone’s psychological development”, concludes the specialist from the San Paolo Rete hospital. Camillo .
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Source: Terra
Ben Stock is a lifestyle journalist and author at Gossipify. He writes about topics such as health, wellness, travel, food and home decor. He provides practical advice and inspiration to improve well-being, keeps readers up to date with latest lifestyle news and trends, known for his engaging writing style, in-depth analysis and unique perspectives.
