We know that today's gadgets can no longer be separated from people's daily lives. The use of gadgets has even started to plague children. In fact, some parents may already be aware of the impact and dangers of gadgets for their children. Excessive use can certainly have a negative impact on the child's physical and mental health.

Gadgets are dangerous for children if they are used excessively

An Associate Professor of Paediatrics in Bangkok, Dr. Rawat Sichangsirikarn said that cellphones have become part of everyday life. With the help of gadgets, we can obtain new information and communicate quickly. But on the other hand, they have dangerous side effects.

These impacts are very serious when parents allow their children to use technological gadgets, including cell phones or tablets, for long periods of time. This will pose a danger to the gadget for children. Excessive screen time can pose serious risks to a child's physical and mental health.

Using applications that are less safe for your little one and the unlimited freedom of internet access can also endanger them. For example, they may access dangerous and inappropriate social networks, or be exposed to pornographic websites or pedophile predatory threats.

How gadgets affect a child's development

The dangers of gadgets for children can be felt when they use gadgets for too long. They can affect a child's physical, mental, and emotional well-being in a variety of ways.

Physical health

1. Staring at smartphone screens and gadgets for long periods of time increases the risk of eye problems, such as myopia and eye fatigue.
2. Children can experience sleep deprivation and lack of focus. This leads to an unhealthy sleep cycle because children are sleepier during the day and sleep less at night. In fact, if every 15 minutes a child uses a smart device, it means they lose 60 minutes of sleep.
   Younger children may develop longer-term speech delays as their screen time increases.
3. Children can experience a variety of physical problems, such as weight gain due to lack of movement, insomnia, headaches, poor nutrition, and vision problems.

Mental health

1. The dangers of gadgets for children can cause mental health problems and changes in behavior, including depression.
2. They may also become aggressive and irritable if parents do not give them access to use a cell phone or tablet. Irritability will also affect other skills, especially in terms of restraining oneself, thinking and controlling emotions. In fact, these skills form the basis for future success.
3. Children can develop various mental problems, such as anxiety, loneliness, guilt, self-isolation, depression, and mood swings. Exposure to gadgets can also increase the risk of ADHD and autism in children.

General Skills

Children who are exposed to smart gadgets for long periods of time may miss out on opportunities to develop other important basic skills.

For example, they do not learn to play independently or with their peers, they miss the opportunity to learn to think independently, they lose time reading and writing. This is a very important social skill for future growth.

So from now on, limit your little one's playing time with gadgets, Mom!