Mobile Phone Dependency in Children - Assignment Example

Some of these include being addicted to screen time, cognitive skills, and parent’s failure to regulate their kid’s use of iPad. While it is not possible to keep kids away from electronic gadgets like iPad, it is possible to minimize the impacts of gadgets. Parents can achieve this by giving their children specific time in using their iPad and watching out their use because children might use technology in a bad way.      It is apparent that electronic devices, specifically iPad, make children more aggressive and lazy.

This has been shown by Lee et al. (2016), Dube et al. (2017), Brzek et al. (2018), and Garmy et al. (2018). Dube et al. (2017) mention that children in early childhood (5 to 10 years old) are more likely to get addicted to watching videos and playing video games. There is a chance that this addition comes with aggressive behavior which is often manifested when children are denied the chance to use their gadgets. As mentioned in Lee et al. (2016), the potential impacts of children’s addiction to electronic devices can make parents develop concern with their academic performance and dismiss their use of devices that can distract them from focusing on education.

Dismissing children from overusing gadgets like iPad has the consequences of making children aggressive and at times belligerent towards their parents. Children who are addicted to iPads often spend long hours browsing videos and playing games. This hugely affects their quality of sleep as they sleep fewer hours than what is recommended. Dube et al. (2017) mention that inadequate sleep in children can affect their optimal growth and development. Furthermore, sleep deprivation due to excessive use of iPads has the consequence of causing emotional and psychological issues in children which can hugely hinder their learning and academic achievement.

Brzek et al. (2018) explain this further by mentioning that overexposure to electronic devices, like iPad, poses Children the risk of developing mental and physical developmental issues such as obesity and aggressiveness. Such children, according to Garmy et al. (2018), can have adverse effects on their concentration level, making them lazy. Laziness is such children can as well be manifested by their lack of involvement in physical activities that are meant to assist them in their mental development.

There are a number of ways that parents can use, to control the time kids spend on iPads. These include; setting time for using screens, making children play in the field, keeping them busy with other creative things, and ensuring that they have adequate sleep.  Parents need to restrict the amount of time their kids spend on electronic devices like iPads. This may entail setting a specific limit after which they should not be allowed to touch their devices. This does not only involve the use of iPads but also gadgets like TV and laptops.

Also, parents need to urge their kids to play outside with their friends. This not only aids their cognitive development but also enables them to interact and develop their communication skills. Additionally, this can help in preventing conditions such as obesity which is common in individuals who are not physically active. Instead of watching animal movies, it is much better if parents encourage their kids to play with pets like dogs and cats which makes them active. Garmy et al. (2018) back this idea by mentioning that physical activity assists in children's mental development.

  Quintessentially, parents can control the time kids spend on iPads by keeping them occupied with creative things such as puzzles, storybooks, creative toys, and coloring books. These not only keep them active but also aid in their mental development. Finally, parents must ensure that their children have enough sleep. The recommended number of hours every child is expected to sleep is around ten hours. Good sleep not only help with growth and development but also help children recover from eye strain experienced by the use of gadgets like iPads.

iPad devices have positive and negative outcomes, but I believe that the negative outcomes outweigh the positive outcomes because iPad devices affect children’s physical and mental health. The ill-effects of gadgets on kids should serve as a wake-up call for parents. In my opinion, comparing children in the old days with nowadays might help parents to recognize if their children are communicating or playing in a healthy way.