Screen Dependency Disorder Is Real, And It Damages Your Child's Brain

Screen Dependency Disorder Is Real, And It Damages Your Child's Brain
by MARUTI SRIDHAR, momjunction.com, 12 April 2018

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Screen dependency has been a ubiquitous problem of late, not only affecting the lives of developing children but the day-to-day activities of adults too. Hence, the premise of the critically acclaimed TV show Black Mirror. It exposes a dystopian world where we’re dependent on technology. Restricting time with a screen for children is essential, and some parents avoid screen time altogether. The American Academy of Paediatrics recommends a maximum limit of sixty minutes screen time for 2 to 5-year-olds (1). Anyone younger than that should probably avoid use technology use altogether.



A new study shows that young children got less sleep and were less focussed if they spent an excessive time with smart devices (2). This behaviour led to an extended sleep time during the day than at night, which is not conducive towards a healthy sleep cycle. The study has shown that for every quarter of an hour the child uses a smart device, they lose an hour of sleep. Definitely, not good returns on investment.

Another study found that the more time that a child spent on a smart device, the longer its speech would be delayed (3). Dr. Catherine Birken calls for more research in her statement to CNN (4). In fact, after all this research, it was given the name Screen Dependency Disorder (5).This order is closely associated with the newly discovered Internet Addiction Disorder.

We’ve all witnessed the behaviour of children these days; they’re the first to latch on to their devices and constantly stay in touch with them. Be it manipulating apps at the dinner table or only communicating through an app-based software.

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https://www.momjunction.com/articles/screen-dependency-disorder-is-real-and-it-damages-your-childs-brain_00442190/