Are you Ruining the life of your Kids ?

When you don't want kids to disturb you, just giving them a smartphone to play with is the best option that modern parents have got. These are the kids who watch their parents spending hours scrolling on their phones before they sleep. When we give the same phone to kids, they can utilize it in the similar manner that they have learnt from their parents. Parents usually talk about it proudly saying, "My one year old knows how to operate a phone and watches videos himself", "My 18 month old has learned to make videos and even send them through whatsapp", "My 2 year old is so perfect in playing games on smartphone that even you can't beat him". 

Kids are more prone to Addiction

Parents have got a mature brain which is hard to get addicted, but kids have a developing brain which can easily get addicted. Addiction of smartphones is one of the worst addictions that is ruining the life of kids, and parents are the main culprits here who are unable to understand this serious issue. Smartphone Addiction is a serious issue that modern parents should understand. This addiction is not just affecting mental health of kids, but also teens and adults. Following articles may further help you in understanding your addiction.

• Test your smartphone addiction : It will help you in judging if you are an addict or not.
• Smartphones causes ADHD in teens : Attention-Deficit / Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a  neurodevelopmental mental disorder. It affects their studies and life.
• TouchScreen deteriorating handwriting of Kids : Today toddlers know how to hold a phone but not a pencil.
• Smartphone blindness: It is a real issue where a person uses smartphone in night and wake up with no sight in morning.

An incident that will make you think about Smartphone

Recently i came to know about a two and a half year old kid who was so much addicted to use smartphone that his social interaction became zero. Both of his parents are working. A caretaker took care of that kid for past one year. His parent left an extra smartphone at home so that the kid can kill some time watching videos or playing games. Instead of engaging in other playful activities that kid spent most of his time on phone. Now that kid is living in his own world of smartphone and imagination. He stopped making eye contact, even with his parents. Even when not holding a phone, he smiles and make faces while thinking about something that he has seen on phone. He is no longer able to live in the real world as he has stopped talking to even his parents. A few months back his parents decided to consult a specialist about this issue, and got a lecture about what they have done to their kid. In such a little age, when toddlers need to learn interaction and motor skills while playing and talking with their parents, that kid spent whole time on phone and thus didn't learn those important skills that his other agemates can do. His parents have now taken smartphone out of their kid's life, but still it will take time to revert back the damage that that has happened.

What do kids do on Smartphone

Some parents feel that its easier to handle the kids by engaging them in a smartphone. Some kids play games and some watch videos. Kids usually watch cartoons while some parents convince them to watch educational videos, thinking that they are educating their kid in that way. Depending on the age of your kid, his interest changes in different applications of smartphones ranging from using camera or playing games to using social media apps like whatsapp, facebook and instagram.

Are your Kids Skipping Breakfast

Dangers of Internet at an early age

Knowledge of kids is usually too low to handle content provided on internet. All apps and websites are not meant to be used by kids, but they use them without any parental guidance. Most of the kids don't have any adult content blocker on their phones and they are prone to watch advertisements of adult content. Such things increase interest of kids into adult content at a very early age. According to some studies 4 to 20% internet consists of porn websites and they are primarily accessed by smartphones. Recently we have seen that how playing some online games inspired kids to commit suicide or to perform such tasks in real life where their life is put in danger. Some combat games made some kids so sick that they openly fired at public places.

How Smartphone may degrade your Kid

• Brain Activity and Tumors : This health issue is being researched to confirm if radiation caused by smartphone can cause tumors or some abnormal brain activity. There are chances the strong electromagnetic waves used in mobile communication can interfere with electrical impulses happening among neurons inside brain.
• Academic Performance: Smartphone are decreasing the study time as kids are getting addicted to playing games and watching videos. It is affecting their scores and ability to understand the topics. Some students carry their phones in school and use it even in an ongoing class. Some students discover very innovative methods of cheating in exams using smartphones. In this way they are studying/learning less but scoring well in exams and thus cheating with teachers, parents and whole educational system. 
• Inappropriate content: No matter how technical a parent is, there are always chances of getting inappropriate content using smartphone. Adult content and pornography accessible at an early age can affect the thinking process of kids and their ways of treating the opposite gender. Sometimes teens share their inappropriate pics on smartphones which can be devastating for their whole life.
• Decreased physical activity: Over usage or addiction of smartphones decrease the physical activity of kids, which is necessary for their all around development. 
• Medical Issues: Smartphones make kids prone to obesity, diabetes and hypertension. Apart from that eyesight related issue are increasing day-by-day due to over usage of smartphones.
• Cyber crimes: Bullying someone else or getting bullied online is increasing day by day. Those who get bullied don't even tell their parents and suffer with psychological issues. Similarly some students fall prey to cyber crimes and make their parent's online bank account information vulnerable to hackers. Online gambling is also increasing day by day and kids are putting their pocket money on bet.

How to save your kids from dangers of Smartphone

• Avoid giving phone to under 16 children. Even if you give it to them they restrict them to use it only for communication, not gaming or social media. Old keypad phones are best for such usage, so avoid giving touchscreen smartphones to kids.
• Avoid using your smartphones for long duration in front of kids. Kids learn from behavior of elders in family, so set an example yourself and also convince the other elders in the house to do the same.
• Keep track of your smartphone at night, as sometimes kids try to use them while you are asleep.

Note: If you are giving your smartphone to your kid to get online, then you must know that your phone will show the advertisements that are meant for an adult, not a kid. Your kid may also receive phone calls while using your phone and may provide your OTP to the person on other side to swipe out the balance from your bank account.