Dangers of Giving Mobile Devices to Children

Awww. Look at the little boy playing on the iPad. Technology enables us to teach our children when we as educators or parents are too busy. But remember, technology should never become a substitute for human interaction.

I have seen so many children playing on tablets or mobile phones at such a young age. When I was 6, I was learning to use Windows PC. I remember feeling so scared when I unplugged the headphone audio jack by mistake. Nowadays, children are able to open and close apps on their own.

I do understand why people would want to leave kids on the electronic devices. Sometimes you are too busy. Sometimes they just want a little bit of entertainment. I am not saying it is wrong to give tablets to children but do it moderately.

Here are 4 reasons why parents SHOULD NOT give tablets/phones to children:

1- Behaviour

Being a preschool teacher, I have seen how some children are always restless. If their behaviours are not properly corrected and nurtured, they will not learn well in school. Whether it is inappropriate content or unpleasant words, children learn things very quickly.

2- Delayed gratification

The thing about games is that it offers instant gratification. What it means is that if you complete a task, you get the reward immediately. When you kill this monster, you level up. When you complete 10 hours in the game, you get an achievement. Does this happen in real life? When you say a kind word to someone, will they say it back? When you ask for a present, will you always get it?

Life is cruel, let's face it. Children need to learn that things don't always go the way they want it to be. While it sounds obvious, people just don't get it. Children need to have patience.

3- Spoiling

A good way for a kid to grow up with bad character is to always shower them with gifts. While the act of giving is not wrong, too much is a bad thing. If your child has done something good, praise him. If it is something great, bring him out. Giving him an electronic device offers room for even greater demands. I know, as I was once a little boy. If your child constantly demands for it, it might be good to understand and change their behaviour.

4- No time with you

Imagine a parent and a child at a restaurant. Both of them are using their phones. You might end up leaving the restaurant only remembering the person you were chatting with, and not the one you were literally just sitting across. How ironic that we spend more time with a person through a phone than with one sitting next to us.