This Is How People Dumb Down Their Kids

here are 5 people in the house, of course, all of them are very busy, they are busy with their routines but they do not want to lose one moment to be the favorite person of the little child and they choose to do with a different method.

Now this little guy who is 1.5 years old, has figured out a way to control the elders in the house by just crying and screaming for whatever he demands or wants and gets it because no one can hear him over his screaming, also no one has the patience to stand there and see what he is trying to demand.

The grandfather makes sure to keep his smartphone ready for the child to play with it, the little kid is close to the screen happily watching the videos.

He knows that when he wants the child's attention all he has to do is hold his smartphone in front of the kid.

The uncle doesn't want to leave a chance, he takes the kid to the next shop twice a day and spends Rs.5 buying junk food for the child, On the days when he doesn't have time or money he brings home chocolates.

The child gets very angry when he doesn't get to watch the phone or eat junk food, he screams and cries loudly.

There is fear in the house, the little kid has become the dictator.

The child has no interest in playing with toys at all, he gets fixed on the phone for hours and doesn't let go of it.

Is it the most common scenario in every house?

Children are addicted to screens, they are watching something on Youtube- sitting continuously for hours it's easy for adults. Giving the phone to kids takes away the burden from elders to engage the kid but what the child is watching on the phone.

Too much screen time could lead to a "cascade" effect where kids don't get enough sleep and then are less active during the day. You can see how this collection would have an impact on brain health," as published online in The Lancet: Child & Adolescent Health journal.

Why do adults allow their kids to use phones so much, there must be a reason behind it? Is it because they are working and don't have time to give attention to the kid or is it because they think the child should be engaged with the phone rather than making noise and messing around the house?

It's not that we are not aware of the bad effects of the screen but still, we allow it because it's easy and convenient for us at the moment. We know that our kid is not going to get up and play or even talk to us when we are busy with something else but still, we give in.

When we were kids, our elders used to tell us stories, sing songs and play with us, they used to engage us in different activities. We never had screens to keep us busy, we used to be creative and use our imagination to play.

Nowadays, children are missing out on that kind of childhood because of screens. They are not learning to be creative and imagine things because everything is being shown to them on the screen.

We need to think about what we are doing, we need to engage our children in different activities and not let them use screens all the time. We need to give them a childhood that we never had, a childhood full of imagination and creativity.

American Academy of Paediatrics calls for no screen time at all for children until 18 to 24 months, except for video chatting, and says kids ages 2 to 5 should get an hour or less of screen time per day.

France urges parents not to allow children under three to watch TV, and American pediatricians also favor a total ban on screen time until at least 18 months. According to Carole Bienaime-Besse, who sits on France's TV regulator, "People are realizing that screens can cause addiction even among very small children, and in extreme cases autistic problems, what is called virtual autism" 

Though most of us are aware of the harmful effects of introducing gadgets at an early age to kids, its important to remind oneself again and again.

Here are some ways in which phones can harm kids

1) It hampers the eye-sight, after long hours of usage kid's eyes start paining.

2) It affects the sleep cycle, after being glued to the screen for long hours kids find it difficult to sleep on time.

3) Kids become obese, they don't go out to play and physical activity decreases which leads to weight gain.

4) It increases the risk of accidents, as kids are not paying attention to their surroundings while they are busy with their phones.

5) It leads to social isolation, as kids start spending more time indoors and less time interacting with people.

6) It affects the posture of the kid, as they start slouching while using the phone.

7) It can affect the mental health of the kid, as they can become anxious and depressed if they are not able to use the phone.

There are a few things that can be done to control the screen time of kids and it is doable with a little effort from the side of parents but it has to be practiced by everyone in the house, not just the parents.

Elders and other members have to understand the importance of it and support the parents in this effort.

Parents cannot let this go on, they have to take a stand and do something about it.

Steps parents can take to reduce their kid's phone usage

1) Set a limit on the usage, decide for how many hours the phone can be used by the kid and make sure to stick to it.

2) Encourage outdoor activities, take the kid out to play or for a walk.

3) Create a screen-free zone, designate a place in the house where screens are not allowed.

4) Be a good role model, if you want your kid to spend less time on the phone then make sure you are doing the same.

5) Keep the phone out of reach, so that the kid has to make an effort to get it and is not able to use it all the time.

6) Children can listen to music or podcasts, many educational apps can be used by children instead of letting them watch videos all the time.

7) Reading stories to kids can be a lot better than showing videos, it will help in developing their imagination

8) Get everyone in the house on board, so that it becomes easier to stick to the plan.

Parents have to take charge and do something about the screen time their kids, it is important for their future. We cannot let our kids lose their childhood to screens, we have to make sure that they have a balanced childhood with both indoor and outdoor activities.

Even if children are addicted to phones trust me it can be reversed at any time, all we need is a little bit of effort and willpower. Let's make sure our children have the childhood they deserve.

When My son was 2 years, he was getting addicted to the screen, I used to find him watching videos all the time. It was a difficult task to get him off the screen and engage him in other activities but I knew it was important for his development. One day I took a stand and removed the tablet and replaced the screen with activities like building blocks, puzzles, drawing, etc. It was not easy in the beginning but eventually, he started enjoying those activities, and now he is 4 years old and he rarely uses the phone.

It can be done, we just have to make an effort. Let's give our children the childhood they deserve.