Digital Invasion: the war between parents and children

How many hours can a child spend in front of a computer, smartphone, or similar device without harmful side effects? Are children addicted to digital technology? These are questions that many ask in this digital age. According to statistics, American youth spend 7.5 hours a day on various devices. Two thirds of children aged 4-7 already use iPhones in large. Twenty years after the Internet was invented, we still have not fully perceived how digital connection shapes society. From Gutenberg’s printing press, to the telegraph, to radio, to television, and now the Internet, every new discovery has been very positive for society. Looking back at history, many negative effects lost the battle to positive ones.

Is our society simply in the process of adjusting to technology in which kids are digitally buried, which is simply a part of their education and will prepare them for a “networked society”? Possibly, but that does not mean that their addiction to technology should be ignored. There currently does not exist an exact diagnosis for digital addiction, but there are countless stories of how the Internet and gaming have ruined lives in the same ways as alcohol, drugs, and gambling. In South Korea, one of the most technologically advanced countries in the world, it is estimated that 2.5 million people are addicted to their smartphones, and use them more than eight hours a day. We still do not know what kind of effect information overload has on us, but we do know that today’s children use technology more than ever. Computer and smartphone applications are a relatively young industry, and there are currently more than 40,000 children’s games available in iTunes, and thousands more in Google Play Store.

Do companies that create these applications have any financial or social responsibility? In the country in which we live, everyone expects someone else to take responsibility, including the responsibility of one’s own children. Along those lines, companies like Microsoft have warning labels on certain products, advising their users not to spend too much time gaming. Nintendo’s Super Mario 3D advises users to take a break if they feel fatigue because of the 3D effect which can have negative side effects on vision. The Lego Group made the statement that every child is unique and every situation is different, and that the safety of children is first and foremost the responsibility of the parents, and not of corporations. They advise parents to openly talk with their children and establish rules around the use of digital devices.

What are the government and educational institutions doing about all this? In the last few years, topics such as cyberbullying, sexting, etc. have been included in curriculums, but still most of the responsibility lies with the parents and the example they set for their children. The legislations of many countries, such as Great Britain and France, recommend or even in some cases prohibit the use of cell phones for children under the age of 12, or the use of cell phones without headphones. What is more, Israel has seriously considered putting warning labels on cell phones similar to the ones on cigarette packages, and many other countries considered banning Wi-Fi in schools. Experts suggest that the maximum time screen time for children aged 2-5 should be one hour, and maximum two hours for children aged 5-18 (not including time spent doing homework).

Can every child count on the responsibility of his/her parents? Have you caught yourself checking your e-mail or chatting with someone while your child was trying to speak with you? Many parents do not see anything bad in it, and believe that digital devices, smartphones, tablets, games, etc. help in their child’s development. Parents are those who can best assess exactly what agrees with their child and for how long, and that can be very useful. If they use high-quality technology and age-appropriate educational material, the experience can be very positive. Recently, I was watching my daughter dance to Wii. She was dancing and singing for almost an hour. I do not see anything bad in that. There is also, for example, the program RazKids to which she gained access through her school, where she can read books for her age and which her teacher can also access.

Parents have the enormous responsibility and difficult task of controlling their children, establishing rules, and warning them about potential dangers. What is it exactly that we are fighting and why is it so difficult for people to put away their phones, especially teenagers who often have no boundaries in their use of electronics? How does one fight that phenomenon? Instagram is currently where it all happens, and life revolves around Instagram. Texting is another problem, and do not even get me started with Facebook. Kids do not know how to communicate and their social manners are undeveloped. Groups of kids sit together in the same room and text each other. From our angle, that is catastrophic, but from theirs, it is totally normal and they do not know any differently. According to some scientific research, there are two basic factors for addiction: reward and mystery. Our brains produce the neurotransmitter dopamine every time we experience a reward (like a text from a friend or a funny video). Teenagers have a much stronger reaction and greater satisfaction to that process (which means that as we age, we are less interested in our phones). Every Like and Post for them presents a reward, and they do not want to miss out. It is not always clear when the reward will arrive, similar to gambling when you have to insert tokens with the hope that the reward will maybe come. It is the same with Instagram: we never know how many Likes or messages we will get on the beautiful picture or message we just posted. Teenagers are very confused in the whole search for their identity and role. At that age, they are searching for themselves, they are very unsure about where they belong, and they do not wish to miss out on anything to do with themselves or what people will be talking about the next day. In fact, there is no tomorrow; there is only now, and that pours oil on the fire of why you have to be on Instagram 24/7. Mystery is an added factor. Messages start with, “You’ll never guess what just happened…” Of course, every teenager will be immediately intrigued.

There are contradictory thoughts about the damaging effects of smartphones and computers on health, and there is no concrete evidence that cell phones can cause brain cancer, breast cancer, infertility in med, etc. according to some. While science is trying to explain all the implications of technology, and until it gives us concrete answers on exactly what influence it has on our health, it does not hurt to remember a few things related to our usage habits:

• Limit your cell phone usage to more important calls.
• Use headphones, as it can limit your exposure to radiation. Also, it is better to use headphones connected by a wire rather than Bluetooth headphones.
• Whenever it is possible, use the speaker feature rather than putting the phone close to your ear. If you are in a quiet, private place, you can place the phone a little farther from you and talk that way.
• Wait for the call to connect before putting it up to your ear. This is important, because a phone uses much more energy while trying to catch the best signal from the nearby base station.
• Carry your phone in your bag or backpack rather than in your pocket.
• Check whether you have a strong signal before trying to make a call. When the signal shows a weak connection, your phone adjusts its transmission strength in order to establish a more stable connection.
• Opt for a phone with a low specific absorption rate (SAR), which represents the measure of the rate that body tissue absorbs radiation.
• Send text messages (SMS, e-mails, chats) whenever you can instead of calling. That way, you will save both time and money.
• Use an alarm clock instead of a phone to wake up in the morning.
• Whenever possible, connect to Wi-Fi. When you send a request with information through Wi-Fi instead of through base stations, a cell phone needs less time to establish a connection in order to receive your e-mails and other information.
  

Dr. Aric Sigman, the well known psychologist who is particularly known in the field of health education, explains how using a tablet and other electronic devices emit a blue light which can affect our productions of melatonin, the hormone needed for quality sleep. That is why using these devices is not healthy before bed. That is not the only reason why we lose sleep: playing games stimulates the brain in ways in which reading, for example, does not. So, exciting games are not recommended before sleeping. It is recommended that all electronic devices be turned off at least one hour before sleeping. Rules should be established immediately, since it is much harder to change once something has been allowed. Sigman advises that it is very important to explain the rules and the reasons behind them. The majority of children care about their health, and when the harmful effects of devices are explained to them, they are more likely to respect the rules.

Dr. Sigman believes in the so-called “gift of boredom.” He disagrees with the notion that the worst thing for children is to be bored. Children have to learn to deal with boredom because it teaches them to be self-sufficient. Overstimulation is much worse than boredom. Besides that, time spent in front of a screen steals time away from physical activities, since that time is almost always spent sitting down. When they are forced to, children always find a way to amuse themselves. It is important to limit their screen time.