Almost 70 percent of children between the ages of ten and 15 have their own cell phone, although it is not necessary to go so far to realize that mobile phones and tablets are part of children's lives practically since they were born. They live surrounded by technology, and they see us with their cell phones in their hands at all hours: how can they not be attracted to these types of devices?
The education in the good use of ICT is key, not only to prevent problems of addiction and other phenomena such as sexting, cyberbullying or early exposure of minors to adult content, but because prolonged exposure can end up affecting the development of their brain in the process of maturation.
We have talked with Xabier Hernández, neuropsychologist at the CRL Comprehensive Rehabilitation Center, about the use of screens by children, and guidelines that parents can follow to avoid excessive exposure.
Avoid exposure in children under six years old
When we ask the expert about the minimum age that children should have to start using these types of devices, the neuropsychologist is clear: as far as possible, it should be prevent children under six from accessing mobile phones and tablets.
"Different associations such as the Organization of Ibero-American States, the Association of Canadian Pediatrics and the American Academy of Pediatrics, raise the need to protect children under two years of ICT".
"But children neurorehabilitation professionals believe that below six years of age, a child's brain is not developed enough to be exposed to these types of stimuli."
In Babies and more The use of tablets and mobiles before two years could delay the development of speech in children"It is a delicate age phase in which minors mature basic processes that will allow in the future the acquisition of more complex processes. Exposure to this technology can affect the different cognitive processes that are in development, such as attention, memory, executive functioning ... "
Educate in the good use of technologies
"On many occasions, we are in the consultation with family members who underestimate minors in the use of ICT. But we must know that children born in the digital age can have a mobile domain even greater than their parents have "
"Thus, after a certain age, it makes no sense to ban the use of new technologies to children born under their influence, but what we must do is educate them so that they know how to use these types of devices correctly "
"Among the small gestures that we can carry out to regulate this exposure is to control the times of use, and apply measures that make it difficult for the child to access the devices, such as the fingerprint".
"And before this I always throw a question as a reflection: Is it normal for children to know the passwords of the devices in the house?"
Promote screen-free activities
Another of the basic aspects that the neuropsychologist recommends to parents to take into account is the importance of promoting the development of activities away from the screens, such as playing with family, playing sports, enjoying contact with nature ...
In Babies and more Recommendations (by age) on physical activity and screen time in childhood"For example, with children under six we must ask ourselves, Where do children really learn to interact? In the parks. These are the best places where children learn to share, to get frustrated, to interact, to coordinate movements, to improve their vocabulary ... "
"And when it comes to older children, it’s essential apply common sense when exposing them to screen stimuli, and be aware of the effects that such devices may have, impacting on sleep, on the quality of their care, on their behavior, on their social interactions ... "
Do not use technology to calm children
One of the fundamental keys for the expert consulted is that parents do not resort to technology as an "emotional pacifier" to calm our children, and it is that, as he explains to us, in child-juvenile psychology consultations it is common to find conflicts family members derived from this misuse.
"The origin of this dependence is found in the behaviors that some parents have with their children at an early age, resorting to the use of these devices (mobiles, tablets, video games ...) to get your children to perform certain activities, such as eating, not disturbing, calming them ... "
Be aware of the negative effects that uncontrolled use can have
When we ask Xabier Hernández the reasons why some children and adolescents become addicted to new technologies, he answers that the main problem is that many families underestimate the potential effect that these devices have in the brains of minors.
In Babies and more Use and abuse of technology, benefits translate into problems when children use them too long"We must not ignore the fact of being before stimuli with a great visual appeal and a powerful impact on the brain of the child in the process of maturation. And these stimuli vary depending on the exposure time".
"In the case of children under six years old, We have registered anxious behaviors due to the non-exposure of the mobile-tablet stimulus. Specifically, we have worked with children of three or four years who have presented pictures of anxiety, nervousness, motor agitation, irritability, uncontrolled crying ... when their parents have not left their cell phone "
"From the age of six, the addiction to the mobile or tablet manifests itself in the form of disruptive behaviors, such as refusing to do their homework, looking for devices at home against the parents 'instructions, handling the parents' mobile against of their will ... "
Well used, technology does not have to be the enemy of children, but quite the opposite; It can be an excellent learning tool. But for this it is essential to teach them to handle it correctly and be aware of the dangers of misuse.Photos | iStock
Acknowledgments | Xabier Hernández, neuropsychologist of the CRL Integral Rehabilitation Center
