children are addicted to electronics, a risky indicator
He confirmed to Okaz, the health expert, Professor of Public Health, Professor Tawfiq Ahmed Khoja, that in the time of Corona, 65% of children around the world were addicted to electronic devices and their inability to stay away from them even for half an hour is a risky indicator.
Commenting on a global study conducted by doctors at JK Lone Hospital in Jaipur, India, on hundreds of children to study the impact of the Corona pandemic on child health, he said that all global studies conducted in the time of Corona to monitor the effects of the pandemic showed a high consumption of electronic devices by children, as they increased their sitting on Smart devices than it was before the pandemic.
Khoja continued: One of the most important reasons for the increase in children sitting in front of devices is the multiplicity of electronic activities, the increase in applications, and the large number of technical content, which is what made most children and young people spend most of their time with these devices, and they do not find time or ignore other social matters and activities, hence the importance of legalizing Hours of use of digital devices.
He pointed out that legalizing children''s use of devices reflects positively on children in several matters, the most important of which are:
⁃ Reducing anxiety, stress and depression, as research has revealed a positive relationship between intensive technology use and anxiety.
⁃ Strengthening Social and Family Relationships Spending all the time behind smart devices is a threat to building and maintaining good real-world relationships.
⁃ Increasing the productivity of the individual, avoiding the use of devices for a period of time, motivates the individual to accomplish his tasks better.
⁃ Healthy sleep, it is known that the obsession with technology has become inherent in the individual even in his bedroom, and this causes him a lot of psychological, health and social damage. Giving the body enough hours of sleep and rest reflects positively on health.
⁃ Avoid most diseases, including obesity, as a study showed that some children and people are more inclined to eat while staring at digital media, which can prevent them from eating consciously, and promote unhealthy eating habits such as overeating, which causes them to gain weight.
Professor Khoja concluded
The American Academy of Pediatrics has resolved the controversy surrounding the duration of children’s use of smart devices, watching television and electronic games, setting a maximum period of two hours per day for those aged 6 to 18 years, and one hour for those aged 3 to 5 years, and not using it for those under the age From two years ago, emphasizing the role of parents in setting limits for their children about the use of smart devices, and the need to ask them to stay away from them during meal times, and to put phones away from the bedrooms, to enhance the physical and mental health of children.
