personality
At a time when a survey published by the Family Affairs Council showed that 98% of the Kingdom’s children use the Internet on mobile phones, and that 98.9% of children aged 10 to 14 years use the Internet, while the percentage of users reached 99.7% among children aged 15 to 19 years, a medical consultant believes Family and Society, Professor Tawfiq Ahmed Khoja, said that the statistics revealed by the Family Affairs Council are an unhealthy and not promising indicator, indicating that children spending the largest part of their day on mobile phones, iPads, personal computers, and electronic games affects their personality in addition to the resulting health damage.
Khoja stated that most cases - unfortunately - lack guidance, as parents leave their children on these devices without advising and following them. It has also been noted that most families, despite their daily preoccupation, neglect to monitor what children watch, and this constitutes a dangerous turning point in light of the presence of open and easy-to-access websites.
He pointed out that there are harms resulting from the frequent use of electronic devices in children, which are isolation from society, weight gain and obesity, or complete loss of appetite, incitement to smoking, physical and verbal violence, low levels of social intelligence, increased cases of hyperactivity and lack of concentration, and low levels of study. And academic achievement. He added that a very large percentage of children have avoided healthy sleep. Because of electronic technologies and games They are sleeping at a rate of hours that is not consistent with their age, which affects their growth, educational attainment, and other negative repercussions.
Professor Khoja explained that the importance of healthy sleep in children lies in the secretion of melatonin, a nervous hormone that is produced in the pineal gland at night. During the day, the amino acid tryptophan is transformed into the happiness hormone “serotonin,” which is a neurotransmitter, and then it is stored in the pineal gland, while during the day At night, special enzymes convert the happiness hormone “serotonin” into melatonin, which is secreted by the retina in a rhythmic manner, especially during darkness, and its activity peaks after midnight, which leads to physiological changes that help with sleep, such as a decrease in body temperature and respiratory rate.
Professor Khoja advised not to allow more than two hours a day for the use of electronic devices, and to choose electronic games and programs appropriate for the child’s age, and not to purchase any electronic devices or electronic games except under the supervision of the parents or the person responsible for the child, and not to allow the use of electronic devices in the bedroom. Discouraging watching television or using smart phones for those under two years of age, and setting a pass number on all smart devices and channels designated for adults.
A survey published by the Family Affairs Council showed that 98% of the Kingdom’s children use the Internet on mobile phones. He pointed out that 98.9% of children aged 10 to 14 years use the Internet, while the percentage of users reached 99.7% among children aged 15 to 19 years. The Council worked to launch the National Framework for Children’s Safety on the Internet, which contributes to protecting children from abuse, neglect and digital exploitation. .
The framework aims to protect children from harm by providing a safe electronic space, protecting them from excessive use of the Internet, as well as protecting them from harmful content and behavior online.
