Should All Kids Be Put On Screen Time? - By Hritika Malugu (2019)
by Ohmkaram Members on 03/09/23
Every day, majority of kids are stuck on their phones for seven hours a day. This is a big problem in many aspects. Kids are getting eye problems and infections. Also, there is an increased risk of cardiovascular disease and high cholesterol which can lead to bigger problems regarding health. How can we solve this problem that is getting worse due to technological advancements?
Screentime. Screentime is an idea that many kids absolutely HATE. Including me. To have to only spend a certain amount of time on a phone or device - what a pain! Even though this idea isn’t very popular or appealing, can it help us as kids limit our time on electronics?
The real question is: What is the genuine cost of having a wonderful time on your phone? According to CBS News, “Children are also exposed to unhealthy food advertising while on their devices. In addition, the blue light from screens can hinder their ability to fall asleep, and lack of sleep may contribute to obesity risk.” This means that even commercials and advertisements can cause damage to children and their bodies. Imagine how much of your life you are spending on devices getting exposed to blue light.
If you think texting people 24/7 is that bad, see what The Telegraph has to say about video games:
“Playing “shooter” video games weakens the brains of young people and puts them at greater risk of dementia in later life, new research suggests.” You may think that this means that you can play other “non-violent” video games, but it will cause almost the same amount of damage.
As we think about this major problem, are we really helping society develop? I think that we aren’t. And in fact, we are making society even worse by developing new phones, video games, and devices. Many people can argue that teens absolutely need phones, but do they really? If they do, how were the teens, before the 1990s, able to become successful?
Why have phones become so popular? Well, there are many reasons. Some people use it as a way to show off to others, which makes them feel good as a person. Very few people use it for safety, which is probably the most reasonable way to use a phone.
Next time you hop on a device, think about what you are doing to yourself. Do the costs outweigh the benefits?
