Disadvantages of children using cell phones

Julieta Martínez Bermúdez

 

Globalization  nowadays  is  pushing  people  and  companies  forward  to  be  constantly in  touch  between  them  or  even  among  countries,  which  has  lead  us  to  the  need  to always be using cell phones and other devices in order to communicate faster.Kids  that  are  being  born  in  this  time  are  in  contact  with  cell  phones  since  they develop  the  capability  to  hold  things. The  utility  of  the  device  cannot  be  debated. However, continued use and exposure to the phone can have harmful effects on the child. This  fact, has consequences in health and  in  the  development  of  future generations. For this reason, it’s important to have information about the topic.In this text disadvantages that researchers have found will be exposed and shared.

The first disadvantage talks about how kids today are experiencing a slower path to embracing adult responsibilities than ever before. According to a study published last year  in  the  journal  of Child  Development(Child  Development,  March/April  2019, Volume 90, Number 2, Pages 638–654), researchers concluded that cell phones and tablet engagement doesn’t let children to be concentrated in what their parents or teachers ask them to do, because at that moment there is nothing more important for them than the cell phone.

The second disadvantage is that cell phones can cause an addiction,  because it has been  seen  that  even  when  kids  are  out  in  the  world,  they  still  experience  a  difficult time detaching from their phones. John Mopper is a teenager therapist with Blueprint Mental  Healthin  Somerville  New  Jersey,  he  gives  an  explanation  about  how  the addiction is created. “Our brains are doing exactly what they are made to do. When we’re born, our brains are like a hard drive, constantly updating and filing away new experiences.  We’re  hardwired    to    move    toward    pleasure    and    away    from consequence. Studies have shown how notifications on our phones can send a hit of dopamine.

After a  while, our brain  associates  that  with pleasure. And for some kids and  adults  alike,  seeking  out  that  hit  of  dopamine can become compulsive.” (John Mopper, May 27, 2018)
It  was  also  found  that  the  rate  of  depressive  symptoms,  suicide-related  outcomes, and suicide rates are increasing because of the excessive use of this devices, due to when parents try to control or moderate the time that their kids spend using the cell phone, after this, they start feeling these depressive symptoms they can’t control. (2013, AAP pediatrician Dr. David Hill). Continuing  with  the  previous  subject,  children  can  also  have  health  issues  in consequence  of  the  use  of  cell  phones.  Mobile  phones  primarily  function  on electromagnetic  waves  for  all  types  of  communication,  even  internal.  The  brain  has its  own  electric  impulses  within,  which  carry  out  communication  in  the  neural network.  In  children,  the  waves  from  the  phone  can  easily  penetrate  right  into  the interior parts of the brain, since they don’t have a strong shield. Research has shown that  by  merely  talking  on  the  phone  for  2  minutes,  the  electrical  activity  inside  a child’s  brain  canbe  changed.  This  erratic  activity  can  cause  problems  in  mood patterns,  behavioural  tendencies,  and  have  trouble  learning  new  things  or  focusing properly.

Researchers  conclude  that  every  technological  tool,  or  more  specific,  a  mobile phone  is  a  double-edged  sword.  The  technological  value  of  the  smartphone  is tremendous  and  it’s  quite  a  learning  tool  for  children  as  well.  However,  keeping things  in  moderation  and  restricting  usage  hours  goes  a  long  way  in  ensuring  their well-being as well as inculcating goodbehavioural habits within them.