Screen Time for Children

We cannot do without the smart technology all around us, but is it really good or bad for us? How does it affect children in the growing years? Could it possibly benefit learning or will it be more detrimental to development? Apart from popular online games or even social media, could technology be put to much better use?

Parents are often quick to dismiss the use of tablets or phones as soon as their children ask for them. But if they were used to let us learn something new; the use of technology may well provide new learning experiences that would have been impossible in the past. It is important, however, to ensure

that the tablet does not replace the human touch. Learning from the screen needs to be balanced with teaching by humans, which allows for further exploration and discussion of different perspectives. This ensures the depth and quality of learning. surprising that with increased screen time, there is a disconnect between parents and children, or even amongst siblings due to reduced interaction and bonding time. No matter how ‘interactive’ screen time may be, it cannot replace human interaction and face-to-face bonding, from eye contact to the unspoken communication of a smile or pat on the back. Reducing human interaction during learning could have an adverse effect on a child’s psychological and emotional development.