Long before the advent of smartphones, the great scientist, Albert Einstein said, “I fear the day technology will surpass human interactions, the world will have a generation of idiots.” Though many claim this to be a hoax, it is far from truth that we are on the brink of turning into such a generation. And it is perhaps this realisation that reflects upon the actions of even the greatest minds of Silicon Valley – like the famed Steve Jobs, who never let his children use iPads or iPhones.
When we actually take a closer look, we can see that it’s not just him. Most Silicon Valley tech executives and engineers admit their kids into no-tech Waldorf Schools. Google founders Sergey Brin and Larry Page went to no-tech Montessori Schools. And so did Amazon creator Jeff Bezos and Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales. The list can go on!
The problem today, is the failure to recognise these Smart Screens as anything other than a Holy Grail of information and engagement. A lot of parents today never stop their children from using smartphones, while many just acknowledge the negative effects once they start seeing signs – aggressive temper tantrums, wavering attention spans or lack of concentration, which are quite common among children addicted to such devices. What is more worrying is that children tend to become bored, aloof, apathetic and uninterested when not glued to screen.
If we rewind to a generation back, most children used to spend time outdoors, playing games and sports. However, the scenario is different now. We see most children glued to the screens – either watching TV or playing video games. Perhaps it’s time we reiterate the question – whether technology is a boon or bane. Many researchers have gone as far as to say that smartphones, tablets and Xboxes are digital drugs.
Psychologists believe that healthy development involves social interactions, creative and imaginative play and an engagement with the real natural world. Such a developmental process is natural and should be encouraged. However, in the present times, multiple screens obstruct such developmental processes.
Screens have become an integral part of everyone’s life and as a result even kids spend hours glued to their iPads, smartphones and television sets. While an argument may arise on account of the many educational apps and television shows engineered to help children develop brains or sharpen communication skills — and not to mention, the sigh of relief over a curious toddler, does it really discount the harms that it puts forth?
If one thing is clear then it’s that the extended exposure to electronic media and devices delays cognitive development in children. Recent brain imaging research states that these screens affect a child’s brain’s frontal cortex. In other words, the more the time spent, the greater the damage in the long run. Many children even turn out to be socially shy, recluse and physically unfit, another glaring issue arising from today’s sedentary lifestyles.
The brain’s frontal lobe is also responsible for analyzing and comprehending social interactions. It helps us to empathize with others, understand non-verbal cues and read unspoken signs such as body language, facial expressions, tone of voice and more. Real world relationships like friendship work on these very parameters!
The child playing with reel friends on a smartphone or tablet instead of real ones outside the garden is a sad reality today! If we take the example of a child swiping through photographs on a smartphone, deep inside his brain the child has internalised the idea that all actions have an immediate effect. In the real world, every stimuli is not met with a response. Furthermore, this immediate gratification that screens give induce the release of dopamine, the neurotransmitter which is associated with feelings of pleasure.
Dopamine induced feelings are immensely addictive. And since the brain considers instances involving these dopamine releases as rewarding, children naturally start interacting more with smartphones than actual humans. This immediate stimuli response sticks by immediate gratification and response similar to drugs and alcohol addiction, though to a lot lesser degree.
In addition to this, sitting for hours in front of a screen stresses a child’s eyes because it forces the child’s vision system to focus and strain a lot more than any other task. This can put children at an even greater risk than adults for developing symptoms of computer vision syndrome. Eye strain from hours of screen time can result in eye irritation, dryness, fatigue or blurred vision, and such problems are increasingly common among children.
Now we know why the great minds of Silicon Valley denied smart phones and tablets for their children. Too much of anything is bad. The same rings true for screen time. Though the exposure to technology can be hugely beneficial for young brains, it’s better to set a limit. Proper limits and regular monitoring will not only eliminate the threat of addiction, but help forthcoming generations lead a balanced life just how people like Steve Jobs and Sergey Brin did!
