5 Ways To Limit Your Kids Mobile Time

There’s a good reason why the late Steve Jobs severely limited screen time for his own children, says an article in the New York Times. He was well aware of the harmful effects of tech gadgets on developing minds. The article states that other tech giants have followed in his footsteps, even banning electronic devices for their kids during the week, and limiting use on weekends.

What do these tech leaders know that many parents don’t? They know that most of the time, technology can do more harm than good for children.

* Screens Are Replacing Toys

Today, screens are taking over for toys that have entertained and taught children for hundreds of years. A study published on CNet found that touch-screen play has now eclipsed all other forms of play for children, including dolls, blocks, board games, arts and crafts, and imaginative play.

* Screens Can Affect Language Development

Screen exposure in young children can also affect language development. A study published by the Hospital for Sick Children in Canada, and cited by Time Magazine, found that for every 30 minutes of screen time, there was a 49% increased risk for expressive speech delay.

* Exposure Is Hard to Monitor

Another problem with all this exposure is that it’s impossible for parents to constantly monitor what their children are watching. According to a BBC article, one in five children said that they’ve seen something on their devices that upset them.

* Screens Can Expose Children to Excessive Violence

Screens also expose children to violence at a young age, and this exposure can have devastating effects of their development. A 2007 study published in the journal J Youth Adolescence found that teenagers who are regularly exposed to violent video games or shows are more aggressive and more likely to argue and fight with their peers.

* Screens Can Negatively Affect Brain Development

Too much screen exposure at a young age can permanently affect brain development. Psychology Today interviewed Dr. Aric Sigman, an associate fellow of the British Psychological Society and a Fellow of Britain’s Royal Society of Medicine, who states that young children need specific stimuli from the outside environment. Screens can’t mimic the way a child’s brain processes a mother’s voice as she tells a story, or how a child’s brain visualizes pictures. When those essential skills are not used often enough, they can become permanently stunted.