Cell phones can be as bad as drugs. “Enabling technology for mobile phones was first developed in the 1940s but it was not until the mid 1980s that they became widely available. By 2011, it was estimated in Britain that more calls were made using mobile phones than wired devices” (“History of Mobile Phones”). Times have changed, but for good or for worse? Here are three reasons why you should think twice before giving your child a screen to look at all day: online, kids can see things that aren’t suited for their age, being on a device can affect children’s personalities and habits in a negative way, sitting in front of a screen for hours can negatively affect children’s health.

Online, kids can see things that aren’t suited for their age. “One of the key risks of using the internet, email or chatrooms is that young people may be exposed to inappropriate material. This may be material that is pornographic, hateful or violent in nature; that encourages activities that are dangerous or illegal; or that is just age-inappropriate or biased” (Rowlinson). There are some positives to the internet but is it worth the risk? Kids should be enjoying their childhood and not thinking about or seeing that kind of stuff at a young age.

Being on a device can affect children’s personalities and habits in a negative way. “The “sensory overload” causes kids to have poor focus and depletes their mental energy, which often leads to anger and explosive behavior. Kids become overstimulated and “revved up,” and they may have a difficult time managing stress and regulating their mood” (Kowalski). Too much screen time can lead to things like short attention spans and frustration in children.

Sitting in front of a screen for hours can negatively affect children’s health. “The blue light emitted by these screens is very harmful to children’s eyes, which are still vulnerable. It has a direct impact on their health and causes multiple disorders including headaches. Blue light is also responsible for visual fatigue and sleep disorders” (“Blue light, a danger to your children’s eyes”). Not only does the content and screen time have a negative effect on young children but also the screens themselves.

With the help of technology, kids can be more connected to others. “According to a report sponsored by UNICEF, technology helps children build social skills and maintain relationships. With social media and video chatting apps, children can connect with friends and build new, positive relationships”(Kampen). Technology helps kids both stay in touch with friends and make new ones. Technology does have positives, but do the outweigh the negatives? there are also negatives. “Technology plays a major role in hindering family relationships. It profoundly affects the family by decreasing family time, reducing socialization, and face-to-face interaction. Hence, technology is destroying the parent – child relationship and reducing communication among family members.”(Negative Impact of Technology on Family Dynamics).

Technology may allow kids to talk to their friends but it reduces their time with people face to face. In conclusion, technology is bad for younger kids’ development. Technology is bad for kids because: online, children could see inappropriate things, overuse of a device can create negative personality traits and habits, and being glued to a screen is bad for a kid’s health. Kids play on their devices but make sure they don’t over do it, you can do things like: give them bedtimes, make them go out once in a while, and limit their screen time.

Sources Cited

“History of mobile phones” Wikipedia The Free Encyclopedia, 26 November 2021, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_mobile_phones

Rowlinson, John, Safe Kids, https://www.safekids.co.uk/childreninternetrisks.html

Kowalski, Janice, Healthy Driven, February 18, 2016, https://www.eehealth.org/blog/2016/02/too-much-screen-time-and-kids-mental-health/

“Blue light, a danger to your children’s eyes” VU, https://vu.ca/en/journal/blue-light-a-danger-to-your-children-s-eyes/#:~:text=The%20blue%20light%20emitted%20by,visual%20fatigue%20and%20sleep%20disorders.

Kampen, Maria, Prodigy, December 18, 2019, https://www.prodigygame.com/main-en/blog/children-and-technology/#:~:text=According%20to%20a%20report%20sponsored,and%20build%20new%2C%20positive%20relationships.

“Negative Impact of Technology on Family Dynamics” UK Essays, Aug 9, 2021, 

Negative Impact of Technology on Family Dynamics – UK Essays