Gadgets are often used as weapons by parents to make their children feel at home. Unfortunately, playing gadgets too often will make him addicted. Do not let this sophisticated device addiction, because it will be bad for children. If a child is addicted to gadgets, it is important as a parent to overcome it. It is not easy, but if done correctly your efforts to overcome a child addicted to gadgets will pay off. Check out the method below.
Signs of Gadget Addiction
As a parent, it is important to recognize signs of negative behavior child who are addicted to gadgets like the following.
Do not want to do activities
Children do not want to do other activities, apart from playing gadgets. He didn’t even want to play with his friends.
Difficult to Talk to
When children are addicted to gadgets, it will be very difficult to talk to them. When asked to chat, children are often ignorant and don’t care what people around them say. However, if what he talks about children’s gadgets will immediately focus.
Often argue
When children often argue and are always looking for justification, then you have to monitor their gadget play activities more closely. If the addiction gets worse, the child’s behavior may become even more aggressive.
Angry When Not Allowed To Play Gadgets
When not allowed to play gadgets, children will easily get angry or fussy. Usually the child will be calmer after being given a gadget. If they are addicted, children will always need gadgets to make them feel calmer.
Often Lied
Because they are afraid of being scolded, usually children will lie and use their gadgets secretly. As a wise parent, you must be more sensitive to children. When you find out that your child has often lied, you should not immediately scold him. You can try to take an approach to overcome the addiction to gadgets. (Also read: Tips for dealing with difficult children to eat )
Dangers of Using Gadgets in Children
Every parent should be aware of the dangers of using gadgets by not allowing children to be exposed to excessive technology, especially if children are granted ownership rights when they are under 12 years of age. Because it will hinder mental, brain and physical growth.
According to the American Academy of Pediatricians, as well as the Canadian Pediatric Society, it is clear that children aged 0 to 2 years should not be exposed to technology at all. Meanwhile, children aged 3 to 5 years use technology should be limited to 1 hour per day. For children aged 6 to 18 years the use of technology is limited to 2 hours per day.
It is important to know that children and adolescents overuse of technology or exceed the recommended time limits pose serious health risks that can be fatal. Well, here are some of the dangers of gadgets for children to watch out for.
Interferes with Child Brain Growth
At the age of 0 to 2 years, children’s brain growth will occur rapidly until they are 21 years old. Environmental stimulation affects your child’s brain development from an early age.
Excessive stimulation of gadgets such as the internet, tv, cellphones, etc. will cause various problems such as tantrums, disruption to the learning process, cognitive delays, decreased children’s independence and will increase their impulsive nature.
Lack of sleep
About 75 percent of children aged 9 to 10 years experience lack of sleep because they use technology without supervision. Lack of sleep will certainly have a negative impact on children’s school grades. During sleep the brain will develop properly. In order for the brain to function properly, children need adequate sleep.
Aggressive
When using gadgets, children can access various contents. Where the content accessed by the child can lead to aggressive behavior. There is a lot of content about physical violence and other negative content on the internet. If supervision is not carried out, children can be exposed to negative content. The result can trigger aggressive behavior in children.
Mental Disorders
Based on research conducted in 2010 at Bristol University, the use of gadgets in children can cause anxiety disorders, depression, autism, lack of attention, psychosis, bipolar disorder and so on.
Addiction
If parents let children use technology without any restrictions, then as a result the parents will be further away from their children. Because the bond between children and parents is far away, usually children will start looking for entertainment from gadgets that will make them addicted and cannot be separated from the gadget itself.
Interferes with the Learning Process
If children use technology excessively, it will cause the child’s learning process to not continue. Advances in technology will make things easier, so as a result, the child’s brain will not be honed because it is facilitated by shortcuts.
Can not focus
The use of technology will make the child not focus on one thing or the child’s focus will easily change. This situation will cause a decrease in the child’s concentration ability, as well as his memory. As a result, children find it difficult to focus attention. Children who are exposed to too much technology will not be able to focus their attention so that the effect will be difficult to learn.
Effective Tips to Overcome Gadget Addiction Children
As a parent you certainly want to give your best for your heart. Many parents facilitate their children with gadgets when they are young as a form of affection. However, actually giving a gadget or letting a child use a gadget is tantamount to plunging it, because the child will get addicted and get dangerous.
It is important to overcome gadget addiction in children immediately. Even though it is not easy, you still have to be patient with it. So, to help overcome a child addicted to gadgets, you can follow some of the tips below.
Be a Good Example
Children will learn from their surroundings. If the child often sees you playing on gadgets, it is likely that the child will follow your habit. If you want your little one not to overuse gadgets, then you have to fix yourself. Yo
u must be able to manage your gadget usage time wisely.
If you forbid children not to play gadgets, but you keep using gadgets yourself, then that is tantamount to lying, because your efforts will not be successful. Therefore, be a good example for your child. (See also: Tips for Creating Intelligent Children from Early on )
Expand Activities Without Gadgets
Keep gadgets out of reach of children. We recommend that you increase children’s activities inside or outside the home. Because in this way the child’s attention will be diverted from the gadget. You can buy children their favorite toys, let them play with their friends or involve the children in activities with you such as jogging, taking children to cook together, cycling on holidays or playing to relatives’ houses. Let the child do any activity to get back active.
Limit Use of Gadgets
It is important to limit the use of gadgets in children. You can set the time your child plays Gadegt to help limit him or her with gadgets. Avoid storing gadgets carelessly because children can take them easily. You also have to make sure the child’s bedroom area is free of gadgets.
Be assertive
One of the consequences of gadget addiction is that it can make children tantrums. This situation is indeed difficult to deal with. However, even so you still have to be strict about applying rules to children in limiting the time they use gadgets. You do not feel sorry for the whining or crying of children who want to continue playing gadgets.
Children cannot just get away from gadgets, because they need time. How to reduce the time for playing gadgets in children should not be sudden but done slowly.
Invite Children to Socialize with Friends
It could be that children often play gadgets to release their boredom because there are no fun activities with their friends. Therefore, you can invite children to play with their friends. You can invite friends over to your house or you can invite them to visit their friends. If a child has many friends, he will be busy with his friends. Encourage them to play actively like hide and seek, play ball and so on.
Give Rewards
Children will feel happy if their efforts are appreciated by the people closest to them. You can give gifts in the form of hugs, sweet kisses when he succeeds in reducing the frequency of playing gadgets.
Discuss with Children
The next way to deal with a child addicted to a gadget is to invite him to discuss. Explain your purpose and purpose why prohibiting or telling children to limit the use of gadgets. You can also give him an understanding of the bad effects that will be caused if he continues to play gadgets. In this way, it is hoped that the child can understand and understand the intentions of their parents.
Limiting Internet Network Usage
It is common for parents to install an internet network at their home to make it easier to access the internet. However, this actually triggers children to be addicted to gadgets. A smooth internet connection seems to make it easy for children to love life in their virtual world even more. So don’t be surprised if you install an internet network at home, children will become individualists. Therefore, it is important to limit the internet network at home.
Create a Gadget Free Area
At home you can create gadget-free areas, such as the family room, dining room or bedroom. In this designated room, you can make arrangements with your family so you don’t use gadgets at all. So that you and your family will be more focused on spending quality time with them.
Invite Children to Get to Know Nature
Traveling is usually very popular with children. You can take the children for a walk in the afternoon. Invite the children to enjoy the beautiful scenery around your house. In this way at the same time can introduce children to nature or their environment.
Get Doctor’s Help
If the steps above don’t work or don’t get the maximum effect, it could cause your child to feel anxious and depressed. If it’s like that, you can consult a doctor. That way the doctor will provide the best way to help calm your baby so that it is not addicted to gagdet.
Children who are addicted to gadgets from an early age are very worrying. His golden age should not be spent playing gadgets. To overcome a child addicted to gadgets, the methods above can hopefully help you.
This article is reviewed by Midwife Pevi Revina sTR. Keb
