They warn about the dangers of screens to minors

The ease of access of technological devices in the home does not show the impact of its use not only on adults but especially on children. It is common to see children entertained on a tablet.

The devices are designed to keep attention, entertaining and useful for parents to speed up their tasks. Unbeknownst to them, they go to the usual breakfast, to the car, to school, and back, to rest. And at dinner. And in the time before bed.

Children should not be exposed to screens before the age of two. According to WHO, the largest health institution in the world. And, at the right time, before five years. Unicef ​​has sounded the alert: it is urgent to be aware and set limits because children’s mental and emotional development depends on it.

“Professionals involved in childhood are extremely concerned about the consequences of excessive exposure to screens on children’s development and we have come together to draw up a manifesto” explains Anna Ramis, its promoter.

Nurseries and nursery schools are accepting children who are already showing signs of being affected, and the pandemic has exacerbated it. language delay, inattention, low frustration, irritabilityDifficulty in linking and establishing bonds.

Anna Garrido, a teacher at Olesa de Montserrat, was part of the team behind the manifesto.

“Young children are like sponges, before other experiences they must first explore and interact with the environment and with people,” he said. He considers it a positive association for families to dispel false myths such as “he’s a digital native” or, more commonly, “I put it in English so he can learn”.

Previous studies

The only large study conducted on the effect of screens was published in 2019, in Canada, and showed that as many as 2-3 year olds were exposed to the devices, the their development is even worse from 3 to 5 years in areas such as communication, motor skills, problem solving, and social skills.

“The effects of hyperstimulation or behavioral addiction in such young children are not yet known,” warns Ramon Capdevila, vice president of the professional area of ​​the Catalan Society of Pediatrics.

It is so recent that, from a psychological perspective, there is a definition of “pathological online gambling” in the DSM 5, but that is not of “pathological use or addiction”.

Capdevila warned of the danger that the applications, which have the ability to track the speed of the fingers, would recognize that the user is a child, due to the potential to keep him captive.

Nursery schools see children who regularly use devices being irritated, complaining or crying as a natural expression of discomfort. “And those are symptoms that should worry us,” said the pediatrician who believes this issue should be monitored at pediatric check-ups.

“Teachers know this and we work hard in the classroom,” said Garrido, a baby cycle teacher (from 3 to 6 years old). “And we warned the parents.”

With information from Vanguard