Today the whole world is obsessed with gadgets: smartphones, tablets, etc. digital technology. Together with them, the virus of digital dementia enters the world. And this is not a joke, this is a diagnosis.

In 2007, experts noticed that every year more and more children are representatives digital generation suffer from attention disorder, memory loss, low level self-control, cognitive impairment, depression and depression.

The influence of gadgets on children

Research shows that in the brains of representatives digital generation changes are observed that are similar to those that appear after a traumatic brain injury or in the early stages of dementia - a dementia that usually develops in old age.

It's hard to believe, but the average seven-year-old European has already spent more than a year of his life in front of screens (24 hours a day), and an 18-year-old has spent more than four years!

Are you saying that children are completely different now? Yes, children are different, but they have the same brain that a person had a thousand years ago - 100 billion neurons, each of which is connected with ten thousand of their own kind.

The brain needs to be developed and fed. All our thoughts, actions, solutions to complex problems and deep thoughts leave a mark on our brain. “Nothing can replace what children gain from thinking freely and independently as they explore the physical world and encounter something new.”, says British psychology professor Tanya Biron.

You will be shocked, but since 1970 the children's activity radius (the space around the home in which children are free to explore the world around them) has decreased by 90%! The world has shrunk to a smartphone screen. Children have forgotten and, even worse, they simply don’t know what it’s like to run in the rain, launch boats, climb trees or just chat with each other.

They spend hours staring at their smartphone. But they need to develop their muscles, be aware of the risks that the world has in store for them, and simply interact with their friends.

“It’s amazing how quickly a completely formed new type environments where taste, smell and touch are not stimulated, where we spend most of our time looking at screens rather than getting outdoors or spending time in face-to-face conversations.”, says Susan Greenfield. We definitely have something to worry about.

The brain is formed when there are external stimuli, and the more there are, the better for the brain. Therefore, it is very important that children explore the world physically, but not virtually. The growing brain needs this, just as it did a thousand years ago.

The child also needs a healthy and good sleep. But modern children are not able to get off the Internet and break away from computer games. This greatly reduces the duration of their sleep and leads to disturbances. What kind of development can there be when you are tired and have a headache, and school assignments just don’t fit into your head?!

You will ask how digital technologies can change a child's brain? Firstly, the number of external stimuli is limited due to the monotony of spending time on the Internet. The child does not receive the experience he needs to develop the important areas of the brain that are responsible for empathy, self-control, decision making...

And what doesn't work dies. After all, a person who stops walking will have atrophying legs? Children are not used to remembering information - it is easier for them to find it in search engines . So much for memory problems. They don't train her at all.

Do you think that children have become much smarter thanks to the Internet? Did you know that today's eleven-year-olds perform tasks at the same level as eight- or nine-year-old children demonstrated 30 years ago? Researchers note that one of the main reasons for this is living in a virtual world.

“I worry that digital technology is infantilizing the brain, turning it into something like the brain of small children who are attracted to buzzing sounds and bright lights, who cannot concentrate and live in the moment.”, says Susan Greenfield.

But you can still save your children! It’s enough to simply limit the time you use all kinds of gadgets. You'll be surprised, but Steve Jobs, a digital industry guru, did just that. His children did not use the iPad at all, and they were prohibited from using other gadgets at night and on weekends.

Chris Anderson, editor-in-chief of the American magazine “Wired”, one of the founders of 3D Robotics, also limits his children’s use of gadgets. Anderson's rule - no screens or gadgets in the bedroom! “I, like no one else, see the danger in excessive involvement with the Internet. I myself faced this problem and I don’t want my children to have the same problems.”.

The sons of the creator of the Blogger and Twitter services can use their tablets and smartphones no more than 1 hour a day, and the director of OutCast Agency limits the use of gadgets in the house to 30 minutes a day. His younger children do not have gadgets at all.

Here is the answer to the question “what needs to be done?” Take care of the younger generation. Think about what the future awaits them in 10-20 years if today they spend half the day in front of screens with their super modern gadgets.

If your friends have children, be sure to tell them about digital dementia!

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All modern parents are conditionally divided into two camps: some express a categorical denial of the harmfulness of “advanced devices,” while others try to convince them of the opposite. But, as a rule, the truth is always somewhere in between, and therefore today’s article will cover not only the “cons”, but also positive influence gadgets for children.

Back to the Future

Most of the users who turned to this article still remember the fun times of “real childhood”. Almost from the cradle, the baby begins to independently explore the world, rubbing the knees of the sliders, trying to climb onto the table for candy, and then digging in the dirt, trying to repair a bicycle, packing a backpack for traveling and much, much more exciting things.

In former times, the life of a child could safely be called a continuous adventure, when he could independently comprehend the realities of the world. As he grew older, his hobbies also changed. And if at four years old it’s helping dad in the garage and mom in the kitchen, then at 10 years old it’s clubs and all sorts of interest groups.

Such a life was filled every day with new discoveries, thanks to which the child could feel all the notes of soul and body. As a result, we get a happy childhood, a vibrant imagination, basic survival skills and friends.

But what do we see when we look at the current generation? Already at the age of 1.5-2 years, mothers and fathers hand their offspring a tattered mobile phone, tablet, or sit in front of the TV with cartoons to carve out half an hour or an hour of free time for yourself. Thus, the child becomes “attached” to technological inventions from a very early age, and already at the age of 10-15 it will be very difficult to wean him off them.

At the same time, he needs to independently learn environment: spinning, disassembling and assembling something, spilling or spilling.

At playgrounds, the situation also looks different than in previous times. Previously, children explored the length and breadth of the sandbox, looking for treasure there or building castles, bumping into cat poop. Now, in order to avoid alarming situations, and so that the baby does not suddenly fall, get dirty, get an infection or cut himself, he is given a smartphone while the mother can go about her business. This does not mean at all that 10-30 years ago parents did not take care of their children and did not take safety measures.

IN modern world All known gadgets have become a means of manipulating children. Perhaps most parents have encountered a situation where, in return for an action performed, the child receives a reward in the form of a game on a phone or tablet. And it doesn’t matter how old the child is - 2 or 10 - he realizes that modern devices are an excellent tool to threaten or motivate. Agree, many modern children begin to get acquainted with the world through sterile computer technologies and virtual perception, without thinking that the harm of this will manifest itself much later.

Negative aspects of communication with devices

The main task of every parent is to prepare their child for real world conditions and survival. As a result, educational efforts for many years consist of training offspring, caring for their safety and health. But how do children perceive this?

Special literature considers educational process, as an exciting game with a baby, the program of which changes as he grows up. Today, all these games have become virtual, depriving the child not only of contact with his parents, but also limiting the flight of his imagination. But the harm regular use gadgets is not only that.

Considering the topic of how gadgets affect children and their harm, it is worth highlighting several main points.

First of all, this is vision impairment. If your baby constantly looks at the monitor or screen of a mobile device, this will affect his vision. Experts say that the influence of such electronic “toys” is so strong that vision lost before the age of 10 cannot be restored. Therefore, it is necessary to strictly control the child’s presence at the computer. In addition, there are special techniques that help draw up a diagram safe use modern devices. Based on how old your child is, you can determine the acceptable amount of time in front of the monitor:

• Pediatricians generally do not recommend that children aged 1 to 5 years be near a computer;
• at the age of 5 to 7 years, playing on a computer or tablet for 10 minutes (maximum 20 over 24 hours) is considered safe;
• Pupils of grades 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 are allowed to sit with gadgets for 10-15 minutes without a break. in a day;
• from 10 years of age, a child can be allowed to use devices for 20 minutes without a break, a maximum of three times during the day.

The harmful influence of gadgets on modern children also affects their sedentary lifestyle. A child who plays a lot and often on a computer or with a tablet practically does not move, which affects the spine and joints. In addition, such children have a tendency to accumulate excess weight from an early age.

Mental disorders are another side effect of excessive communication with modern electronic equipment. Although rare, such phenomena are quite possible. Mental disorders are often observed more in those children who spend time in front of a monitor playing games. Games that are inappropriate for their age are especially harmful to the mental health of children. For example, those that contain scenes with elements of violence, blood, exposure to psychotropic substances, as well as scenes of an erotic nature.

In addition, every online game has an element virtual communication. As a result, the child’s worldview changes and he becomes influenced by traveling around the world computer technology. Of course, after such exciting game episodes, it is very difficult for a child to return to the real world to his lessons and his responsibilities, and for parents it is difficult to wean their offspring from such a harmful habit.

Against the background of long-term regular communication with gadgets, the child’s ability to distinguish truth and reality from fiction deteriorates. Children transfer many actions and plots of scenes seen on the device monitor into the present, without understanding their harm and negative consequences. The behavior model is formed by children based on the actions of the characters virtual world. This is the main problem of modern small users of electronic devices - they adopt the skills of characters, most of whom are selfish and aggressive individuals, guided in action only by their own desires and needs.

The harm of constant communication with gadgets is also reflected in the fact that children develop addiction. Many experts compare this addiction to alcohol and drug addiction.

However, parents may not notice this effect of the device on their child. The first suspicions begin to creep in when they attempt to wean their offspring from the electronic “toy” and replace virtuality with reality.

Positive sides

At the same time, there are also “advantages” of children’s communication with modern mobile devices and computer:

• Possibility of comprehensive development of the child, subject to careful supervision by parents. This does not mean that from the first year of life the baby should be introduced to gadgets. He will need this skill from the age of seven. Modern schoolchildren aged 7-10 know how to turn on a laptop, computer or tablet and run on it the program necessary for learning or acquiring new knowledge. The main thing is that parents can be present with their children at this time in order to unobtrusively help and at the same time control the process.
• An opportunity to keep your child occupied for a short time during a long wait. Everyone knows that children do not tolerate long queues and monotonous times. long trips, waiting in clinics, etc. In such situations, exciting toys or paper and pencils are not always at hand. Another thing is a smartphone or tablet, which can distract the baby for 10-15 minutes. Parents can also spend this time usefully by playing an educational and educational game. This way they will be able to communicate with their children and additionally introduce them to new knowledge.

As you can see, positive sides communication with gadgets is also available. However, in order to prevent children from getting used to the world of virtual travel and attempts to manipulate, it is better to control the time they spend on computer monitors and tablets.

How to avoid addiction?

If in your life there is a problem of a child getting used to the world of computer technology and this affects his behavior, communication, and studies, it is urgent to take safety measures. This dependence is recognized by two signs:

• real life and communication with parents (relatives, friends) are relegated to the background;
• There is a violent protest, hysteria, and threats when parents try to impose restrictions.

If you notice such symptoms of excessive passion for electronic toys, you should wean your child off using the following techniques:

• control over the duration of the offspring’s communication with the “technologies of the future.” So as not to have to deal with similar problem, try to keep children from one year to 5 years away from gadgets at all;
• reviewing app recommendations to ensure the descriptions are appropriate for his or her age group;
• do not resort to using devices unnecessarily. Don’t try to get rid of your child by pushing a tablet or iPhone into his hands; it’s better to get him interested in what you’re doing and ask for help. And do not manipulate children by promising a game as a reward for fulfilling a request.

Children who are used to, or are already dependent on gadgets, often say that it hurts them to read. I started looking into this problem and this is what I found out. Frequent and prolonged games on tablets and iPhones create dynamics in the work of the eye muscles that are completely unnatural for reading and writing.

The first problem that a specialist will solve is the difficulty of holding a static object with the eyes. It is difficult for a child to focus his gaze and keep it on an object that is not moving, because the eyes are accustomed to following moving bright objects in games.

The second dynamic problem arises as a result of visual stress. This is a violation of eye movements when tracing a line from left to right and return eye movement with a transition to new line. This motor skill of the eye muscles is formed on the basic ability to control one’s body. The chaotic movement of objects, which is used in computer games, does not in any way contribute to the formation of saccadic movements when tracing a line from left to right and from top to bottom.

In order for learning to read and the reading process itself to be comfortable and optimal for a child, the child must be able to move his gaze from left to right and be able to do this carefully and focused throughout the entire reading or writing process. It is necessary to maintain attention and control the eye muscles. Children who are already dependent on gadgets have a “running” look.

The third problem is breathing, namely, a violation of the breathing rhythm. If adults watched a child while playing on a tablet, they would easily see that the child is so engrossed that he even forgets to breathe. With bated breath, he waits for permission to take the gadget. And during the game, he is so carried away and absorbed in the game that he forgets to breathe, which, of course, causes oxygen starvation of the brain and a general change in the rhythms of the brain.

What problems do children who are addicted to gadgets have?

1. When the child raises his eyes, i.e. “gets” them out of his colorful, enchantingly unreal world that the gadget provides him with, he experiences severe discomfort and real psychological difficulties in perceiving the surrounding space and the people in it, because...

2. The reality around us is not so bright and certainly not at all aesthetically organized - the usual dullness and wretchedness of existence, dirt and chaos - “my eyes wouldn’t see it” - and again I want to immerse myself in the beauty of an unrealistically beautiful world!

3. In the real world, rare objects are in constant motion, and the visual center of the brain is already trained to see and focus only on what is moving and what is not moving, the brain simply does not even recognize it as an object or with a low level of sharpness, which causes discomfort and discomfort, often even painful.

4. The child has lost the inherent ability to monitor what is happening. In order to monitor what is happening in the real world, you need to be able to control your body, be able to perceive information and interact with real objects who act independently of you.

How to recognize gadget addiction in a child? Very simple! Yes, it’s simple, the main thing is to know what is worth paying attention to, and here are my guidelines, according to which even ordinary parents can themselves determine (diagnose) that the child is already dependent on gadgets:

1. The desire to use a gadget for more than 30 minutes a day

2. The mood sharply deteriorates when the time allocated for using the gadget runs out

3. Your mood improves dramatically when you are allowed to take a gadget.

4. The child bargains for the right to take the gadget, is capricious, and begs for permission to take the gadget.

5. After using the gadget, he can’t switch to the new kind activities, as if stuck in past activities

6. After using the gadget, he shows irritability and aggressiveness in communication.

How to understand that damage has been caused to a child’s psyche? Again very simple! Yes, it’s really simple, and here are my guidelines, according to which even ordinary parents can determine (diagnose) the level of damage themselves. So, the first landmark is a slightly open mouth, which indicates a violation of self-control over body behavior due to weakness of the nervous system. And the second indicator, which should be considered as a more severe mental disorder, is sticking out the tongue while performing an action. For example, when a child presses the buttons on his tablet, when he writes, or when he draws or traces a picture. Even a slight prolapse of the tongue due to teeth clearly shows that significant damage has been caused to the psyche of a child or teenager.

The defects described above already require, if not treatment, then long-term specialized therapy and an absolute ban on the use of gadgets as in Everyday life, and in the educational process.

IMPORTANT FOR EVERYONE TO KNOW.

* Research shows that children under 10 years of age are especially susceptible to new technologies and become almost dependent on them.

* Researchers insist that children should not be allowed to use tablets for more than half an hour a day, and smartphones for more than 2 hours a day.

* For 10-14 year old children, PC use is allowed only for completing school assignments.

* Scientists claim that only when a child reaches 14 years old can restrictions on the use of IT technologies be lifted.

* Learning should be IT-free because computers suppress creative thinking, mobility, human relationships and attentiveness. For educational process It is better if computers are used as little as possible, because technology only distracts when literacy and critical thinking skills are needed.

P.S. Children should be able to play with children and be able to ask adults questions. Children who are captivated by their gadgets for hours at a time cannot do either the first or the second. We have already been hit by an intellectual catastrophe.

Tatiana Goguadze –

Honorary Teacher of Russia,

teacher-defectologist,specialist in dyslexia and dyslexics.

Modern children have been using computers, smartphones and tablets almost from the cradle. This trend is causing concern among parents, pediatricians and psychologists, who say there may be negative consequences excessive gadget hobbies. How to protect our children in modern realities?

8 ways to raise children who will be independent of gadgets.

1. Determine the maximum permissible time a child spends on digital devices

The amount of time a child can spend watching TV and digital devices, depends on his age. The American Academy of Pediatrics, an authority on this issue, makes the following recommendations:

• From birth to 18 months: no screens, including TV. The only exceptions are video conference sessions on Skype with your beloved grandmother and other relatives.
• From 2 to 5 years: time spent on screens per day is no more than 1 hour. This hour includes everything: smartphone, TV, tablet and computer.
• For children over 6 years old it is worth installing certain limit time spent on digital devices (most experts say a maximum of 2 hours a day). At the same time, it is important to make sure that gadgets do not take time away from sleep, physical activity and other activities necessary for the child’s health and development.

2. Don’t prohibit - offer other options

Picking up your smartphone/tablet/laptop and saying “do something” is Right way to hysteria. It is necessary to offer alternative, interesting joint activities: sports, hiking, drawing, reading, fishing with dad - depending on the age and preferences of the child.

3. Lead by example

Children copy the behavior of their parents. If a mother is with a book, the likelihood that the child will also want a book is much higher than if the mother spends time mainly on the phone.

Reconsider your relationship with gadgets. How much time do you spend on them? How often do you check your email, feed updates or news? Do you give yourself days free from the Internet and digital devices?

4. Be a mediator and guide in your child’s communication with the digital world

Show your child that the Internet and digital devices are not only entertainment, but also a source of information, a storehouse of knowledge. Encourage children to explore, ask questions, and be ready to answer and share experiences.

5. Pay attention to the quality of the content your child is interested in

Up to 9 years old possibility Internet access and visited child sites should be supervised by parents. It's better if they take priority educational programs and sites that would help a child train attention skills, communication, memorization, and stimulate his cognitive interest.

It is advisable to use the function " parental control”, which limits the list of sites available to the child.

6. Designate areas that will be free from the Internet and digital devices

Select areas (bedroom, children's room) and time (family lunch, dinner, nature trips) that will always be free from the Internet and digital devices. No need to put computer in the child's room. Let him understand that he cannot bring a tablet or smartphone into the bedroom, nursery, or at the dining table.

7. Help your teenager understand the principles of online life and avoid possible mistakes

It is important to be there at this moment and help the teenager better understand the principles of online life. However, do not include your children among your friends on social networks, and especially do not leave comments on the wall or under pictures - remember the child’s right to personal space.

8. Be aware of the risks.

At the age when you allow your child to “walk” on the Internet without your supervision, he needs to be told what dangers there are. It is important to explain:

• about how to respond to online bullying;
• about privacy settings;
• tell us about the dangerous consequences open access to personal information;
• talk to your child about downloading materials and plagiarism;
• tell your child that everything we publish on the Internet ends up in public access and remains there forever and that everything we find there must be treated critically and with caution;
• Let your child know that he can always turn to you in case of a problem, without fear that you will reprimand him.

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In the modern world, children, almost from birth, can easily operate computers, phones, tablets, often explaining to their parents how to cope with this or that technical novelty. It seems that there are advantages to such a situation, because such intelligence indicates that the child is attentive and easy to learn. But there is also a less rosy side: numerous studies have proven that active use gadgets have a detrimental effect on children, depriving them of many simple joys and experiences necessary for full development. How to resolve this contradiction, because it is simply impossible to completely abandon gadgets. And what are the pros and cons of early technological development?

Some statistics

According to UNESCO, 93% of children aged 3 to 5 years are exposed to screens 28 hours a week, or approximately 4 hours a day. Moreover, in most cases, communication with adults takes much less time. Of course, distracting a child with cartoons, video games, and TV shows frees up several hours of time for parents to do their own thing, but all this time the child is practically isolated from outside world, which is fraught unpleasant consequences, which will further affect his mental health.

Social studies conducted among preschool children have shown that children who are gadget-dependent are significantly behind in speech development from children who hardly use electronic devices.

Replacing books, fairy tales, communication with parents with watching cartoons and games leads to the fact that “on-screen children” begin to speak later than their peers, their speech is poor, and their vocabulary is small. Such children often have pronounced speech defects.

Today, speech development disorders are observed in 25% of four-year-old children. For comparison, 40 years ago only 4% of children had such a problem, that is, the number of violations increased 6 times.

What is the harm of gadgets?

For full development, a child requires constant contact with the world. This includes live communication, games with a variety of toys and household items, exploration of the apartment, and games in nature, where there is an opportunity to see and touch all kinds of objects and hear new sounds. The baby gets all this emotional response, since the child passes every action through his consciousness, thinks about it and puts it on the right shelf, and the influence of each factor enhances the discussion with an adult.

But gadgets give the child only a picture that is unable to enter into a dialogue. Of course, cartoons and children's programs tell the young viewer something, but they do not react to a specific child, do not respond to his actions, but simply fascinate with the flashing of multi-colored images.

Moreover, until a certain age, the baby is attracted exclusively bright pictures, which, as if in a kaleidoscope, change on the screen. The child is not able to perceive the plot, understand the characteristics of the character and evaluate his actions. With the same interest, the baby will watch and washing machine. At the same time, attempts to distract from the screen lead to hysterics, because it does not take much time for a dependence on gadgets to form, and a child will have difficulty giving up the usual pleasure.

But the biggest disadvantage of such a pastime is that cartoons and games do not contribute to the development of imagination, do not form a moral basis - they supply a ready-made image that does not require comprehension, so the child does not learn anything.

Such superficial perception leads to mental health problems and the emergence of a disease, which in the modern world is called “concentration deficiency.”

Symptoms of “concentration deficiency”:

• The child's inability to concentrate on one activity;
• Lack of long-term interest in one thing;
• Increased absent-mindedness;
• Hyperactivity.

Children develop clip thinking, from which they quickly switch, are often distracted, are constantly looking for new experiences, but at the same time are not able to grasp the entire information and connect individual facts. Such children grow up to be inattentive adults who have difficulty perceiving new information by ear, and consider reading to be hard labor.

And of course, constantly being in front of a screen negatively affects the physical health of children and adolescents: vision deteriorates, posture deteriorates, the body lacks stamina and strength, because there is usually simply not enough time to exercise.

But all this can be prevented if you pay attention to your child in time and, having studied the topic “children and gadgets,” find an alternative to screen entertainment.

How to benefit from gadgets

Of course, technological progress also has its advantages, so you cannot completely isolate your child from computers and phones. To make devices a child’s friend and not provoke gadget addiction, it is important to find optimal time to play with them. Doctors recommend sticking to an already proven schedule:

It is better not to sit children under 3 years old in front of a screen at all. Distract them with books, educational toys, and learning anything that is safe. If you don’t show your child cartoons, he won’t remember them, and the lack of computer games certainly won’t have a negative impact on his health.

1. 15 minutes is enough for children 3-5 years old;
2. 20 minutes - for 6 years;
3. half an hour is acceptable for seven-eight year olds;
4. 40 minutes is the optimal time for 10-12 years;
5. Time for teenagers 13-14 years old – 50 minutes.

Of course, than older child, the more difficult it is to control the time he spends at the computer, especially if the parents are constantly at work, and the student is left to his own devices. You can put passwords on gadgets, install parental controls and block the path to the computer in other ways, but will there be any results?

It is important to instill in your child an interest in “live” activities as early as possible, awaken a thirst for reading, find a hobby, enroll in sections that will ensure communication and development, and also minimize the influence of gadgets on the lives of teenagers.

And most importantly, explain to your child how to use gadgets with maximum benefit. Children often waste time on the computer because they simply do not know all its capabilities. Let the child lead electronic diary, learns language in a playful way, reads interactive books and develops useful skills independence and responsibility.

It depends only on you how strong the health and sharp mind of your child will be. Do not trust his upbringing to gadgets if you do not want to later reap the fruits of your frivolous behavior.