Recognize the sign

Gadgets are often used as a powerful weapon for parents to make children calm and feel at home at the same time. Unfortunately, if this is done too often, it can cause children to become addicted to gadgets.

Gadget addiction in children should not be taken lightly! The reason is, the habit of playing gadgets continuously will have a negative impact on children's health in the long run.

Check out the signs when children are addicted to gadgets and how to control them below.

Various signs of a child addicted to gadgets

During the development of a child of 6-9 years, usually your little one starts getting to know gadgets. Unfortunately, not all children can use gadgets wisely.

Playing gadgets too often can make children addicted to gadgets.

According to a study published in Journal of The International Child Neurology Association , addiction to gadgets can be experienced by children at any age.

This also applies to children who are in elementary school or elementary school.

One of the characteristics of a child who is addicted to gadgets is that they are almost never able to "get away" from their gadgets.

For example, children always pick up their gadgets when they wake up and eat at the table with their eyes glued to the screen.

Activities carried out by children with gadgets can also be varied, such as playing games , watching youtube, or just flipping through the application.

A sign of a child addicted to playing gadgets

Children who play gadgets too often can experience various symptoms of physical problems.

Symptoms of the physical disorder include insomnia, back pain, weight gain or loss, visual disturbances, headaches, and nutritional problems.

Psychologically, children who play gadgets too often feel anxious, often lie, have feelings of guilt, and feel lonely.

In fact, not a few children who are addicted to gadgets choose to isolate themselves, often undergoing changes mood which is very fast.

As a parent, you should start to be careful if children cannot participate in daily family activities because they cannot be separated from their gadgets.

For example, when children are reluctant to go shopping weekly, are reluctant to have dinner together, are lazy to bake together because they don't want to go through their activities with gadgets.

This indicates that the child's focus is only on the gadget.

This situation is not good for the child's development and may be a sign that the child is addicted to gadgets.

In general, signs or symptoms of gadget addiction in children include:

• The fun of playing gadgets and forgetting time.
• Shows anxiety when not playing gadgets.
• The longer the duration of playing the gadget increases.
• Failed to reduce or stop playing with gadgets.
• Losing interest in the outside world.
• Keep using gadgets even though you know the negative consequences that will be obtained.
• Lied about the length of time using gadgets to parents.
• Use gadgets to divert feelings.

The impact of children addicted to playing gagdet

You certainly realize that playing gadgets can take hours.

In fact, you can spend the whole day fiddling with gadgets during the holidays.

This of course makes you unproductive, right? Now, it's not just adults, it seems that kids can experience the same thing.

Letting children play gadgets without rules can make them addicted to gadgets so that it has a bad impact on them.

Various games and interesting things on gadgets can keep children addicted to playing them.

Children who are addicted to gadgets tend to withdraw from the environment and are more busy with their gadgets.

When you ask your child to stop playing gadgets, he will refuse, get angry, and throw tantrums.

You need to know that gadget addiction in children will have a negative impact on their health.

When playing gadgets, children will not care about visibility, body posture, and light settings.

This can reduce eye health, cause pain in the body, and even make children inactive.

Children are supposed to be actively moving, exploring the environment, interacting with friends of the same age, but instead are busy with gadgets.

The impact of addiction to playing gadgets on children

If it continues, the child's ability to socialize can be affected.

On the other hand, the impact of gadget addiction on children can affect their physical and mental health.

In addition to changes in behavior, physically, there may be changes in the child's brain if they are addicted to playing gadgets.

The reason is that the gadget screen can have an impact on brain changes which function to control emotional processes, attention, decision making, and cognitive control.

The part of the child's brain that deals with impulse regulation changes due to continuous use of gadgets for a long period of time.

In addition, the "insula" or the part of the brain that develops behaviors of empathy and compassion for others, is also impaired.

This explains how children who are addicted to playing gadgets have different behaviors than other children.

Even though at the age of 6-9 years, children are experiencing a lot of development.

In addition to children's cognitive development, there are also children's physical development, children's emotional development, and children's social development.

Tips to stop gadget addiction in children

Although the use of gadgets has a bad effect, it cannot be denied that gadgets are a tool that supports daily activities.

Gadgets can support communication, find a variety of information, study, entertainment, and others.

The role of parents is important to keep the use of gadgets in children not excessive and balanced so as not to cause gadget addiction in children.

Here are some ways to deal with children who like to play gadgets or are addicted to gadgets:

1. Be a good example

Children learn from their surroundings.

If parents play gadgets while parenting, children will inevitably follow your bad habits in using gadgets.

If you want to reduce your gadget playing time, you must also be able to manage your time to use your gadget wisely.

Do not let you forbid your children to play gadgets, but you still stick to your own gadgets.

Your ban will certainly not bear fruit, and the child will continue to be addicted to the use of this powerful tool.

2. Limit the use of gadgets

It cannot be denied that in the modern era like today, there are benefits of gadgets for children.

However, as a parent, you still have to provide supervision and restrictions to children using gadgets.

For example, give 1-2 hours a day for children to use gadgets.

You can also accompany its use so that when children play gadgets they are not misused.

This might help you prevent gadget addiction in children.

In addition, avoid placing gadgets carelessly.

Keep the gadget in a place that is not known by the child so that the child cannot pick it up and play it easily without your permission.

Make sure the child's bedroom area is also free of gadgets.

3. Increase activities outside or inside the house

Increasing children's activities at home or outside the home can grab children's attention and forget about gadgets.

You can invite children to jog or bike on holidays, invite children to cook together, or visit relatives' houses.

Do any activity that makes children active again, such as launching the Healthy Children page.

Let your child play outside so that he can express himself and make good eye contact.

This is not only to help shape interpersonal skills, but also to build motor skills and creativity.

4. Be assertive

Gadget addiction can sometimes make children tantrums and unruly.

However, remember, you must remain strict to apply the rules that you just created to limit the time you play gadgets.

Do not let you feel sorry for the whining of children who keep asking to be able to play gadgets.

Children need time to disconnect from gadgets.

So, reducing the time to play gadgets in children should not be sudden but do it slowly.

5. Ask a doctor for help if your child is addicted to gadgets

If the steps above do not have the maximum effect, your child may experience depression and anxiety.

That means, you have to consult a doctor.

The doctor will provide the best way to help you calm your little one and reduce his addiction.

6. Don't give away gadgets unnecessarily

Not a few parents use gadgets as a "sedative tool" so that their children do not interfere with their parents' activities.

At times, this may be inevitable.

However, if you can actually handle the situation without the help of gadgets, you should avoid this method.

Too often using gadgets as a method to calm children as if they are plunging children into the habit of using gadgets.

Of course this can lead to children addicted to using this sophisticated tool.

During parenting, you are encouraged to avoid gadgets as a sedative as much as possible.

You can have the child draw on paper using a variety of colored pencils, rather than drawing on smartphone or tablet.

You can also try various children's games using blocks, cardboard, lego, or other toys.

Most children should be encouraged to interact directly with children their own age.

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