WHO Says Kids Should Get Only 1-Hr Of Screen Time: 5 Reasons Why Mobile Phones Are Bad For Your Kid

How often do we see parents shoving smartphones in the hands of a child just to keep them engaged? More often than it can be considered normal. Smartphones have become a source of entertainment for children and physical activities are being tossed aside.

World Health Organization (WHO) has advised against prolonged usage of smartphones by children.

How much time of mobile usage can be considered decent for a child? Read on to know the details!

WHO Issues Guidelines

As per WHO, children between the ages of two and four should be allowed sedentary screen time of only one hour. The organization also said that infants below one year of age should not be exposed to mobile phones or any electronic screens at all

The WHO said, “Healthy physical activity, sedentary behavior and sleep habits are established early in life, providing an opportunity to shape habits through childhood, adolescence and into adulthood.”

The World Health Organization has circulated such guidelines for the first time now and stressed heavily on the need for children to indulge in physical activities and get sufficient amounts of sleep to enjoy a long and healthy life.

Negative Effects Of Mobile Phones on Children

The WHO’s guidelines are absolutely apt as there are numerous negative effects of children using smartphones excessively.

Here are five reasons why using cellphones is bad for kids:

• Increased Health Issues

Being involved in a smartphone for prolonged amount of time can cause diverse health effects on a child. The eyes are exposed to harmful rays emitting from a cell phone, which also contain UV rays. Also, smartphone usage reduces the child’s indulgence in actual physical activities. At an impressionable age, when the body of a child should be molded to induce good habits, excessive smartphone usage will no doubt cause numerous health issues like fragility, obesity in the long run.

• Academic Performance

This one is a no-brainer. Children will no doubt prefer a distraction over their books and studies; after all, studying is probably everyone’s least favorite activity. Also, science has proven that prolonged use of smartphones will hinder the span of concentration of a child. Children should be kept away from smartphones when their priority should be academics.

• Changed Mindsets

Smartphones have the power to effectively change the direction of thinking of a child, especially at an age where they have no idea of what is right and what is wrong. Differentiating between the right and wrong should be taught to them by the adults around them and not by a smartphone.

• Disrupted Brain Activity

As mobile phones are heavily dependent on electromagnetic waves for communication, these waves are extremely toxic for a child’s brain. A child’s brain does not have a shield strong enough to protect itself from the waves and they can enter easily into the interior parts of the brain. This results in a drastically changed behavior, moods and concentration as well.

• Inappropriate Behavior

The content on the smartphone is not always regulated and appropriate for children. The vulnerable minds of children quickly pick up anything on the internet and as they do not have the sense of right or wrong, they naively believe what they watch and listen to is true and appropriate. This shows extreme changes in behavior, which are not always apt for their age.