Screen Time
Who’s to Blame?
Picture taken from: http://i.i.cbsi.com/cnwk.1d/i/tim/2013/02/06/pointing_win8_4_04.png
It is common for children to be exposed to technology nowadays; before they can even hold chopsticks properly, they are already holding mobile devices. Many parents instinctively point to the rise of technology as the culprit behind their children’s over-attachment to these devices.
Bjorn Jeffery, CEO of game development company Toca Boca, told The Guardian last year, “People are very concerned about the idea of an iPad as a device that becomes a full-time babysitter for their kids. Well, not if you don’t use it like that! As an app developer, our intention is never to replace the parent, and I’ve never met a developer who tries to replace physical play with digital toys. The two aren’t mutually exclusive, and they can even be combined.”
Indeed, mobile devices are double-edged swords.
It is up to parents to manage them well, and ensure that the children’s usage is optimal, not excessive. To achieve this, parents should be firm from the start, establishing rules and time restrictions to govern their children’s use of mobile devices. More importantly, children must remain exposed to other forms of recreation and learning – exercise, music, reading hardcopy books and playing with actual toys.
