Does Technology Impact Your Child’s Mental Health?

Technology has profoundly changed children’s mental health and wellness ever since social media, educational apps, and wearable gadgets became mainstream. Nowadays, children learn, engage with the world, and grow emotionally through the ever-evolving digital world.

However, the mismanagement or overuse of technological devices and apps can be detrimental to children’s health. Increased anxiety, stress, and sleep problems in children are just a few of the risks.

Without proper management, children could potentially fail to reap the amazing benefits of technology while remaining completely disconnected from the negative ramifications.

How Smart Technology Can Aid Child Development?

Technology has profoundly changed the growth and development of children by offering smart devices and applications that promote learning, cognitive skills, and emotional growth. Parents now have smart gadgets that track a child’s developmental milestones, encourage engagement in learning activities, and even help to foster positive attitudes towards life.

Dr. PK Tan, CEO of PK Women’s Specialist Clinic backs the use of technology with supporting claims especially when it comes to Parenting. He says, “There are baby-friendly apps out now that allow parents to keep track of their baby’s sleep, feeding, and even their emotional responses. These tools provide parents with insights that can lead to healthier developmental outcomes.”

Dr. Tan further explains how young children’s cognitive skills can be enhanced through the use of educational games and storytelling apps. “Appropriately used, well-crafted digital content can lead to positive outcomes in problem-solving, creativity, and social interaction,” he stated.

Correcting the Wrong: Mental Healthcare and Technology

While the advantages of technology are many, watching too much of it can be detrimental because it leads to illness, anxiety, depression, and attention problems among children. Research has shown that much exposure to digital devices can cause insomnia, reduce social activity, and result in poor emotional regulation.

Emily Dreilich, from Voyagers Travel highlights the need to have some form of technology control. “Parents need to set screen free times, mainly during the sleeping hours, so that children can get enough sleep. Children have a hard time falling asleep due to the blue light enabling screens which prevents melatonin from being produced,” she details.

Dreilich goes further to suggest that limiting screen time should be complemented with outdoor activities. “Adjusting a child’s schedule to include exercise fosters healthy habits and lessens reliance on digital devices for entertainment,” she affirms.

Innovative Instruments for Assisting Mental Wellness

Children’s mental health can be positively impacted through the use of emerging technology. Wearable gadgets, meditation tools, and specialized digital health applications now have solutions for emotional regulation and stress management.

Sarah Jeffries, from Mental Health First Aid Course shares “Mindfulness apps such as Calm and Headspace help children regulate stress, improve focus, and even help with a breathing exercises as well as guided meditations tailored for children. These sorts of apps truly make life easier!”. Jeffries goes on to explain that the Calm and Headspace apps cater to younger audiences and enable them to manage their breathing and offer meditation sessions for kids.

Jeffries also highlights her concern with how immensely important journaling for younger ones in the digital age is. She explains how “older children,” can let out their emotions and reflect on their daily lives using mood- tracking apps. With students reflecting on their daily activities helps them articulate their feelings and slowly reduces anxiety over time.

Finding the Right Balance Between Fun and Learning

From video games to streaming platforms, there are numerous sources of entertainment available for kids. Even though these platforms aide in creating amusement, overuse of them can cause sociopathic tendencies. Hence, parents must strike the right balance between leisure and educational content.

As Michael Kotler, CEO of Move Ahead Homes demonstrates, moderation is equally important when it comes to technology use. “Parents need to make sure that children use technology for more than just passive entertainment. Making content more engaging and educational can result in more positive outcomes,” he elaborates.

Kotler goes on to explain the positive outcomes of smart wearable gadgets for children’s overall health. “Fitness trackers and smartwatches with step counting and movement notifications encourage children to be more active. These gadgets are great in creating a positive balance between unhealthy entertainment and physical health,” Kotler says.

Building Digital Wellness

It is obvious that there are negative impacts of technology on mental health. To lessen the impact, parents start helping children learn healthy tricks at a younger age. Things like establishing screen-time boundaries, using communication about online experiences, and creating tech-free zones at home are essential in maintaining a healthy relationship with screen time.

Dr. PK Tan emphasizes the use of parental control applications to minimize the impact of digital devices. “Parents can use technology to establish boundaries such as pre-set screen time and content restrictions which ensures that children only access age appropriate material,” he states.

Sarah Jeffries also advocates for including non-technology-based activities in one’s daily routine. “Board games, outdoor activities, and imaginative hobbies have the potential to lessen over-dependence on technology, thereby improving mental health,” she explains.

Emily Dreilich further places emphasis on the role of parents in minimizing the digital behaviors of their children. “Kids copy the parents’ online habits. Children are more likely to learn good screen habits when they are shown positive use of technology,” she clarifies.

Conclusion: Finding the Right Balance

In the context of childhood, technology is both a boon and a bane in terms of mental health. Digital devices can facilitate learning, entertainment, and even a child’s emotional health, but overuse, or lack of control, can be damaging. Parents need to promote balance, prevention, and healthy use of technology to ensure positive mental health for their children.

As Michael Kotler puts it, “Technology is a double-edged sword. If used without intention, it can do harm. Parents need to help their children with intentional technology usage that promotes overall wellness.”

With expert insights and mindful parenting, technology can be leveraged to create a healthier, more positive environment for children’s mental and emotional growth.