Bible/Advice/Resources
By Summer Lane
Photo: Deposit
Do the long, lazy days of summer stress you out? Sometimes, without school activities to keep little ones busy, it’s simply the easier option to turn to tablets, video games, or television shows to bust kids’ boredom – but the results can be disastrous in the long run.
According to a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association Pediatrics, excessive screen time can cause developmental delays, fine motor skill problems, and social skills issues in young children. And that’s just the beginning. Check this out:
“A landmark National Institutes of Health (NIH) study that began in 2018, for example, found that children who spent more than two hours a day on screen-time activities scored lower on language and thinking tests, and some children with more than seven hours a day of screen time experienced thinning of the brain’s cortex, the area of the brain related to critical thinking and reasoning.”
These are serious side effects, and as a mother, I see firsthand the effects of too much screen time – for myself and for my daughter. I have been adamantly against the use of tablets and video games for children for as long as I can remember, and as it turns out, the research has proven me right: screen time is, generally, a negative thing when it’s used in excess.
In the same article referenced above, Dr. Jennifer F. Cross, a pediatrician and developmental and behavioral expert, said “structural brain changes” can occur in younger children who spend way too much time playing with smartphones, iPads, and TVs.
Clearly, these devices are not as harmless as companies would have us believe. In fact, handing children a tablet or a phone when they’re bored or unruly in a restaurant seems to do little more than train them to seek out screens constantly rather than learn how to entertain themselves or get creative.
Other negative side effects (via the Mayo Clinic) of screens include:
- Weight gain related to sedentary habits and mindless munching, or snacking in front of the television,
- Tantrums and fits when the screen is turned off or taken away,
- Insomnia,
- Anxiousness or restlessness,
- Exposure to violent images or rhetoric on TV or movies/shows – or video games, which are often the worst offenders,
- Inability to independently entertain themselves without the stimulus of a screen,
- Exposure to ideas or content that may be inappropriate for them, given their access to these devices.
Every one of these items are serious and have lifelong ramifications if they are not addressed.
Yes, it may be EASIER to give your child a smartphone to play with in a restaurant, but it’s not BETTER for them. The research, at the very least, proves this. The short-term battles may be more work, but the long-term rewards of keeping your kids creative and screen-free will last a lifetime.
And that’s not to say that there isn’t a place for screens, within reason. Limited screen time can be fun and edifying. But an excess of screen time – particularly for little kids with growing brains – can be damaging.
To add to this, there is also a risk of the damage that EMF and 5G towers could be having on your entire family, so paring down the digital device load in your home has never been more critical! To talk about this integral subject, Dr. Donna DeSanto Ott – the president of Pennsylvanians for Safe Technology – talks about safe and easy ways to cut back on the effects of electronic overload and prioritize health and wellness every day.
See her video below, and remember: your kids are worth fighting for! They deserve to grow, learn, and experience the world in a tangible way, not just through the glare of a touchscreen.
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Summer Lane is the #1 bestselling author of 30 books, including the hit Collapse Series and Resurrection Series. She is an experienced journalist and editor who is covering the White House and Trump administration. She owns Write Revolution News.
Summer is also a mom and wife who enjoys rural country living, herding cats, and gardening. She is passionate about writing on women’s issues, parenting, and politics from a theologically-grounded perspective that points readers to the good news of the gospel.
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Dr. Donna DeSanto Ott
The dangers of EMF and 5G have never been more prevalent – towers are being built everywhere as the network expands, and it’s posing a health risk for children and families around America. Dr. Donna DeSanto Ott was inspired to get involved in advocating for safe technology after finding a giant cell tower just a few feet away from a children’s park. She is now the president of Pennsylvanians for Safe Technology and talks about the dangers of wireless tech and how our devices key into the broader 5G system, causing potential damage to our physical bodies. Donna recommends simple solutions to avoid electronic overload: buying a corded phone and cutting down on purchases of unnecessary wireless devices. She encourages people to advocate for safe technology and to inform physicians about these dangers.
