Have you ever wondered why you have to struggle with children over screen time boundaries? How much trouble can it cause? Well, to answer your question, very much! Spending hours watching TV, laptops, and mobile phones is hazardous for kids and adults. In addition, it is causing health problems and social problems for teens as screen time has increased.
It is so hard to keep away from technology these days because of the unlimited content available for all sorts of people. For example, if a teenager is into games, thousands of options can make them stick to the mobile or computer screens for hours.
It can lead to mental health issues, and addiction can exploit kids with social life. Today’s generation has grown around technology that is why they can’t imagine a life without their smartphones. So, you can’t completely turn their digital needs, but you can restrict their screen time. If you don’t do it, then you’re opening a door full of dangers for your child.
Dangers of using excessive screen time among teens
Too much use of technology is always dangerous, and when it comes to teenagers, the risks increase. The reason is; it is an age where kids can make the foundation of their future. Either they can make it to success or ruin everything for themselves.
It is your responsibility to stop any danger and be aware of the situations as a parent. According to expert studies, it has shown that the following risks have been recorded among teenagers when they use technology excessively.
Behavioural problems
If your child uses a mobile phone or computer over the average use, then you have got a problem. Because soon, when it will become a habit for them, their body will start reacting differently. For example, it makes them cut out from real life and have difficulty interacting with people.
When they aren’t able to mix well in society, as a result, their behavior will change. Teens will be more irritated and will misbehave in gatherings. If you don’t notice it soon, then it’ll become a habit, and they’ll have no social life in the future.
Difficulty in academics
Attentiveness and hard work is the key to get success in education. But the use of mobile phones and technology becomes the reason for divided focus among kids. Instead of focusing on studies, teens are more concerned about likes on their pictures on social media. As they lose interest in their studies, they end up with bad grades. Children may not see a problem here, but you should be aware of this danger that can ruin their future as a parent.
Obesity
Video gaming is the new trend among youngsters; they sit in front of their computer screens all day long and play games. Of course, playing a game can’t cause a significant health problem like obesity, but not when kids get addicted. When a kid sits for hours in the same position, the possibility of getting obese is higher than usual. Unfortunately, as parents ignore this issue, the cases are increasing within years.
Insomnia
The light generated from digital screens such as television or cell phones is highly harmful. It can affect the brain that causes insomnia in many teenagers. Most kids watch TV before bed or scroll through social media, and they lose track of time. The dysfunctional sleep cycle isn’t healthy because the brain doesn’t know when to shut down. You should avoid using screens before bedtime to prevent this problem.
Violence
In the gaming world, violent games are being introduced and are highly popular among teenagers. You may not know about this, but playing these games can cause violence. As they watch killing actions, ammunition use, and evil characters win, such an exposure leaves a destructive impact on kids. And when it comes to real life, they fail to differ and end up being violent themselves. As they think it is not a bad thing to do in real life either.
Chronic body pain
Sitting in front of the TV and wasting body strength on holding mobile devices results in chronic body pain. The most affected parts are probably upper back and neck because they’re at the weirdest positions. In addition, your posture can be disturbed if your kid won’t stretch or take breaks while using the phone.
Depression and anxiety
If your kid has access to harmful content, then that can affect their mental health. For example, teens follow news that includes crime and disturbing content from the real world or movies they watch online. As a result, the freshness of life is neglected, and teens face problems like depression and anxiety. That’s why parents should engage kids with nature and positive things in life.
Benefits of restricting teenagers from excessive use
If you’re aware of all these problems and decides to restrict their screen time and forbid them to overrule your boundaries, then you’re doing the right thing. Your child can be free from any mental stress and can engage well in social events. In addition, as you’ve put restrictions on the use of social media, children can be more focused on their studies. As for physical health, kids will be healthier and more active.
What can you adapt to save your teen’s life from cyber and physical dangers?
The real question is how to achieve success in the situations above-mentioned? We can’t force anything on teens because it will only backfire, and you’ll end up in the same cycle. So, you have to be wise and make an appropriate decision and then follow that to save their lives from these dangers. You can use the following methods to get the best results.
Parents should model healthy screen behaviour
You can’t ask a kid to turn off their mobile devices when you as a parent are watching TV simultaneously. However, if you want your children to follow the restrictions, you better model healthy behavior yourself first. For example, you can schedule bedtime, fix screen hours for a day and then follow the same.
Encourage non-digital activities
There are many non-digital activities that you can encourage your children to follow. For example, build their interest in sports from a young age and participate in other school activities. It will keep them away from mobile phones and make a substantial positive impact on their health.
Use parental control app
We all know kids don’t follow the rules no matter how strict their parents are, they always find a way out. But it could make the situation more complex than solving. The solution you need to adopt is to use a monitoring tool for kids. You should get the app on the teen’s phone, and then you’ll get controls. You can view their digital activities live on your screen while sitting remotely.
There are many frauds in the market, so you better get a reliable parental control app. TheWiSpy is the number one choice as a parental control app that offers exceptional monitoring results.
TheWiSpy parental control app
TheWiSpy has more than 30 parental control features that you can use to make sure that your kid is safe and following your rules. If your teen steps out of the house without your permission, you’ll get an alert. If they overuse the apps, then you’ll know instantly. The secretive working makes monitoring kids’ activity even better without their knowledge, so they can’t stop you.
Takeaway
It’s normal for you to worry about your kids’ security and health. Unfortunately, the excessive use of technology has brought a lot of dangers to teens. But you as a parent should be prepared to save them from these harms. Using wise methods and installing TheWiSpy on their phone, you can avoid significant dangers from happening.
Adam Mulligan did his degree in psychology at the University of Hertfordshire. He is interested in mental health and well-being.
