It is becoming increasingly common to see parents normalizing their children playing on their computers or tablets with the idea that it helps their children develop skills related to technology. While this trend does have some merits, I believe its drawbacks, especially in terms of children’s overall well-being, are more consequential.
Children, indeed, develop technology-related skills by playing on their electronic gadgets. Playing on computers and tablets can help them learn keyboard navigation for quick typing, online browsing, and app usage. These skills, in turn, can enhance their job prospects as most workplaces have become digitalized, requiring technology literacy. Besides, smart gadgets can be a much-needed parental aid for parents today. They can serve as a useful diversion for children whose parents are often busy working. Allowing the child a 30-minute gaming session gives their parents some downtime for self-care and recreation, which is essential for modern-day parents to balance their personal lives with work.
Advantageous as they may be, electronic devices have considerable negative implications for children. First, they are detrimental to their physical well-being since prolonged screen time has been found to cause eye strain, poor posture, headaches, and obesity from reduced activity. Excessive computer use among children has some social ramifications as well. Children who spend their time mostly on their gadgets run the risk of being less socially active as they have less real-world interaction, as a result of which they grow up to be socially awkward and poorly adjusted. This, in turn, diminishes their future prospects – both professional and personal – as strong social skills are essential in almost every aspect of life. Moreover, some digital games promote violence and hostility, which can lead children to exhibit aggression toward others and be in a constant state of anger and frustration.
In conclusion, allowing children to play on their computers and tablets under the pretext of developing technology skills does seem sensible in some regards, but I would caution parents about the dangers of this decision in terms of their children’s overall well-being.