These days it is common to observe children spending significant amounts of time on electronic devices such as computers and tablets. In my opinion, the drawbacks of allowing children to do this outweigh any advantages.
The benefit of this development is that it will keep children occupied. There is no doubt that raising children and taking care of them can be stressful at times for parents so allowing them to play on a device means that the parents can have a break and not have to continuously entertain them. This could potentially mean improved family relationships.
However, there are several disadvantages. Firstly, children’s free time can be better utilised with other activities. Although they may learn some technological skills, they mostly just play games, and in any case computer skills are now taught in school. Of much more benefit is encouraging children to spend their free time interacting with other children, playing with normal toys, and playing other games outside, which will foster their creative, cognitive, and social skills.
In addition to this there is growing evidence that it can also have negative health impacts. Research reported in the media claims that it can possibly damage the eyes of a child when looking at screens for long periods. Studies also indicate children using these devices may have more difficulty sleeping, something which is crucial for mental development.