It is already an accepted fact that the best way to distract kids or to keep them from getting bored is to plop a mobile device in front of them. In fact, you probably will not be able to separate them from the smartphone or tablet when you actually need them to pay attention. Much has been said about the effect of heavy mobile device use on the young ones, but there are still no hard facts to support our theories and speculations.
But researchers at the Boston University Medical Center have come up with findings that show kids who are too immersed in their (or their parents’) mobile devices may be losing out on developing their self-regulation skills. The scientists reviewed different kinds of interactive media and tried to see if they were even effective as educational tools or if they were actually detrimental to their development, particularly in the areas of problem solving and social interaction.
The early studies indicate that kids pre-school and older will benefit from the use of interactive media, such as e-books or learn-to-read apps. However, for those 2 and below, the research for them are not that many and so it is hard to see whether or not it is beneficial. But many studies have already shown that this age group learns more from hands-on and face-to-face kind of interaction. And using mobile devices as a distraction may very well affect the social-emotional skills of the child, like their problem-solving skills or empathy towards other people. These are things learned from unstructured play and interacting with their peers.
When TV was in its heyday, there were also numerous studies on whether or not it affected the development of language and social skills. We can expect more of the same as mobile devices continue to dominate our lives. One thing that the researchers advice parents to do is for parents to try out the applications or devices first before letting their children use it, and when possible, to actually use them together. The details of the study are published in the latest edition of the journal Pediatrics.
VIA: University Herald
