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ISLAMABAD, Feb 17 (APP):Excessive use of mobile phones among children had become a pressing concern for parents, educators, and health experts.
With the widespread availability of smart phones and tablets, kids were spending increasing amounts of time glued to their screens, sparking fears about the impact on their physical and mental health.
Many parents report that their children were spending hours each day playing games, watching videos, and chatting with friends on their mobile devices.
This excessive screen time was leading to a range of problems, including sleep deprivation, eye strain, and decreased attention span.
A mother of 10-year-old Sabrena expressed her deep concern about her child’s phone addiction saying, “I have noticed a significant change in my child’s behavior since they started using a smartphone and they are constantly glued to the screen, and it’s affecting their mood, their grades, and their overall health.”.
She said that children have become inseparable from their device adding that they can’t seem to put it down, even during meals or family time.
“She feel like I have lost control over my child’s phone use which is effecting my child’s grades and they are not focusing on their schoolwork like they should be,they are constantly on it, and I don’t know how to limit their screen time,she stated.
Health experts warned that excessive mobile phone use could have serious long-term consequences for children, including increased risk of obesity, decreased physical activity, and impaired cognitive development.
A pediatrician Saira Jabeen said “Children need a balanced diet of physical activity, social interaction, and mental stimulation to develop properly adding that excessive mobile phone use can disrupt this balance and have serious consequences for their health and wellbeing.
She advised to limit screen time to 1-2 hours daily to ensure a healthy balance adding that
encourage kids to engage in outdoor games and sports to promote physical activity and teamwork.
She recommended monitoring children’s mobile phone use to set responsible boundaries and limits, while also encouraging social interaction to foster essential communication skills and emotional intelligence.