In my first part of "The children of today: Have smartphones destroyed a generation?", I wrote about how the life has changed since smartphones are on the market. Children have easy access to the internet therefore enough admission into nearly everything.
Many of my readers agreed when I said children are getting access to smartphones way too early. The suicide rate has risen incredibly after the first iPhone was on the market and there are many more problems young teens have to fight with.
Jean M. Twenge will put out an amazing book about why today’s super-connected kids are growing up less rebellious, more tolerant, less Happy and completely unprepared for adulthood. The book is called iGen and is on pre-order right know. Jean M. Twenge is a professor at San Diego State University, a doctor of psychology and published on August 22 her fourth book "iGen". In this book, she devotes herself to researching a generation that does not only know the world without internet, but also has such a close relationship with her smartphone that she takes this into her bed. She gives an overview of the book in an article that has appeared on "The Atlantic".
I believe this book is going to be very interesting, especially for young parents or parents to be. But also we adults should think about whether we use our smartphone correctly and if its necessary to take it with us all the time and being reachable 24/7.
Teens are meeting their friends less often than they used a few years ago. The statistics have changed since 2007 when the first iPhone was released. The weekly meeting have greatly reduced for 17 to 18 year olds from 2.9 to 2.3 meetings per week, for younger pupils from about 2.5 to 1.9 meetings per week. The reason? Because young people are chatting via Snapchat, Instagram, Twitter and Facebook more often so they dont need to meet up any more. The youth of today are in no hurry to leave "Hotel Mama" and stay for longer longer at home than previous generations. All in all, the development of an 18-year-old now corresponds to that of a 15-year-old 20 years ago.
Kids these days prefer to write text messages with the mobile phone, than to send e-mails from the PC or to make phone calls. The rigid shoulder and back support with fast moving fingers is similar to screen work.
Anyone who is struggling to decipher texts on a screen - either because the script is too small or because reflections or the like make the view more difficult - risks ocular suffering ranging from annoying and annoying to disability.
Alan Hedge, Director of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Laboratory at Cornell University, thinks the more the dorsiflexion of the wrist, the greater the risk of injury. But since we dont push the finders too hard on the screen, everything will be okay for now.
These were just three types of physical effects by smartphones.
We shouldn´t forget that smartphone and access to the internet could also be very dangerous especially for the children. Only think about how easy rapists can connect with your child via social media. The kids can also be addicted to futuristic games more than ever.
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I personally think that kids should enjoy their childhood which means - playing with friends, doing some sports activities, follow their passion or just reading books in a tree house. Of course I would allow a mobile phone or even a smartphone with simple features at a certain age but I would also keep the control about it as much as possible.
So, not owning a smartphone does not include not using a phone! Statistics in Germany have shown that more than 70% of the children in daycare are using the smartphones of their parents longer than half an hour per day! Children up to 6 years of age, those who used intensive media found increased language development disorders and hyperactivity.
I was shocked while reading those informations! If any parent is interested in helping their child to get rid of the smartphone usage, try a conscious time out. Or just dont start giving the phone to them!
Also a huge impact is the dinner together! If parents are sitting at the table with their phones, children will try to copy them! Use the time to talk about how the day went so far, what happened and forget about the social media life for a moment! Start being a role model for your child or even for yourself!
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Is the whole generation destroyed? I dont think so. But if its getting worse just like it did in the past years than I would prefer the answer YES! We still have the control about our future and about the future of the generation beneath us.
Let´s make the best of it!
Thanks for reading
Stay focused
Love, Soldier
