Page 112 - South Mississippi Living - January, 2019

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CELL PHONE YOUTH
HOLLY ARNOULT, RN, LPC
Moderation important for children and smartphones
It’s no secret that childhood is changing. From evenings spent playing in the neighborhood until the lights came on to faces illuminated by the blue glow
of a screen, the recreational activities of young people are vastly different than what they once were.
“Over 1.8 billion people own smartphones and use them on a daily basis,” said Holly Arnoult, RN and LPC at Mississippi Sound Counseling Services. “These numbers trickle down to include children as young as two years of age. Recent studies estimate that 56 percent of children between the ages of 10 and 13 own a smartphone and 25 percent of children between the ages of 2 and 5 have a smartphone.”
These numbers are high, but not necessarily surprising. On a typical evening out for dinner, it isn’t uncommon to look around and see families entertaining children with tablets and other smart devices. Though these devices can be great
story by Kelsey Sunderman-Foster photo courtesy of Mississippi Sound Counseling Services
112 SOUTH MISSISSIPPI Living • January 2019
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for entertainment, how do they affect children’s natural development?
“As with most anything, if used
in excess without guidelines and restrictions, smartphone use can have drawbacks that affect a child’s development,” Arnoult said. “These devices are taking time away from activities, such as unstructured
play, interacting with peers, playing outdoors, reading, and engaging in sports and hobbies. These hands-on activities are important for a child’s visual-motor and sensorimotor skills, helping children develop social and problem-solving skills.”
The development of social skills in particular, such as learning to read social cues, body language, facial expressions and verbal cues/tones,
are directly affected as a result of increasing smartphone use. “It’s easier to say things through text when you are not hearing or seeing the effects that your words have on another, which has led to a drastic increase in
cyber-bullying,” Arnoult commented. Other behavioral side effects
can include aggressiveness, sleep disruption, obesity due to sedentary activity, social anxiety and depression, negative interactions with peers and parents, and exposure to material they are not developmentally ready for.
Luckily, there are ways to foster
a healthy relationships between children and technology. “Everything is about moderation,” says Arnoult. “Make sure smartphones don’t interfere with opportunities for play and socializing and be sure to model positive smartphone use to your
own children by limiting your use while around your children. Consider designating certain times or areas as ‘no smartphone zones.’”
Arnoult also recommends limiting screen use to two hours a day, turning off smartphones an hour prior to bedtime and employing parental controls to monitor access to social media and search engines.