Home Articles General Health & fitness

 As a parent, do you often switch on the television, or hand your child a tablet (the electronic kind), whenever you need a few minutes to yourself? If yes, rest assured that you are not alone.

In today’s world, many parents are grateful for technology, especially because cartoons and video games have the ability to capture a child’s interest for hours together. This also holds true for parents raising kids who have been diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder or ADHD. However, it is important to understand that television and video games are far from beneficial pacifiers for any kid. In fact, according to some mental health experts, modern technology may be one of the factors that contribute to the development of ADHD in toddlers and little kids. They further add that the addictive properties of technology can lead to a breakdown in interpersonal relationships, which in turn causes the development of ADHD.

ADHD can be described as a chronic developmental and neurobehavioral disorder. This condition is usually diagnosed in childhood but persists right through adulthood. It leads to a combination of problems, such as:

• Impulsive behavior
• Hyperactivity
• Difficulty sustaining attention
• Lack of focus
• Trouble synthesizing facts
  

The exact causes of ADHD are still not clear and there are no comprehensive studies to prove that the rising cases of ADHD in the recent years are caused by technology. However, a few studies have tried to explore the connection between exposure to excessive technology and the development of ADHD in the later stages of childhood. Some experts say that allowing kids below the age of three to watch TV for many hours a day may trigger off attention problems in the later stages of life.

Another study (published in the August 2010 Issue of Pediatrics) also analyzed the viewing habits of over 1,300 children for about 13 months and observed that those kids who spent more than 2 hours per day in front of a screen were twice as likely to suffer from attention problems. According to a January 2010 report published by the Kaiser Family Foundation, kids between the ages of 8 and 18 spend an average of seven and a half hours per day, using entertainment media. The average amount of time kids spend in front a computer, video game or TV screen has risen by nearly 20% in the last 5 years.

Dr. Elias Aboujaude, Director at Impulse Control Disorders Clinic, Stanford University expresses his concern about the future, in an article published in the San Francisco Chronicle. According to the article, technology could have an adverse effect on the attention span of adults too. He says that with the way things are, we could soon reach a point where our attention span decreases considerably and we may be able to process no more than 140 characters at one time. He further adds that as people get used to tweets and sound bites, they are likely to lose patience while dealing with complex information.

Since there is no adequate proof that technology causes ADHD, it is alright to let your child watch some TV or play a few video games for a short while each day. In fact, it may be a good idea to speak to your child’s school, about using a computer in the classroom. This is quite beneficial for those students who have trouble with writing. Do however make sure that your child’s daily schedule is well-balanced and structured so that it includes different types of activities, such as reading, interacting with others and spending time outdoors. Children suffering from ADHD find it very difficult to cope with change and therefore, if you are making any alterations to your kid’s schedule, try and do so gradually.

References:

1. http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/Attention-deficit-hyperactivity-disorder/Pages/Causes.aspx  
2. http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/attention-deficit-hyperactivity-disorder/index.shtml

Warning: The reader of this article should exercise all precautionary measures while following instructions on the home remedies from this article. Avoid using any of these products if you are allergic to it. The responsibility lies with the reader and not with the site or the writer.

 More articles from the General Health & fitness Category