In the age we live in, while technological developments make our lives incredibly easier and more colorful
, they also stress people with their speed, intensity and ever-increasing pace. While even adults who are aware of
this and try to hold the reins in their hands have difficulty in protecting their
mental and physical health, children born in the middle of this age are at serious risk
in many respects.
First of all. Let's take a look at our situation, especially in big cities: Does your child have his/her own mobile
phone, tablet or any other similar technological gaming device? Doesn't he pick up these tools at every opportunity
and never put them down until you ask? Do you often argue with him/her about the amount of time he/she spends in front of these devices? Has your mobile phone become a part of your body, like an extension of your hand? Does he throw tantrums when his phone or tablet is taken away? Or when he doesn't have a technological tool at hand, he says, "I'm bored, I have nothing to do!" Is it said?
You are not alone!!!
Nowadays, all children are curious about these technological
tools, whether they have their own electronic game device or not. Children who encounter these at home, at school, on the street, in the bus, in the park, at the beach, in the hands of their friends
enter this world and never leave it again. There is incredible variety here, satisfying every taste and every
need. This world is very colorful, very active, very exciting and
very fast. You get immediate results, earn rewards immediately, and become successful quickly in easy ways. Let's say you get bored of a game or fail, it is possible to immediately switch to another game
. It is even possible to have hundreds of games and thousands of characters at the same time. That's why there is no such thing as boredom in this world. All of these are very attractive
to children, they forget how time passes and get away from the real world.
At this point, the following sentences may be running through your mind: "We already live in the age of technology, it is impossible to try to stay away from them
right?", "All his friends have these games, wouldn't he feel left out if we didn't buy them?", "So what's the harm in this?" , "Are these games of no use?"
Yes, these games can improve some of children's skills such as problem solving, thinking, visual perception, and the ability to use technology. But while doing this, it also alienates them from one-to-one social relationships with their friends, their family, and their environment. Children who are carried away by the speed and charm of this colorful world find real life boring, monotonous and static. Their interests are narrowing, their inclination towards the environment, nature, sports or art is gradually decreasing. Reading books has become one of the activities that are completely excluded and almost endangered. Due to the limitlessness and diversity of the virtual world, the toys and books they actually have are inadequate. Children
want to get away from nature, school, sports and friends and spend more of their time playing electronic games. For this reason, there are endless arguments and fights at home.
In recent years, there is almost no family left that does not complain about their children having attention deficit, mobility, behavior or learning problems. Educators state that children's ability to connect, communicate socially, listen carefully and understandably, and use language to learn is gradually decreasing. Children are strapped into baby seats, high chairs,
car seats, and strollers, growing up “safe” but still
immobile. When they reach the age where they cannot be kept tied to a place, they continue to remain motionless and friendless in their "safe" homes without going out on the street because it is not safe. This inactivity
is accompanied by mini screens placed in front of them. Meals are fed by the caregiver
in front of the screen, and children reach the age of 4-5 without holding a spoon and fork. While children are playing around in front of the screen in the car, in the stroller on the street, in the restaurant, parents are comfortable.
They are deprived of everything necessary for healthy brain development, such as movement, free exploration, one-to-one human relationships, and social communication. Why are we surprised that these growing children show the problems mentioned above before they reach primary school age?
The problems caused by the world of technology do not end there. This world The characters, zombies, and strange creatures that they witness in Turkey, with their images, sounds, movements, and behaviors, unknowingly settle deeply into the minds of children, and their reflections begin in the real world. The images and sounds settled in their memories come to life when they are
alone. They get close enough to come out from behind the door or under the bed at any moment. Not being able to stay alone at home, not being able to sleep alone in one's room, night fears and various
phobias have become more common in recent years. The element of violence contained in the games is another problem that needs to be discussed at length. Children can suddenly become irritable and aggressive. The way to achieve something or win is either through bullying, violence or cheating. Concepts such as waiting patiently for something you want and working hard are far beyond today's children.
One of the scariest aspects of the virtual world is that its content is not controlled. Any
person, institution or illegal organization can publish any information over the internet.
From this perspective, the internet is a source of access to inappropriate and even harmful information. It is reported that there are 4.2 million pornographic websites on the Internet. In a study conducted on children using the Internet across Europe, it was concluded that nine out of 10 children between the ages of 8-16 visited pornographic sites. While children uncontrollably access sites containing pornography, violence or dangerous beliefs, accessing inappropriate information at an early age negatively affects their
identity development, belief and value systems, and sexual development.
Mother. Fathers want to know and control their children's social circles, their friends and even their friends' families. They take care to send their children to schools that are most suitable for living in the most suitable neighborhoods
. On the other hand, children can meet people they do not know in the virtual environment and become "friends". These virtual friends can fundamentally affect the developing identities of children and young people, their view of the world, and their tendencies, and can take them to very different points. He can bow. The biggest source for various organizations, child porn enthusiasts, and drug marketers who are aware of this situation are vulnerable children and young people in the virtual environment. They can gain their
trust, seize their photos and private information, and blackmail them to persuade them to meet face to face,
sell their products, or turn them into advocates of a certain view. One of the most important consequences it causes is internet addiction.
This problem, which was first identified in countries with the highest internet usage, such as China and America, has begun to be seen in increasing numbers of children and young people in our country.
Psychiatric research reveals that the levels of substances such as dopamine or endorphins in the brains of internet addicts increase, and neurochemical changes similar to those in gambling addicts
occur. These people are not very interested in the real world. The virtual world
is turning into an experience that is more important than anything else and indispensable. Thus, the person who is separated from his real friends and
environment, establishes a new life for himself with his virtual friends.
If, after reading all this negativity, you say, "Okay, I know, it is harmful, but I can't stop it"
Let's look at it from your perspective:
How much help have you received from electronic devices since infancy to keep your child entertained, to feed him/her, and to be comfortable during travels? How do you communicate with your child? Are there rules
boundaries at home? Is your child growing up at home instead of on the street because there is not enough play space or because it does not seem safe to you? Are you working very hard as a parent?
Do you not have time to do something fun or play games with your child? Even if you have
time, you don't know how to keep him busy or do you find it difficult? Do you have a shopping or consumption frenzy? When was the last time you changed your phone, TV or car? What is the number of televisions, computers and tablets in your home? How many minutes a day do you spend sharing or following on social
media? Your child keeps you in front of the screen or on the phone. How much does he see when he's doing something with you? Do you read books or do regular sports
?
How fond your child will be of technology and whether he will be addicted to it or not depends on the answers to these
questions. You cannot expect him/her to read a book while you are in front of the screen.
In order to protect children from all these harms as much as possible, it is necessary to be aware of what the risks are and how
supervision will be carried out. Whether or not they have any problems with their child, every parent needs to think about this issue and gain information. There are many useful reference books written
on this subject in recent years (see bibliography). I recommend you
get all these resources and read them. However, we are in the age of speed, technology and not reading books, and book reading rates in our country are unfortunately very low. For this reason, I have prepared a short summary containing the most basic headings for parents who will say, "Sir, please briefly summarize what we need to do."
Children between the ages of 0-4 should not spend time in front of the computer. Babies should not be left alone with computer games or computer/TV programs that are claimed to support
intelligence development, during this period when language development
is not complete and they need one-to-one social relationships with their parents the most. The American Academy of Pediatrics
recommends that children under the age of two should never be exposed to television or computers. In later years, this period is 15-20 minutes at most, provided that it is with the family
. Recent studies reveal that programs that claim to support babies' intelligence and language development actually delay language development. Do not introduce your child to technological games
until he is 2 years old, do not let him stay in front of the television, phone or tablet, do not distract him with them, do not feed him.
Take time to do enjoyable things with the child every day. During this period,
enjoy spending time with the child without trying to teach him anything, directing him, or criticizing him, and make the child feel this. Apart from daily special times
, going on family picnics, camping on the weekends
Read: 0
