Introduction
Personal computers and smartphone devices have become increasingly accessible to preschoolers, especially with occasional upgrades and more powerful devices. However, problematic smartphone use has raised several arguments about the potential implications of these technologies for their cognitive and learning development.
Although some researchers associate smartphone exposure with positive effects like access to information and educational tools, the excessive use of these devices puts preschoolers at risk of disrupted sleep patterns and reduced concentration. In addition, it can expose children to inappropriate content or cyber-bullying that can affect their behaviors and social development. A term related to smartphones’ extensive use among children is Problematic Smartphone Use (PSU). By inspecting the associated risks, this paper aims to answer the question of what effects PSU has on the physical and mental health of preschoolers and identify some possible causes for the matter.
Sleeping Patterns Disruption
The PSU-caused sleeping pattern disruption is acknowledged by various studies. According to research conducted in South Korea, PSU is notorious for poor sleep quality, neglect of other activities, and eyesight problems (Park and Park, 2021). A possible reason for that is the caregivers’ treatment of their children’s smartphone use as a negotiation tool. Parents might allow their children to use smartphones not to be distracted during work, to put children to sleep or to make them eat during the appropriate time (Park and Park, 2021). Consequently, children might decide to entertain themselves instead of going to sleep right away. Vaterlaus and Dawn associate sleep disturbance with the use of smartphones at night (16). Among the individual complaints collected during the smartphone usage survey, “not getting enough sleep” occurred rather frequently (Vaterlaus and Dawn 13). Meanwhile, Camerini et al. connected sleeping disruption with social media use (2492). In particular, “smartphone use is associated with a consistent increase in social networking and entertainment activities,” which in turn affects other individuals’ areas of life, including sleep time (2492). Overall, preschool children seem to disrupt their sleeping routines by using smartphones in bed, thus interfering with their sleep patterns.
Sleep patterns disruption presents itself as a side effect of increased screen time due to PSU. Many school-going students find it hard to put away their devices, encouraging them to use them while in bed. However, problems with sleep are not the only detrimental side effect of night-time smartphone use. In this context, many preschoolers use smartphone devices at night when their rooms are dark. Therefore, their eyes directly absorb all the light emitted by the screen (Chibi et al. 621). This light is harmful to the pupil and can affect eye health, resulting in headaches and associated conditions. Consequently, children with insufficient sleep time and health issues can start to experience difficulties in other life areas, studying among them.
Diminished Concentration Level
Preschool children between three and six years undergo significant cognitive, linguistic, and psychosocial developmental processes. Based on gathered statistics, Park and Park’s study shows that smartphones are generally first used at the age of four to five years, with the period of first exposure decreasing gradually (2021). Inappropriate smartphone use patterns formed in early childhood due to PSU can severely impact children’s future. Contemporary studies report that preschoolers’ average daily screen time (approximately four hours per day) substantially exceeds the recommended time (Park and Park, 2021). Unfortunately, preschoolers’ excessive screen time does not contribute to their development and might increase the risk of inattention issues.
Having access to the internet and the learning opportunities it offers does not necessarily mean an increase in children’s academic performance. According to Camerini et al., access to knowledge does not imply children’s ability to turn it into an educational benefit (2492). Moreover, only the use for solely educational purposes can positively impact school performance, which is not always the case considering the internet entertainment availability (Camerini et al. 2492). In this regard, studies on multitasking uncovered unpleasant tendencies: preschoolers who occasionally use smartphones may exhibit poor concentration. Smartphone use for social media and instant messaging during class or homework has adverse short-term effects on academic performance (Camerini et al. 2492). In addition, constantly dispersed attention leads to obtaining scattered learning habits, which further lowers children’s performance. Finally, PSU can affect children’s attitude to studying – they might not want to pay attention to learning, concentrating on fun, games, social networking, and media instead.
In this context, diminished concentration level on the matters positively contributing to the children’s development is accompanied by increased concentration on distracting topics. Rodrigues et al. conducted a survey on screen time among children and concluded that PSU increases the odds of preferring social isolation to interaction with family or peers (8). In addition to social isolation, the concentration on device use contributes to the development of other adverse behaviors, such as passive eating or a sedentary lifestyle. The most common content preference was found to be TV and video (Rodrigues et al. 6). Screen time increases significantly in the case of PSU due to children’s ability to choose the viewed content.
It leads to another issue connected to poor children’s academic performance – the simplicity and intuitiveness of information accessible through the internet. Smartphones make access to information even more straightforward, fast, and intuitive. As a result, preschoolers can get used to quick solutions and applications that limit their drive to learn and advance their knowledge. With time, these students may not see the need to master complicated arithmetic and scientific concepts that are available on the internet in their completed state, which might affect their eagerness to gain knowledge (Chibi et al. 628). Subsequently, diminished motivation to learn can adversely impact their development.
Exposure to Explicit Content and Cyber-Bullying
Although age restrictions and parental control settings significantly limit explicit content, it is impossible to control the information children access over the internet and the people or content they interact with. That being said, some children have access to content that robs them of their innocence and interferes with their behaviors (Chibi et al. 630). In addition, they may be introduced to extreme violence, which may foster negative behaviors.
One possible issue might be explained by the nature of contemporary screen media’s means of entertainment. Beyens et al. characterize it as “violent, arousing, and fast-paced” (9875). In this regard, they imply the mutual relationship between children’s media use and negative behavior patterns, such as excessive inattention, impulsivity, hyperactivity, and carelessness. Fast program pacing belongs to the indirect effects media has on children. Its impact has mainly been explored in experimental studies providing mixed results.
On the one hand, children who viewed a fast-paced program did experience more attentional problems after viewing the program in comparison to children who watched a slow-paced program or children who engaged in drawing (Beyens et al. 9876). On the other hand, the children’s attentional problems could be caused by the fantastical content rather than the program’s pace. To address that ambiguity, Beyens et al. reviewed a study that relied on a sample of 4-year-olds. Children at this age cannot yet distinguish between fantasy and realistic content (Beyens et al. 9876). Unfortunately, some of the content used in that study might have been excessively complex for sampled children. It leaves the question of whether the increase in concentration problems can be caused by the fantastical content or the children’s inability to comprehend the content material. Overall, it seems that the program pacing role requires more specific studies to come to a clear and definitive understanding.
Unlike research on program pace effects on children’s behavioral patterns, studies regarding violent media content have primarily relied on correlational surveys rather than experiments, which makes their results more consistent. For instance, it was confirmed that exposure to violent content is positively related to attention problems and hyperactivity (Beyens et al. 9877). However, most studies into the connection between media violence and behavioral patterns are cross-sectional, discouraging any conclusions about the causality of the relationship.
Cyberbullying presents another danger that children might encounter on the internet. It can be defined as the behavior conducted in cyberspace via digital communication, which is intentionally aggressive (Budnik et al. 4). Among its manifestations are receiving offensive or threatening messages by a child, demonstrative child’s removal from social networks or communities established there, or creating such communities of hatred for an individual child instead. Since learning to socialize is significantly important in the case of preschoolers, exposure to cyberbullying can provide a poor experience and an example for the child to learn. Consequently, the more smartphone uses children’s display, the more likely they are to face cyberbullying.
Thankfully, not all of the online content can be considered detrimental. For instance, Silva Piola et al. studied applications available on online platforms that tend to motivate users to practice physical activity (665). They confirmed the reciprocal relationship between the quality of applications and provided behavior change techniques (Silva Piola et al. 673). However, the choice of applications for their study was subjected to certain limits; the major limitation was the fact that these applications were not recommended based on their physical activity promotion. Consequently, their overall positive contribution might be lower than anticipated.
Conclusion
These days, preschoolers readily have access to smart devices and phones without the required supervision on how to use them. As a result, they adopt PSU habits that are detrimental to their growth and learning development. The inappropriate use of smartphones is damaging to physical and mental health because it alters normal body functioning. For instance, the improper use of smart devices at night can lead to eye damage and diminished concentration in class. In addition, PSU can tarnish children’s innocence by exposing them to societal immorality. Thus, smart devices are high-risk innovations that should be checked to limit diversities. Moreover, the uncontrolled use of smartphones can expose preschoolers to cyberbullying or strangers who may lure and harm them. Therefore, it is important to investigate the levels of PSU among preschoolers, potential causes, and how to limit adverse outcomes.
Works Cited
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