Scientists explain why children should not be given gadgets to calm them down
Miscellaneous / / April 05, 2023
If you do this often, the child will not learn to cope with emotions.
Modern parents often distract the child from the tantrum with the screen of a smartphone or tablet. It may seem that this behavior is optimal for both the parent and the child: the effect is often instantaneous, so this method is being resorted to more and more often.
At the same time, appetites only grow with time. The child will want to spend more and more time on a smartphone or tablet, while neither he nor his parents will pay enough attention to learning healthier ways to control emotions. This can lead to problems with emotional development. This is evidenced by the results of the new research, which was held from August 2018 to January 2020 on 422 families with children aged 3-5 years.
The study found that regular use of gadgets to calm the child leads to more frequent mood swings and increased impulsivity. This was especially noticeable in boys, who had previously demonstrated impulsivity and hyperactivity. With the constant distraction of screens, they couldn't develop ways to deal with emotions on their own.
Of course, completely isolating the child from technology will not work - and this is useless. Moderate use of smartphones or tablets will not hurt if the family does not consider them the main way to calm the child.
The researchers also suggested several techniques that could be used instead of gadgets. So, it is recommended to use different senses (for example, listen to music, crush plasticine in your hands or jump on a trampoline) and ask the child to name and describe his emotions so that he learns to better understand what feels.
You can also reinforce associations of specific emotions with colors to make it easier for your child to identify their feelings. Another useful technique is substitution behavior. The child should be explained that he can take out his anger by hitting a pillow, not a brother or friend.
All this should be said to the child when he is calm: then he will be able to use what he has learned during the next tantrum. It will take time for the effect to take hold, and it is important for parents to remain calm themselves and not overreact. This will not be easy, but it will help teach the child the mechanisms for working out emotions that he will use throughout his life.
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