Two out of every three children, at risk of being addicted to new technologies

Two out of every three children, at risk of being addicted to new technologies

Pediatricians recommend not using screens in children under 18 months

The impact that screens could cause in childhood and adolescence has always been a cause for concern, a problem that was born with the arrival of cinema to the lives of citizens.

The use that children make of screens can bring undoubted benefits, such as favoring contact with the outside world, interpersonal communication and being an innovative element of leisure and entertainment, among others.

 However, its use is accompanied by risks and damages such as: developing unhealthy habits, receiving inaccurate information, access to inappropriate or harmful content, violation of privacy and cyberbullying.

The Spanish Society of Outpatient Primary Care Paediatrics aims to provide answers to the families of children who start with new technologies.

The use of the computer in childhood is very widespread and even more the use of the network. This screen is used by minors from very early ages increasing their Internet connections throughout childhood, from 43.6%, between three and six years, to over 90% in adolescence, when connections to the network surpass television viewing.

According to data from 2017 of the National Observatory of telecommunications and the Information Society (ONTSI), 94.2% of households with children have a computer, 77.6% of tablets and 95.6% have access to the internet in the house. Seven out of ten children aged 10 to 15 have a mobile phone and more than 90% have used the Internet in the last 3 months.

As regards the mobile phone, there is a clear difference in availability according to the age of the children. 90% of children aged 13 to 15 have a mobile phone compared to 48% of those aged 10 to 12. Children between 10 and 12 years of age already use Internet 91.8%, mainly in their homes, and this percentage rises to 98.3% between 13 and 15 years.

The use of screens can bring benefits such as access to information and knowledge, is a way of entertainment and fun and promotes socialization and interpersonal relationships. They are a powerful didactic tool and very useful for school tasks.

 As risks they can hinder intrafamilial communication and reduce time for other activities, expose minors to false information, or inappropriate content, in addition to exposing them to compromise their privacy. They can also see their dream altered and encourage a sedentary lifestyle.

The European consortium EU Net ADB, in the study on Addictive Internet Behavior among adolescents, defines them as: «a pattern of behavior characterized by the loss of control over its use, which leads gradually to the isolation and neglect of social relations , of the academic and recreational activities, as well as in the health and the personal hygiene ». In Europe, addictive behaviors are presented by 1.2% of adolescents and 12.7% are at risk of suffering it. In Spain, these values ​​are higher reaching 1.5% and 21.3%, respectively.