{"id":7599,"date":"2017-01-24T20:31:32","date_gmt":"2017-01-25T03:31:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/?p=7599"},"modified":"2024-08-15T16:53:32","modified_gmt":"2024-08-15T22:53:32","slug":"overuse-electronics-not-good-thing","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/overuse-electronics-not-good-thing\/","title":{"rendered":"Overuse of electronics is not a good thing"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/div>
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Photo: Getty Images.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

It\u2019s not unusual for Dr. Vernon Rubick<\/a> to see a patient who has a child in tow. He is, after all, a family practice physician. It\u2019s also not unusual for a parent to hand a child a cell phone to keep them occupied while the adult consults with the doctor.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s amazing,\u201d he said, \u201cbut even toddlers can manipulate the device.\u201d<\/p>\n

That concerns Dr. Rubick, DO, and lead physician at North Springs Family Medicine, part of UCHealth Primary Care in Colorado Springs.<\/p>\n

The American Academy of Pediatrics<\/a> warns that children between the ages of 8 and 18 average 7\u00bd hours of entertainment media per day, according to a 2010 study by the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation. And Rubick added that children younger than 2 should not be using them at all.<\/p>\n

They \u201care not supposed to have any of that stimulation because their brains are still neurologically developing and it can have a detrimental effect on that.\u201d<\/p>\n

The total time most school-age kids spend on electronic devices, from cellphones to computer screens, often includes time in the classroom or doing homework. The use of technology in a learning environment has its benefits.<\/p>\n

\u201cRemember when we were in school and had to use the Dewey Decimal System to look up things at the library to find stuff?\u00a0 Reports that took us all semester now can be done in a night,\u201d Dr. Rubick said.<\/p>\n

In moderation, hand-held devices and video games also can be good for hand-eye coordination, he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut they become such a time dump \u2013 they don\u2019t even know how long they\u2019re playing and before you know it, it can be multiple hours. It\u2019s really important for parents to monitor the time. Use an egg timer if you have to.\u201d<\/p>\n

Over-use of electronic devices can have a definite down-side, too, he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt can affect a child\u2019s ability to sleep because the constant visual stimulation doesn\u2019t allow the brain to \u2018relax\u2019 \u2013 to get into a state where it\u2019s ready to sleep.\u201d<\/p>\n

That, in turn, can affect attention span and learning ability in school the next day.<\/p>\n

Overuse of electronic devices also has been shown to be a factor in childhood obesity.<\/p>\n

\"A
Dr. Vernon-Rubick recommends parents reduce the time children spend using electronics.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cInstead of going outside and playing, they\u2019ll sit and do a low-calorie-burning activity, like playing video games and watching TV. And there are a lot of ads (on TV) for unhealthy food that kids will be stimulated to eat. Both adults and kids eat more when we watch TV.\u201d<\/p>\n

There also may be a link to behavior problems, he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s definitely links to social things which can lead to depression and anxiety,\u201d he said. \u201cStudies show they get into a pleasure state (from dopamine) which provides a source of immediate gratification. In the real world, that doesn\u2019t happen. It takes time to make friends or to succeed at something.\u201d<\/p>\n

Kids can develop the inability to make social interactions, he added.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt feeds upon itself. \u00a0They can become depressed, irritable, angry or withdrawn. A lot of behavior problems can be related to too much screen-time. And though we can\u2019t blame all problems on Johnny watching too much TV, there is some evidence to show that increased screen-time does increase behavior problems.\u201d<\/p>\n

The problem often becomes worse as children age.<\/p>\n

\u201cI do see, especially in teen-agers, that their phone has become like a secondary organ,\u201d Rubick said. \u201cWhen they get up on the table for an exam, they bring the phone with them.\u00a0 They seem to feel like if a friend texts them they have to text them back right now.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere is definitely a conditioned response for kids to be interacting through their devices all the time.\u201d<\/p>\n

Kids don\u2019t call a friend and talk on the phone any more, he has noticed. They text.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a replacement for reality,\u201d he said, \u201cand kids today are not experiencing life as we have known it to this point.\u201d<\/p>\n

Because there is not as much real-life interaction, he said, today\u2019s youth have \u201ca hard time recognizing body language. They\u2019re not developing those subconscious but essential human skills they will need in real life.\u201d<\/p>\n

In his practice, he urges parents to arrange these real-life interactions with their children through play, sports or clubs.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd in the process, they also learn other skills, such as sportsmanship,\u201d he said. In these real-life interactions, children learn to deal with losing a game or not being the best at something. They come out of isolation and get a better idea of what the real world is about, he added.<\/p>\n

Parenting has changed over the years, he said, \u201cbut kids still need structured boundaries. We know that kids do better with well-structured boundaries.\u201d<\/p>\n

So by limiting their time on electronic devices, \u201cwe\u2019re doing them a favor,\u201d he said. \u201cThey don\u2019t understand it now, but they\u2019ll appreciate it in the future.\u201d<\/p>\n

Though he doesn\u2019t label their dependence upon their devices an addiction, he does think that withdrawal from them should be done in stages.<\/p>\n

Start with how much time a child is spending on devices, then cut it back gradually, he suggested.<\/p>\n

\u201cBelieve me, it\u2019ll be easier on both the kids and the parents. So gradual withdrawal is the best way to do it.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

It\u2019s not unusual for Dr. Vernon Rubick to see a patient who has a child in tow. He is, after all, a family practice physician. It\u2019s also not unusual for a parent to hand a child a cell phone to keep them occupied while the adult consults with the doctor. \u201cIt\u2019s amazing,\u201d he said, \u201cbut […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":18,"featured_media":21069,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_relevanssi_hide_post":"","_relevanssi_hide_content":"","_relevanssi_pin_for_all":"","_relevanssi_pin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_unpin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_include_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_exclude_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_no_append":"","_relevanssi_related_not_related":"","_relevanssi_related_posts":"","_relevanssi_noindex_reason":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[202,9187],"class_list":["post-7599","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-healthy-living","tag-pediatric-care","tag-readysetco"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nOveruse of electronics is not a good thing - UCHealth Today<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"It\u2019s not unusual for Dr. Vernon Rubick to see a patient who has a child in tow. 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