In my first part of "The children of today: Have smartphones destroyed a generation?", I wrote about how the life has changed since smartphones are on the market. Children have easy access to the internet therefore enough admission into nearly everything.
Many of my readers agreed when I said children are getting access to smartphones way too early. The suicide rate has risen incredibly after the first iPhone was on the market and there are many more problems young teens have to fight with.
Jean M. Twenge will put out an amazing book about why today’s super-connected kids are growing up less rebellious, more tolerant, less Happy and completely unprepared for adulthood. The book is called iGen and is on pre-order right know. Jean M. Twenge is a professor at San Diego State University, a doctor of psychology and published on August 22 her fourth book "iGen". She devotes herself in this book to researching a generation that does not only know a world without any internet, but also has such a close relationship with her phone that she takes this even into her bed. She also gives a little review in the following article published by "The Atlantic".
I believe this book is going to be very interesting, especially for young parents or parents to be. But also we adults should think about whether we use our smartphone correctly and if its necessary to take it with us all the time and being reachable 24/7.
What is happening with this generation?
Teens are meeting their friends less often than they used a few years ago. The statistics have changed since 2007 when the first iPhone was released. The weekly meeting have greatly reduced for 17 to 18 year olds from 2.9 to 2.3 meetings per week, for younger students from about 2.5 to 1.9 meetings per week. The reason? Because young people are chatting via Snapchat, Instagram, Twitter and Facebook more often so they dont need to meet up any more. The youth of today are in no hurry to leave "Hotel Mama" and stay for longer at home than previous generations. The development of an 18-year-old now corresponds to that of a 15-year-old 20 years ago.
This sounds so silly to me because humans have actually made progress.
What has the use of smartphones for physical effects ?
Neck and back pain
Kids these days are writing more text message by phone than to send emails from a PC, Laptops or to make phone calls. The rigid shoulder and back support with fast moving fingers is similar to screen work.
Eye disease
Anyone who is struggling to decipher texts on a screen - either because the writing is too small or because reflections or the like make the view more difficult - risks ocular suffering ranging from annoying and annoying to disability.
Wrists are burdened by touch screens
Alan Hedge, Director of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Laboratory at Cornell University, thinks the more the dorsiflexion of the wrist, the greater the risk of injury. But since we dont push the fingers too hard on the screen, everything will be okay for now.
These were just three types of physical effects by smartphones.
We shouldn´t forget that smartphone and access to the internet could also be very dangerous especially for the children. Only think about how easy rapists can connect with your child via social media. The kids can also be addicted to futuristic games more than ever.
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I personally think that kids should enjoy their childhood which means - playing with friends, doing some sports activities, follow their passion or just reading books in a tree house. Of course I would allow a mobile phone or even a smartphone with simple features at a certain age but I would also keep the control about it as much as possible.
So, not owning a smartphone does not include not using a phone! Statistics in Germany have shown that more than 70% of the children in daycare are using the smartphones of their parents longer than half an hour per day! Children up to 6 years of age, those who used intensive media found increased language development disorders and hyperactivity.
I was shocked while reading those informations! If any parent is interested in helping their child to get rid of the smartphone usage, try a conscious time out. Or just dont start giving the phone to them!
Also a huge impact is the dinner together! If parents are sitting at the table with their phones, children will try to copy them! Use the time to talk about how the day went so far, what happened and forget about the social media life for a moment! Start being a role model for your child or even for yourself!
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Is the whole generation destroyed? I dont think so. But if its getting worse just like it did in the past years than I would prefer the answer YES! We still have the control about our future and about the future of the generation beneath us.
Let´s make the best of it!
What is your point of you?
Have you made any bad experiences?
I would love to read your opinion in the comment section below.
Thanks for reading
Stay focused
Love, Soldier
*source 1,2,3,4,5,6,7- and other free stock photos from Google
Every new invention has some negative effect. I hope parents guide their children to make good use of smartphones. Nice article.
I agree, technology is not inherently good or bad. You can't blame the tech, only the people using it.
This is educative. Thanks for sharing..although children handling smart phones has its merits but from the look of things presently, one can safely say that the demerits outweighs the merit which is not good.
@soldier - Thanks for sharing this post with the community - I love seeing more posts about Children and the planets future than MEME contests or links to videos.
I am the father of a 23 month old daughter - my wife and I have used our cell phones with our daughter - only in the sense of learning and helping to fall asleep or not get bored in car rides - and we do limit the time
On one side - I agree with a of the detrimental effects of letting kids use smart phones - I truly truly do
However I do see an amazing benefit from them in limited spaces as well - Such as
Luckily my daughter never fights us when we take the phone away for any reason
A solution - may be a tablet that MUST be monitored in terms of usage and used inky for educational purposes and purposes described above as how we have seen using a smart phone help our child.
I hope this insight helps one parent decide to limit, pay closer attention to usage and make them think why they are allowing their child to use a phone.
Thanks again @soldier for sharing this great post. RESTEEMED, FOLLOWED, UPVOTED and likely will promote it heavily to help it he seen more by others :)
Thank you for this great input! We need more parents with the same mindset like you and your wife!
I think the most important thing is to keep the balance and to make sure to give the device on purpose. After reading your comment, I believe you know exactly what you are doing and this is totally different parents who give their kids smartphones just to employ them!
I appreciate your support and your passion about the health of our next generation!
Our kids are the first one's to have these small hand held devices. Neglectful parenting is not new, just the tech. It's not going to create a generation of mindless humans. It will further the disparities between the intelligent and stupid, possibly better than the rich/poor or fast/slow or articulate/quiet but i can see facilities, like logic, reawakening like ancient atavisms. Have faith, not in the next-gen, but simply in @walky123
Hey @soldier - Trust me we are on the same page as you - children are not easy to parent these days and far too many will plop them in front of a TV or a cell phone so they can get stuff done - these are the most crucial years of their life and will absorb as much info as possible - as long as they are exposed to it!!
I am going to purchase that book I think to read it and pass it along to other parents as well..
mostly people dont care it and its really dangrous for our physically health and u share in detail is also ur good work soldier
Thanks so much, appreciate it
Any woman who passes an entire human being through her vagina either cares, or is not an actual human being herself. Do not lose faith!
My oldest, @walky123 , hates the smartphone phenomena. I've given him full internet access and empowered him to purchase any electronics he desires......there's hope.......
Great!
He's a coding machine. At ten years old he found a single bad argument in my HTML5/ JS final project. 2000+ lines, hours of searching, wife looks for a few hours, then he sees it in about 3 minutes.
ur last article on new generations use cellphone and now this is a great work on steemit to warn people and i hope mamy person keep care after read ur this article
Glad you like it!
So as a parents, we should make some rules for them to use the smartphone for example several hour per day instead of stop them to use coz there are many functions / puzzle games on smartphone.
Thats true, we should make rules and not deny the whole device. I mean, forbid it if the child is too young is okay, but I think at a certain age we should just create rules instead of taking it away
I make each offspring research a little and create their own rules. They make great rules, but discipline to follow the rules is pretty much all on me and mom ( @bluemoona )
its a great work and i think best to inform people which they dont know and some forget if they know and its really very helpfull post to ourself and our childs protectiomns from these dangrous uses of smartphone i also resteemed it to read also more people and care in next from it
Thank you a lot, appreciate the support!
Do you have any solution to this problem as smartphone is a need of today world I think we can only make ourself and loved ones aware.
Nice post. In my opinion smart phones are really necessary in this century but we should never get so involved in it that we lose our humanity. It's really hard to go out these days and talk with someone and actually connect without any interference from our smart phones.
I feel the same way. I wrote in my first first that I am thankful to own a smartphone. I am able to connect with friends and family wherever I am, I can call at any time and it´s also a great technology for researches on the go. But we need to find the balance
Exactly. Inherently, smartphones are not "bad". When there is an imbalance between time spent together IRL (in real life) and Internet time, that's when problems tend to arise.
Balance is a key to happiness and fulfillment!
Couldn´t say it any better! Balance is the key, totally agree with that
I totally turn mine off for hours or even days. It's a nice discipline, synchronous communication is not a phone.
I tell my kids that they get the IPADs only after they have X number of hours in the backyard of with friends.
Great way to teach children!
I switch off my WIFI when my nephew and niece visit me.
Very good! Many more people should do that
I think yes i'm 25 years old and when i was a child i used to play all day long outside now you can't see children playing outside because they are playing with their smartphones or videogames
Same for me! I used to play outside the whole day. It sounds silly, but even if it was raining, my day started outside ....
Sure soldier it's really sad
But I think we can we a change. Our generation has felt both worlds. Now we should help the younger generation to create a balance between technology and real life
yes soldier they need to have a balance, but it's horrible when you see people eating in the same table and without cross any word because they are in their smartphones
Oh yes, I have experienced the same! People are eating together, meeting up and sitting on their phones without talking a word. Its not only about children, I believe the adults should create a balance too!
Totally agree soldier, people has to be educated in order to take advantage of technology you know internet is a tool to improve your knowledge not just to stay all day long chatting. Soldier a pleasure exchange words and ideas with you :)
awesome post on it and i have an example of my nephew smart phone effects on his eye and he is only on 10 now
wow, sad to hear it. But many more people should hear about that so they will change anything for their kids
yes u r right its many side effect to use smartphone on physically and also feel good u again make post on it
So true, thanks for that
My daughters are in their 30's! But at any age, I think tech free time is important. I'm working on it myself! My neck bothers me a lot. I think I-phone use has a lot to do with it.
Totally agree with that!
No matter how old you are, you should take some time out and focus on the real life.
Yes! Absolutely! :))
No one can deny that technology plays an important role in our daily life. I think that it's here to enhance our lives not to ruin it I agree with you on every point you mention. let me add my insight, the tremendous harm that technology cause is in communication it makes us nearer from too far people also too far from near people. its too sad when you see a family which every person focus in his phone communicate with far folks while missing the closest people. indeed its too harmful especially for kids and they see the consequences in their adulthood . thank's for sharing such a great content @soldier . glad to found you.
Thank you so much, appreciate it ! We need to find the balance between social life - real people and smartphones !
exactly @soldier that the point. I hope we could deliver this message and succeed to teach the kids that the smartphone is just a tool we use it for multiple uses but not to spent our whole day on it that's very boring.
Thats it and we need more adults with your mindset! Using the device for certain activities is completely okay!
I think that we better introduce kids to inspiring books and movies first and teach them the purpose of life. we're not here to waste our time chatting online scrolling down on facebook page hope to reach the end of the page its too sad when I saw people spent all the day surfing the web doing nothing and in fact to be able to access the internet its such a treasure to learn anything you could've imagine its up to you to decide how to use the technology its literally a double edged weapon.
have a wonderful day @soldier
Couldn´t say it any better! Thanks for the input
it's a pleasure to have someone like you
followed you and excited to see your future posts @soldier
i think people now like a zombie, problem is in phone is more interested than in real life, so this and next generation will be more in internet if people dont encourage somehow real life :)
I believe so too :(
thank you
Your welcome !
It is quiet sad , and I blame tv and parents that let their kids do this , they get "tired or don't want to deal with them" and hand them smartphones . People should just try not to use it in front of their kids to they don't ask for it , it gives them a brighter future . The light is even very bad for their eyes. I don't plan on using my phone in front of my son . I was 16 when I got my first phone , now 6 year old kids in school have phones . The time is changing , people are changing , society is going down hill..
What happen to playing hide and seek , tag , and sports outside ? I miss seeing kids do that
Oh I miss seeing kids playing hide and seek, tag and sports outside !!! That is exactly how my childhood looked like. Even in school we played those games !
I am so happy that your mindset is the same as mine especially because you´re a mom to be!
Me too and I hope the future generations can learn before there's no hope . Cheers woman 🥂
I hope so too! Cheers back :)
thank you
Your welcome
Excellent and very timely post. The smart phones and devices are great conveniences but time spent on them should be regulated. There needs to be time to connect in person and live a life in reality. If not done, we become warped and estranged from others.
Couldnt say it any better!
It's not that bad. They just don't need to use it too often. And be active.
Yeah thats the point, to find the balance.
Keep them wayfaraway from the kids as much as possible.
YES
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Thanks, such a cute idea
Very true,when i was a kid i used to play Cricket, Football, Table Tennis etc(along with video games). But I don't find the same with today's generation. I see kids playing games with cell phone all the time. They are becoming some sort of anti-social .And these technology can also lead to some disorder later stage of their life.
Playing video games sometimes is totally okay. It´s fun and I would allow my kids to play their favorite games sometimes too ( If I had kids lol ) But this generation is completely different, I totally agree with you
yep my kids wont be getting them for a long time, that can wait they need fresh air and excercise! great post :)
Great mindset!!!
there are plenty of other life lessons that need teaching to them before technology, im so glad we dont have a tv!
Pretty soon world championships will be paid on smart devices.
I´m sure this will happen soon and after that they will get paid by Bitcoin!
This post has received a 3.13 % upvote from @drotto thanks to: @upboat.
Thanks ! :)
It's just a phase, just like how television used to be 'the thing' to do. As technology matures it will tackle all the downsides of smartphones. Maybe we will have holograms or augmented reality glasses, who knows.
It's not that millenials are not ready for the world; it's just that the world is outdated for millenials. The way we think they should act, is the old way, just like how our grandparents always used to hammer it into us that their old skool way was much healthier and better.
TL;DR: We are turning into our grandparents
haha I see - we do. I just hope that the technology will be better for our health in the future. Of course it´s just a phase, totally agree with you! But will the new technology be better or worse ? Nobody knows
Yes smartphones has almost become an extension of us. Which.. is a bit too much. I am not sure also that having an electronic device so close to our body is good for the body. I mean electricity has an electro magnetic field that might change things at the cellular level. Especially for children who are not yet completely grown.
Thats the point! Totally agree with that! Its unhealthy and the radiations cant be good for you. We need to find the balance
Its just a revolution. 20 Years down the line we will something new with all the AI stuff.
Yes, I agree with that
I agree
thank you
upvote
Thanks! Appreciate it
Its just a new generation and we need to start accepting it.
Thats the problem. Of course its a new generation but do you want to see them suffering from physical pain? In my opinion we are here to help
agree. We need to teach them how to balance outdoor and indoor activities.
Yes, thats it! Balance is the key
The thing i find funny about this subject is that when you see some people sitting around a table, there is no laughter or conversations, everyone is just wiping their finger over their smarthphone doing stuff on it haha. It is hilarious to see.
internet and smartphones are the most useful thing in life if you can use them correctly. i agree that people in front of iphone for 8h/day are just idiots and losing their life.
Nice post. Health is a great blessing of God. If your health is good then you can win every thing in life. Yes we should take care of our health as its a great treasure. Inspired from your mindset and started to follow you.
This is a good post about the health and well being of our future generation. I think that parents have to take leadership in this issue because the problem starts from home. Thanks for sharing , you always have my upvote and support. Sehr Schön..
This post about addiction inspired me to write an article about it, feel free to see it-I mentioned you there.More success to you.
I know a kid who knew how to write on keybord but he didn't know any letters! He just remebered the sequence. He was 4 years old. It still amazes me :)
I have 3 children: with great power comes great responsibility..... I am also the parent of @walky123 . We need merely study a few simple, logical concepts; what is synchronous communication? What is the value of that? When is asynchronous communication better? I ask myself this question: when do I need to write in cursive? I love everything you post, @soldier , but I would wager you are not yet a parent (wouldn't bet more than one sbd!). The way our kids (probably you and I ) cannot remember a dozen phone numbers any more is a fact of life. There is a trade off of great value here, by allocating that brain space we can return to classical logic and maybe Boolean logic. Also google "Dopamine Squirt"....the rabbit hole might be deeper than any of us has seen. Thanx again for actual thought-provoking content. You're really making steem happen!
Huh..? Plagiarism? I'm pretty sure @soldier is the author of these posts.. Maybe this checker is talking about the images?
Images could be ! I forgot the sources, thanks for that! I will add those
the checker only checked a chuck of the text, no images.
meep
Tough crowd aye? @soldier - dive had the plagiarism police come after me for not citing things that I wrote myself on my own website that I own publicly and can be verified easily through GoDaddy and other sites.
I think a post this well put together and well written on a topic that is no comparison of importance to a few image citations forgotten is a major problem with STEEMIT..
a word for word verbatim plagiarism piece is one thing - but an article to truly help save future generations, children and to educate the parents of these children is of grand importance. I believe in keeping plagiarism out of STEEMIT and citing posts / but I also believe a short text reminder to cite an image would do just as much justice and allow the author to correct it and cite it than draw attention away from the post by posting a large image that many readers of the comments will be drawn to. Just my opinion - I'm probably going to be hunted down by the plagiarism police if I missed an image in a past post but it's worth it time to me to express my voice. I will leave a separate comment on the article itself - which is very well written and put together @soldier
the checker only checked a chuck of the text, no images.
try a better option next time.
Yes you´re right! Thanks for the help, appreciate it
Hi a big upvote from me @moonleesteem, check out part six of my thriller story!
( Nice New Design... Soldier)
Ya smart phones are too harmful for children. Children are handling mob in their school while teacher is teaching in class so that it affects on their study also.....
I can see the effect clearly from my cousin who is 7 he doesn't have a friend but it's seem like he doesn't even care, he doesn't go out and play instead of playing mobile game. I was worried if the new generation focus on IoTs the relationship between family and friend will be less.
This is SO real, not even funny. I have a 5 year old and a 4 year old, and this is one of my main concerns as a single mom trying to rise 2 kids in this age, is just SO easy to give them a phone to let us "get things done" I'm guilty, but articles like these helps us make better decisions. Thank you! B
I have no doubt that there are physical issues with using cell phones. The goal, since multipurpose cell phones are here to stay, should be to use exercises to counter act the effects. At least, that's my thought on it.
Upvoted! Thank you for sharing!
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Smart Phones are too harmful for People! after that people use daily 4 to 5 hours
I didn't even think about the medical impacts like neck, back, eye and wrist pain much. I think we can attribute, at least in part, this epidemic to parents as well.
More parents are working now than ever. Cell phones and texting weren't even a thing 20 to 30 years ago, but we have cultivated a society of pocket-sized-techno-gadget-dependents. <- Just made that up :)
I digress. My suggestion is for parents and guardians to engage with children more. Take them out somewhere. Introduce recreation early and often. Set boundaries, then lead by example.
Not just for parents, but for any major influence in the child's life.
Very thorough and informative post as usual, @soldier.