Technology today is undeniably
developing fast. For many people, especially the younger generation, internet,
smart phones, social networks and other new technologies are shaping their
lives. For example is the recent statistics about smartphone and tablet
ownership. According to BI Intelligence, Business Insider’s subscription
research service, by the end of 2013, global smartphone ownership will increase
from 5% of the global population in 2009 to 22%. This actually estimates to
around 1.3 billion smartphones in just 4 years. On the average, there will be
at least two smartphones for every nine people on earth. On the other hand,
tablets are showing faster ownership rates than smartphones. It took
smartphones four years to reach a 6% ownership when the devices first
registered in the global level. Tablets accomplished this in just 2 years. In
the Philippines alone, according to
Singapore-based research firm GfK, there had been a staggering 326%
increase in smartphone sales in 2012, which is the highest jump in smartphone
marketing share among its neighbouring countries. With these sample research
statistics, you can see how fast and easy people can acquire and use technology
today.
Smartphones and tablets are
undeniably booming fast. It does not only capture the adult market but it is
now slowly turning out as a must have for the younger generation as well. When
you’re a busy parent, giving your baby or child a tablet, smartphone or letting
him watch television is an easy way to keep them entertained. You may also feel
it’s important for your child to get a head start on learning digital skills.
But many experts worry that too much screen time may be harmful for babies and
for children. The Royal College of Paediatrics, Child Health and Common Sense
Media Research Study reports that children are getting more exposed to screen
for longer amounts of time than ever before. This widespread of availability of
these gadgets is causing concern amongst doctors worldwide.
The key
findings were: There has been a huge increase in use of mobile media by young
children over the past two years: The average amount of time children spend
using mobile devices has tripled, from five minutes a day to 15 minutes a day
(the average daily use among all 0- to 8-year-olds); The number of kids who've
used mobile devices has nearly doubled (38% to 72%); 38% of toddlers and
infants under 2 have used a mobile device, compared to 10% in 2011. The average
time spent with "traditional" screen media (TV, DVDs, computers, and
video games) has decreased by more than a half-hour a day (though overall
screen time is down by 21 minutes, with mobile time up 10 minutes). However, TV
viewing on a TV set still makes up half of all screen time. Access to mobile
media among poor and minority children is much higher than it was two years
ago, but a digital divide persists. Twenty percent of lower-income kids have a
tablet compared to 63% of higher-income ones; and 35% of lower-income parents
have downloaded educational apps for their kids, compared to 75% of
higher-income ones. Despite the dramatic changes of the past two years,
television still reigns supreme in children's media lives, though new ways of
watching now make up a large portion of viewing. It is the medium children use
most frequently, by far: nearly six out of 10 children (58%) watch TV at least
once a day, compared to 17% who use mobile devices on an everyday basis, 14%
who are daily computer users, and 6% who play video games every day. Even among
infants and toddlers, screen media use dwarfs time spent reading. In a typical
day, children under 2 spend more than twice as much time watching television
and DVDs (55 minutes) as they do reading or being read to (19 minutes). People
who conducted the research and survey find the results as an extraordinary
shift for the younger generation. In the past they could measure and control
exactly where, when and how children are engaging with screens. Now, mobile
devices follow children from room to room. No other medium was able to take
hold amongst little kids this fast.
Digital
media is a part of daily life, and your child is likely to be very adept at
using it from a young age. As a parent, you can guide your child by setting
rules and expectations early on. Smartphones and tablets are just one part of
the media mix that children encounter everyday, so it makes sense to take an
overview. Doctors advised some simple steps to keep screen time in check: Limit
your toddler’s exposure as much as possible. Bear in mind that, as a busy
parent, it is easy to overestimate how active your child is. Second, Keep TV’s
and computers out of your child’s bedroom. Third, don’t let your child on
screen for more than two hours in a day in total. Help your child to monitor
her screen use so that she can develop an awareness of time spent. That way
she’ll learn to manage screen time as she grows. Last, choose programs that
have an educational element. When you are choosing an app for your child, try
to make sure it’s relevant to the things she is learning at home or preschool.
That way, the app may help to reinforce her learning.
References:
Zero to Eight:
Children’s Media Use in America 2013
A Common Sense Media Research Study
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