Children are becoming unsocial, and self-centred and their mental growth is being hindered as technology has grabbed their childhood world.
Availability of mobile phones, absence of parents and lack of outdoor and indoor games have increased their addiction to many technological devices including mobile phones which are creating various types of health hazards to the children.
According to a study in the USA, children who use mobile phones for 5-6 hours a day have lower mental growth than normal children.
Besides, research by the World Health Organization (WHO) said, 66 per cent of children in Bangladesh do not spend even an hour a day for exercise.
Ophthalmologists and Psychiatrists told Bangladesh Pratidin that due to excessive addiction to electronic devices like mobile phones, tablets, laptops and computers, children's eyesight is getting damaged. Their mental growth is also hampered. For this, now children aged 6-15 years are seen going to the doctor with eye and mental problems.
They said mobile addiction is one of the reasons behind the children who are now suffering from mental problems and one of the causes of myopia.
In Bangladesh, this scenario has increased due to the Covid-19 pandemic while most of the children passed their days home as their school remained closed for a long period.
Although educational institutions have re-opened, children are still doing most of their entertainment activities like watching cartoons, playing games on electronic devices and watching movies on their mobile phones.
Ophthalmologist Dr Zafrul Hassan told Bangladesh Pratidin that the maximum number of children who come to him with their parents have short-sightedness problems. This is happening due to excessive mobile phone addiction.
Bangladesh Association of Psychiatrists president and mental health specialist of Square Hospital Prof Waziul Alam Chowdhury told Bangladesh Pratidin that due to the addiction to mobiles and other electronic devices, children are being affected with various health problems which have already gone to a terrible level.
“Due to addition to technology children have also a negative impact on their personality. Children are becoming self-centred. The risk of depression and anxiety is more for such kind of children,” he said.
Waziul Alam said parents have to play an important role to bring back their children from this unwanted situation. Parents should choose alternative ways without allowing them to use other devices including mobiles.
@ The article appeared in print and online versions of The Bangladesh Pratidin on September 17 and has been rewritten in English by Tanvir Raihan and Golam Rosul.
