Bchildren and smartphones, smartphones and children: for some time now, strollers have been transporting both. It would almost be laughable if we didn’t consider that a good part of the Brain development of our children occurs in the first 2-3 years of life. And even at that age our children increasingly spend part of their time with a technological device in their hand.
It is no coincidence that, except for the first few months, strollers face in the direction of travel, precisely to allow the child to explore the surrounding environment and recognize sounds, colors and shapes.
Smartphones and children, devices make parents’ lives easier. But at what price?
When you go to dinner at a restaurant or during car journeys or walks in the centre, the use of devices to avoid tantrums or limit children’s simple requests is increasingly widespread. Tablets and smartphones allow us to enjoy our lives, from shopping to travelling, without the risk of the baby starting to cry and disturbing us.
The peace of parents, however, can represent a problem for the mental health of their children. Artificial serenity takes its toll, perhaps not the next day, but undoubtedly in the long term: in terms of well-being and cognitive development. «Digital devices interfere with contact, relationships and interaction», explains Stefania Manetti, President of the Cultural Association of Pediatricians. «The digital device can calm the baby when crying, but it affects his ability to self-regulate. Which instead is consolidated through the relationship with parents and thanks to exposure to good practices: such as reading, singing or playing together with mum and dad and, as they grow, with other children.”
Emotions and “tantrums”, parents must help the child to self-regulate
The Carolina Foundation study center also highlights the close link between brain development and emotional relationships. «Feeling that mum and dad are sensitive to his needs and are in tune with him is fundamental for the child: for his serenity and for his cognitive development», confirm the experts».
We feel comfortable on this topic suggest (to parents!) an animated film: Wall-EPixar’s 2008 masterpiece. A little dated but certainly far-sighted compared to the future we are designing for our children. In the film, what remains of humanity travels into space in search of a world to inhabit, but, rather than aiming for stars and planets, the passengers’ gaze is cast on the screen of floating mobile stations, each connected to the others, but in the total absence of physical interactions. Maybe it’s worth reversing course and pushing our strollers in another direction. Without devices.
There Carolina Foundationborn in memory of the fourteen-year-old Carolina Picchio (the first known Italian victim of cyberbullying in Italy), is today committed to the all-round protection of minors online, with national and international activities of awareness-raising, training, advocacy, research and emergency response. From the Research sector, the importance of information on digital and children for caring for the health of one’s children emerged as a priority. Not only with reference to adolescents, but also to protect babies with respect to the correct and conscious use of device, which have now entered everyone’s daily life. Carolina Foundation has created various awareness and information tools for parents, all accessible from the site Minorionline.com.
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