Technology has taken a toll on human well-being. Despite
the long-term effects of the excessive use of technological
devices, many people are obsessed with their gadgets. Unless something bad befalls gadget lovers or their family members, advice and reminders will fall on
deaf ears.
Smartphones and
tablets offer great advantages, but we should not turn a blind eye to their drawbacks.
Since the young are more exposed to the
negative effects of smartphone and tablet use, it is the responsibility of adults to
remind them.
Education starts at home. Hence, it is vital
for parents to teach their children the dos and don’ts in life. However, many
parents would rather coddle their children and buy them mobile devices as
they want their children to be sophisticated, trendy and tech-savvy. Although this
will create a win-win situation as parents and children make each other
happy, there are health problems parents may fail to foresee. Children’s inability to think maturely will result in grave repercussions. Worse, parental indulgence could lead to bad habits such as staring at screens all day and bad posture while texting.
American author Joyce Maynard said: “As
much as we watch to see what our children do with their lives, they are
watching to see what we do with ours.” Parents should present a good example to
children and ensure that they practise what they preach. This will make children admire and emulate them as role models.
Youngsters can be informed about
the side effects of smartphones and tablets through formal and
informal approaches. For instance, workshops, talks and activities can be
held in schools and varsities. Teachers, lecturers and administrators should act as
facilitators or speakers in the programmes. Medical experts can focus on the short- and long-term risks of being obsessed with gadgets. In addition, case studies
and incidents of users experiencing tragedies caused by gadgets
may serve as evidence and eye-openers for participants to take
this matter seriously.
Smartphones are invented by geniuses for smart
people, who should control themselves and not be enslaved by such
devices. Let us stop loving them to death, for, chances are, they will lead us there.
Courtesy of New Sunday Times
5 July 2015
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