The Suffering of the Smartphone-babies

the other day at evening time in the crowded 14-Tram. A übermüdetes small child cries in the stroller, the soul from the body. The mother is the behavior of your täubelnden child is visibly embarrassed. She whips out her Smartphone and pressed it to the girl in the Hand. The screaming stops instantly.

Margarete Bolten, such scenes in public TRANSPORT, in Restaurants or in the parlour daily. What goes through your head?
I have sympathy for the parents. Our society is less tolerant of whiny children. The parents will be faster charged. With the child not to give offence, the phone is a quick solution.

psychologist Margaret's Co-head of the infant consultation at scream Bolten, sleeping and feeding problems at the children's hospital of both Basel and the Psychiatric University clinics. Photo: zvg

stop your thought process there?
no. I wonder of course whether the tram situation is an exception or whether the parents use the Smartphone more frequently as a means of education, in order to get behavior problems under control and to get rest. That would be problematic.

they say, too much media consumption is in the toddler age more harmful than otherwise.
between The ages of 0 and 3 years are 80 percent of the synaptic Connections in the brain. When children immerse themselves in this Phase for hours in the virtual world, do not miss it, for example, to learn to speak well, to make social experiences, build relationships, to move enough to keep to the rules, emotions and to learn to deal with negative emotions.

What is happening with the behavior and the brain development of a child?
The new media still have more intense stimuli than the television. When using Apps or watching Youtube movie, the reward system is stimulated, but also stress hormones are released, because a small child is overwhelmed with the Seen. Stress hampers learning processes, can lead to hyperactivity and promotes risk behavior. In addition, it interferes with sleep and can affect the eating habits.

This is the reason why you have to deal with the Smartphone-consumption of small children?
Yes. Excessive media consumption is often associated with problems of the parents, to set boundaries. Because you not only have to regulate the online consumer, but also to bring children to bed. Many children with feeding disorders, Smartphones or Tablets are involved. If a child is resistant to eating, parents often movie watch. The infant is not distracted, so that he hears about it, didn't really like him, against his will, a spoon in the mouth is inserted. The normal food development and the enjoyment of the food hampers.

illustrations from the Flyer Tablet, mobile phone and co.

In your consultation, you will experience cases also extremely.
A Patient staring, if he was ridden in the stroller in the therapy, uninterrupted, on an iPad. Other parents put their child at 20 with the device to bed. Three hours later it fell asleep in each case, totally exhausted. A boy showed due to consumption of Media almost autistic traits. He hardly spoke, and avoided eye contact and responded at the slightest Irritation with most violent fits of rage.

the damage will be irreparable?
Many things can improve happiness again. The boy received, for example, during the treatment, absolute cell phone ban. His behavior has improved in a short period of time. Also, eating problems can be reversed. In the case of families who find us and are motivated, our advice to implement, there is significant improvement. But I know of cases where the child is, the large deficits kept. I think this can not allow the company. It therefore surprised that, in spite of many studies of health policy not responded to it. It is only the media is observed competence of school children. We have therefore been especially designed a Flyer for parents of 0 to 4 year-old children (see pictures).

what is the amount of online consumption for children under 4 years is harmful?
There are clear guidelines of WHO, which: No screen time for children under 2 years of age. From the age of 3 you should look at a maximum of 60 minutes of the day. Personally, I find this too much. Three-year-old can't concentrate on a whole movie. In addition, movies and Apps to be in the company of their parents and used looked.

What do you think of all the Apps that already three-year-old playfully reading, math, or English to learn?
I often hear: "I want to promote my child only." Studies show quite clearly that The Foundation of all learning is based on relationship, at least in Childhood. You will learn with Apps just a little, if you use this together with the parents, and the lessons learned in everyday life introduction. Small children, working alone for hours with such Apps, then perhaps actually in English to ten. For this you do not control it very basic things that you should be able to at your age, actually.

If you could give parents in this regard, only one piece of advice, what would it be?
My Standardrat for many situations is: Sit back and think about what could have been done to your beloved grandmother in this Situation. Sometimes we forget, that was before the Smartphones also have solutions for for example, quengelnde children.

Created: 01.11.2019, 11:20 PM