Let’s save our children from screen addiction

Parenthood is a noble role entrusted to both father and mother to ensure the proper upbringing of a child.

It is fulltime, especially for the mother, who requires unalloyed attention for the child from age zero.

Modern-day parenting has thus become a big challenge, especially to mothers, and so, many have devised ways to keep their children busy while they accomplish their chores.

One of such ways is the introduction of babies to cartoons, be it on television, tablets or mobile phones, to keep the babies company, and stop them from disturbing.

This has proved to be very effective as such electronic gadgets are able to capture the attention of the babies to the extent that some of them do not even look for food.

There are instances where babies are put in the baby cots or baby walkers in front of televisions, and that is enough to keep them glued to the screen until their mothers are done with their chores.

This is to the extent that when the television is switched off, they throw tantrums until the screens are restored and they go quiet.

Simply put, the television becomes an efficient baby sitter, and as they grow and move out with their mothers, they are introduced to the mobile phone or tablet.

Admittedly, most parents do not know that this has a dire consequence on the child’s psychological, social and emotional development as well as speech and other behaviours.

The description recently by a development paediatrician, Dr Yvonne Brew, of the screen addiction as a “silent epidemic,” and warning that too much exposure to screens for children under five years has dire consequences such as loss of speech, restlessness, avoiding eye contact, speaking with a foreign accent and abnormal behaviours, must be a concern to all.

Dr Brew has taken up a campaign to save children from screen addiction, and is currently running a centre at the Greater Accra Regional Hospital at Ridge to attend to such children.

She is also running training programmes for medical personnel to look out for symptoms that could be possible signs of screen addiction.

The Daily Graphic commends Dr Brew for championing such a noble campaign.

Her effort deserves not just the support of the hospital or the sector ministry, but the  government, to ensure that this addiction does not add up to the numerous social issues confronting our young ones today.

It is a sad spectacle to see parents with their children aged between two and five at the centre, who can only mimic the cartoons they watch on the screens or speak in foreign accent.

Such children avoid eye contact, cannot make a simple statement audibly and lose concentration, but can only pay attention when they hear the sound of a cartoon.

We also commend the medical personnel of the hospital, who have made it a policy that any child brought to the hospital with whatever sickness is screened for screen addiction.

We expect the Ministry of Health to see this issue as an emerging national health concern and support Dr Brew in the building of the capacities of health personnel throughout the country to nip this “silent epidemic” in the bud.

While Dr Brew and her colleagues are doing their part, the Daily Graphic urges parents to be more responsible in their parental duties in order to save their children.

After all, how will it benefit parents if they use television and other digital gadgets to babysit their children only to use all their earnings to seek the correction of these same children?

Currently, it has become fashionable for parents to buy tablets or smart phones for their babies and children under five years, maybe to prevent them from disturbing and also as a sign of wealth.

Well, the experts have spoken, and the earlier parents took up their God-given responsibility, the better.

We cannot sacrifice our children on the altar of being busy because the consequence is dire.

Take those screens away from our children!