A computer can be not only good but also harmful for a child, just like any thing which is used by a child without control. And here we are not talking about hypothetical influence of electromagnetic fields. And not even about sedentary way of life. We are talking about more delicate but quite tangible aspect – about mental health.
If you have both a child and a computer or they will be side by side in the near future, this article will help you solve one of the present-day pedagogical problems related to the computer.
When parents buy their child a computer for studies, many of them notice that the child uses it for different purposes. He plays on it all days long, forgetting about school, walks and food.
The parents don’t understand the problem and lay the blame on the computer; they take extreme measures: scolding, physical action or selling of the long-awaited toy.
But unfortunately, such measures only lead to dissociation of children and parents. You act in an unfair way by punishing the child. It is not the child and the computer who are to blame for what happened, it is the parent who left the child alone with the “intelligent” machine. And it is the parent who will have to deal with the resulting situation.
We should not forget that the child at the computer is influenced by many harmful factors, which don’t depend on the fact that it is a child who is at the computer. Consequently, we should fight the harmful factors that influence the child in the same way as in case of an adult user.
We should not forget that excessive time of communication with this machine is in no way useful for the child. There are scientifically grounded norms we should adhere to.
A computer has a great influence on the sight of adults. And probably the sight of children is influenced even more? Remember, child’s eyes get tired not only of the monitor, but also of TV and school studies.
While working on the unearthed computer, the person is exposed to electromagnetic fields. Long-term influence of these fields on children may lead to serious diseases of nervous system and affect the functioning of any inner organs through it.
One more important factor is nervous and emotional strain. It is no secret that communication with a computer, especially with game programs, is accompanied by powerful nervous strain as it requires quick response. Even short-term concentration of nervous processes makes the child tired. But children, who are excited and absorbed by the game, are unable to stop playing during several hours even if they feel tired.