Excessive phone use by kids a health hazard: Experts

Dinkle Popli

Amritsar, June 17

These days it is easy to convince children for anything just by handing a smart phone over to them. Many experts in the city feel that the there is a rise in the use of smart phones among kids which may lead to addiction at later stages.

Dr Sandeep Aggarwal, head of the paediatrics department at the Civil Hospital, Amritsar, says, “Children are more prone to phone addiction these days. It deteriorates their health in many ways. The blue light emanating from the phone screen causes reduction in the secretion of brain hormones called melatonin that can disturb sleep schedule, causing headache and fatigue in the body.”

“Moreover, it makes a child less confident, introvert and selfish. Child confines himself to the virtual world. They value their social media friends more than their family,” he added. It is a common sight to see children playing games or using internet, even at family gatherings.

Psychology Prof Harleen Arora said, “The most alarming fact is that the mobile phone is being used extensively in age group of one to five years. Parents do not hesitate in giving the device to their children and are ignorant of the fact that it hampers their overall development.”

The trend of nuclear families, lack of time of parents for children leaves a child feeling lonely. “Children do not get enough interaction opportunities, so they switch to phones to kill loneliness. It hinders the development and physical growth, leaving them in a depressed state,” said Meenu Arora, a city resident