Nowadays, owning a smartphone is the norm for all age groups, including children. Although there is still a lot of research being done, the harmful effects of cell phones on young children are clear. Apps such as Eyezy can help keep the situation under control, but what else can be done?
Managing screen time is essential
There’s no point beating around the bush: the negative effects of constantly staring at a screen are obvious to scientists and non-scientists alike, with problems that affect virtually every aspect of a person’s life. In children, this becomes even more apparent due to the difficulties they have in managing their own behavior, given their immaturity at such a young age.
Here are the most common consequences of excessive smartphone use:
- reduced physical activity leading to weight gain;
- muscle pain resulting from poor posture;
- sleep disorders caused by excessive blue light;
- anxiety resulting from the use of social networks and the unrealistic standards they promote;
- depression linked to the feeling of isolation typical of heavy social media users;
- problems maintaining concentration;
- reduced ability to interact with peers, even within the family context.
Parental control apps: how they can help
Fortunately, in a digital environment such as that associated with smartphones, there are apps that can make a difference. Parental control apps, for example, provide parents with IT tools to help them manage the amount of time their children spend in front of a screen.
For example, the best apps available allow you to remotely block access to specific websites (such as social networks), so you can change the amount of time a person spends on their smartphone. Among these, an app for blocking websites is particularly useful for managing and limiting distractions. The same applies to apps, which can also be blocked remotely as needed. In some cases, using an app that can see other phone screen may help parents understand how their child is actually using the device. When combined with dialogue and understanding, these solutions can yield good results!
Good behavior should be encouraged
Can parents prevent these problems from arising? Unfortunately, it is very difficult to say for sure nowadays, but there are undoubtedly behaviors that can make a difference.
Some of these behaviors may include:
- Establishing shared rules for cell phone use.
- Actively encouraging activities such as reading, playing sports, or interacting with other family members.
- Use parental control tools to build interesting conversations with your child rather than as a proactive threat.
- Explain to the person the risks associated with excessive cell phone use.
Conclusions
Finding a smart way to limit the time a user spends on the screen is what makes smartphones less dangerous than they are. That’s why tools like Eyezy can make a difference and offer the right level of control to give both parents and children peace of mind!