If your child sits for hours in front of the monitor, prefers virtual communication to real communication, is addicted to aggressive games, and turns into a “hacker,” do not panic. These seemingly disadvantages can easily be turned into advantages!
All parents dream of making their children happy, healthy and successful. But can a child who spends a lot of time at the computer be healthy? On the other hand, can in our time a teenager, whom his parents completely isolated from the PC, become a specialist in any professional field?
The advent of personal computers has given rise to a huge number of myths regarding both the benefits and harms of their use.
The main factors of the harmful influence of a computer on the human body are: eye strain, cramped posture, radiation, and effects on the psyche. Considering these factors, what can you do and how can you help create the safest environment for your child when interacting with a computer?
Vision
It is necessary to properly organize the lighting of the computer desk.
Make sure the monitor is in good condition and the screen is clean, as dirt causes additional distortion. An individually selected table and chair will allow the child to maintain the optimal distance from the screen to the eyes (50-60cm). Position your computer desk so that sunlight does not shine on the monitor, as glare on the screen can cause eye strain.
It is necessary that the child take breaks every 15-20 minutes to give his eyes a rest.
Landing
Sitting for long periods of time with slumped shoulders can cause permanent changes in the musculoskeletal system. To avoid a cramped posture, you must:
- work at a special computer desk with a retractable board for the keyboard, allowing the child to change position;
- sit on a special swivel chair without armrests (besides the fact that it is comfortable and the height of the chair can be changed taking into account the child’s growth, children really like to spin and ride on chairs, and this involuntarily gives them breaks in contact with the screen);
-regularly interrupt “communication” with the computer, get up, stretch, do mini-exercises.
Radiation
In itself, the potential available on the cathode ray tube of a kinescope is not terrible, but the electrostatic fields that arise between the display screen and the face of a person sitting in front of the computer accelerate the dust particles that have settled on the screen to enormous speeds, and they “bite” into the user’s skin.
Here are some tips for parents:
- install the monitor with its back wall against the wall;
- in the room where the computer is located, do wet cleaning and wipe off dust more often;
- Teach your child to wash his face with cold water every time he finishes working on the computer.
Psyche
Working on a computer requires no less concentration than driving a car. Games require enormous stress that people rarely experience in everyday life. The negative picture is complemented by the emergence of psychological dependence, which is expressed in the following pathological symptoms: the child develops a feeling of imaginary superiority over others, loses the ability to switch to other entertainment, and reveals poverty in the emotional sphere. Some computer games provoke aggressive behavior in young users and create a cult of violence and war.
To reduce the stress on your child’s psyche, choose calmer games for him. Try to buy educational games that broaden your child’s horizons.
Introduce your child to the capabilities of a computer. Teach your child to use text editors, draw, and make graphs, then the time spent at the computer will be more beneficial.
Try to protect the psyche of a small child from the effects of violent scenes in games for as long as possible..
If your child “goes” into the virtual world, then you need to figure out what he is missing in the surrounding reality. “Computer addiction” affects mainly those children who experience discomfort when encountering reality.
Be mindful of your child when leaving him alone with the computer. Be close, talk to him, pay attention to what he is doing, remind him in time to take a break.
How much time can a child spend at the computer without harm to health? For any person, and primarily for children, the conditional time spent at the computer can be defined as his age (full years), equal to minutes, increased by two to three times. Moreover, the rest time from the computer should be two to three times longer than spent at the computer. So, if a child is 10 years old, then it is advisable for him to play on the computer for no more than 20-30 minutes with a break of one to two hours. It is especially not recommended to play before bed and especially at night.
We fight the cause, not the consequences
Spend more time with your child. Remember the games that occupied you as a child. Give your child brushes, mosaics, plasticine or clay more often. Engage in creative activities with your child. Remember that somewhere near you there are parks, museums, and exhibitions. Start a tradition of going somewhere together, at least once a week. Walking together will bring you very close.
Avoid rewarding your child with computer games. This can give special prestige to such a pastime. But your task is rather to ensure that the value of communicating with a computer ceases to be so significant. If access to a car becomes a reward for success, and deprivation of it becomes a punishment for misconduct, this can only aggravate the situation.
If your child is “sick” with the computer, first try to reach the child yourself, try to understand him...
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