Research shows that access to the internet increases when children are born

I am Lima Silva
news reporter

Little Isaías’ mother, assistant director Elidiane de França Alves Oliveira, 35, said her son started watching children’s videos on YouTube when he was one year old. Today, at the age of five, the boy has his cell phone, which he always uses the internet under the supervision of an adult. In Brazil, according to a survey conducted by the Brazilian Internet Steering Committee (CGI.br), 24% of children up to 6 years old have connected to the Internet this year. The percentage​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​dates the greatest in 2015. parents According to the experts interviewed by the TRIBUNA DO NORTE report, illegal access to the internet can affect the development of children’s social, emotional and intellectual wise

Psychologist Karine Fernandes explains that cell phones and other devices are being used as a kind of “digital pacifier” for children. The result of this is the appearance of problems with vision, motor skills, hearing and, in more severe cases, mental disorders. In addition to this, he warns, it is recommended that until the age of two the child cannot access any type of screening, given the neuronal benefits that this early behavior can cause. From two to five years, in turn, use should be limited to one hour and with time distributed throughout the day.

This is a strategy followed by Elidiane, who seeks to dilute Isaías’ use of mobile phones. When he goes home from school, for example, he and his father allow their son to watch some movies and encourage him to play away from the screens. In children, accessing the internet often occurs when they have no one to play with. When he was with his parents, cousins ​​and friends, on the other hand, the young man, who always communicated and socialized, even forgot about the device.

In a broader sense, however, the policy of using screens is less visible. As Karine Fernandes points out, quality time and relationships with children have been neglected more and more and mobile phones play the role of entertainment for this audience in general. Because of this, many children do not learn to deal with anxiety, begin to lose sleep, become restless, have more anxiety and can show the first symptoms of depression.

And it’s not just the time spent that parents need to monitor, but the profile of content accessed by their children. This is because even the cartoons that are classified as children can cause violence, inappropriate words and behavior. This is what Karine Fernandes points out, for the supervisor of the workers should appear nearby. “We need to see what the actual content (is about), how it is sent to the children, what morality and ethics are sent,” he added.

Some behaviors such as resentment and arguments with little Isaías’ character, says Elidiane, have already appeared because of some of the videos that he entered on YouTube. Although he always watched his son enter, he said, some videos about football, a subject that has become his child’s interest this year, have caused a disturbance effect is not good. When this happens, the mother always pays more attention and tries to identify what factors affect the son’s behavior.

Limitations and know how to use technology

Professor Maristela de Oliveira Mosca, from the Childhood Education Center (NEI) of UFRN, explains that parental care is important because the child’s brain is not ready to receive certain content. In terms of growth, the indiscriminate use of the internet directly reflects the growth of speech, argumentative ability and the ability to deal with stress. For this reason, he argues, access to individual screens should not occur in childhood.

The problem, however, is not in the machine, but in the way it is used. In schools, the teacher for example, a pedagogical approach is necessary that is appropriate to use the content of the internet in the children’s education. “So you will not put in the film and the use of the internet only for it. The pedagogical purpose is needed such as, (for example), ‘children will enter the computer lab and will access website A, B or C because….’. This, in school, should be the starting point,” he reiterated.

In addition, suggests Maristela de Oliveira Mosca, school breaks should be used for socializing and playing among students. This is the case of playgrounds, whose purpose is to encourage student movement, whether through local products, competitions, or other competitions, in addition to more conversation. “For the most part, early childhood schools are just a place for children to socialize, play and move around,” he added.

This is because in many homes, the teacher pointed out, ‘islands’ are created using individual screens. Since the school has no control over the student’s family experience, the loss is only beginning to be seen in teaching-learning. Among them is the difficulty of speaking, listening, reading recommendations, looking colleagues in the eye and doing exercises that require more. On this last point, one of the main points is the fact that every day the content of the internet seems to be faster and faster, which directly affects education.

Care in a digital environment

If, on the one hand, school is a place for knowledge, on the other hand, caution must also be true at home. Psychologist Fernanda Cardoso points out that parents should be aware of both the potential effects of the internet and the signs of their children’s dependence on electronic devices. This is where people always choose to be on a cell phone instead of going to a meeting place, indicating poor performance in school activities due to online time, indicating a change of mind when preventing the use of the internet and lack of interest in the activities they like. first. contact with screens.

When these signs are seen, the expert warns, some fighting must be done. “Some of the ideas are to establish clear limits and specific times for internet use, encourage offline games, encourage participation in sports, entertainment and cultural activities that live outside the virtual world so that the child has many interests that can reduce the dependence on the internet “, he said. In addition to this, communication support is important for children children to have confidence in communicating with their parents.

A similar opinion is defended by Karine Fernandes, for whom the limitation of restrictions and discussion are important points in changing the behavior of children with more connections for a digital environment. “Prohibition is the way. You need to have an open conversation with the child about what will happen to their life and intellectual development. Because there will be a big impact in his knowledge and memory,” he concluded.

The protection of education, whether in school or in the media, also leads to the process of bringing children to interact with the digital environment. In this process, information such as not sharing personal information, not talking to strangers on the Internet and knowing how to identify practices such as cyberbullying (an conduct that involves threats and abuse in a virtual environment) are some important points.