As technology has progressed over the past decades, it has changed every aspect of modern life but the one aspect it shouldn’t be allowed to touch is childhood. An average childhood used to consist of hours of playing games outside without a care in the world. Now most kids come home from school and go straight to their devices where they can spend an upwards of eight hours. Spending this much time on electronics can be damaging to children’s physical and mental health.  

By the time they are two, children’s brains have already tripled in size since they were born, but too much exposure to technology can lead to their brains not developing correctly. Using technology too much at a young age can lead to attention deficit disorder, impaired learning, and cognitive delays. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that babies up to two years old should not be exposed to technology to allow the brain to develop properly. Not getting enough sleep can also lead to issues in growth and development. If parents do not take children’s handheld devices before bed, it will be the child’s decision whether or not they go to sleep. Most children will decide to make a habit of staying on their electronic devices until late at night. Sleep deprivation can lead to lower grades in school and leave children with no energy to go outside and exercise, so they end up staying inside playing on their technologies. Replacing exercise with cell phone and tablet usage contributes to obesity. One in three U.S children are obese; this number directly correlates with the number of children who are allowed a device in their room. Childhood obesity can lead to problems later in life and an overall shorter lifespan.  

Children’s technology usage should be limited to allow for more time to be spent developing healthy and productive habits. Research shows that today, children are spending half as much time outside as past generations and the effects are clear. Playing outdoors can increase fitness levels in children and help prevent obesity. Time outside can increase critical thinking skills and lead to higher test scores. Spending time in nature can relieve children’s stress from their already busy lives and teach children to be kinder. Skills learned during childhood stay with people their entire life making it an important time for children to take up hobbies. Hobbies can teach children to set goals, solve problems, and can keep them from spending too much time using technology. Having hobbies at young age helps children learn about themselves and become more independent in confident. Though technology can be helpful, for children it’s best to just stick to the basics.