Beat the Tab- Stop the Digital Invasion Of the Young Minds

Today’s teenagers are the world’s leading authorities on all things technologically and many adolescents are among’st the most savvy users .Our young adults today seems to be among’st the front runners to be exposed to such breath taking options in gadgets (Phones, Tabs, laptops, ipads etc).And they are not even thinking on the lines of beating the Tab.

While all this point at their amazing deftness with technology, It does make our novelty-seeking young generation most vulnerable ever as the idea of beating the Tab is yet to take roots.

What are the tell a tale signs of a gadget addicted youngster who says no to beating the tab?

Many behavioral and physiological indicators abound if gadgets-time is not monitored as in :-

1.Falling asleep in school;

2.Falling behind studies;

3.Worsening Grades;

4.Lying about computer and video games;

5.Choosing computer, I phones, Tabs over friends and Play;

6.Dropping out of parties;social groups etc;

BEAT THE TAB

7.Being irritable when not given access to their play station or other gadget.

8.Carpel Tunnel Syndrome- Pain in hands; Finger joints;and works as a consequence of excessive keyboard usage or repetitive finger movements.

9.Forgoing food over being online;

10.Dry eyes and poor vision

11. Neglection of personal hygiene

12.Insomnia………etc, etc,etc;…The list is endless

If taken casually, it takes no time for these symptoms to Spur  into full blown anxiety attacks or even depressions.Needless to say that neglected behavior symptoms can be as insidious as a chemical .

How it affects their overall growth and development if we do not think of beating the tab?

Its a known fact now that the gadget affects the brain to such an extent that it takes nothing less than 45 minutes (or even more based on the exposure to gadgets) to normalize and get ready  for a routine activity. To top it all ,the associated multitasking creates a euphoria of emotional rewards.Done over a period of time, this multitasking becomes a challenged behavior in itself. We all know deeply and have experienced how ill adjusted one’s kid become when it comes to behavior modification over a period of time.

BEAT THE TAB

Not beating the tab-What does it do to the cognition and emotions of a child ?

Multitasking born out of gadgets is the biggest enemy of effective learning and a big time contributor of stress hormones -Cortisol and Adrenaline. Who does not know how these two bad buddies lead to increased aggression and impulsiveness, that they make them feel confused;worn out ;lethargic ;Fatigue and Rigid.

Emotions go haywire; speech gets altered;Behavior gets inappropriate;memory take a back seat and motor control gets awry.

BEAT THE TAB

Our kids are busy but busy in all the wrong ways.

Don’t just take my word, Ask the growing numbers of tech experts who are advising ‘Digital Detox’ like never before.

Also if above potential dangers do not intimidate you enough, allow me quote what Stuart Crabb- Director at

Facebook told Times Magazine about the Damaging Effects of the Epidemic –

The Digital Invasion in our kid’s lives

“If you put a frog in cold water and slowly turn up the heat, it will boil to death.”

Be Extra careful when your handover your phone ,i pad ,Tablets,Laptops And more to your young kids just to keep them busy. Busy they will be but at a price too steep– Their complete well being will be at risk !

Can we really afford it ?

BEAT THE TAB

What can be done to beat the tab ?

Initiate a journey back home from the digital world. Should begin with an idea to support one internet-izens. Some simple measures to adopt could be

1. Move the net browsing devices from private spaces to common areas of the house.
2. Let your kid know the damaging effect of technology and instill that beating the tab is not an option but the need of the hour;
3. Let kid use it more for education purpose than mere entertainment;
   

   BEAT THE TAB

4. Guide the kid on having a structure/schedule to a day where other non tech stuff abounds and tabs etc are just a part of the whole thing once in a while.
5. Create and support your kids to get on track with balancing social;real life engagements with virtual pass time;
6. Seek help of software to monitor,block or time the consumption of gadget based pass time of your kids;
7. Communicate and keep your perspectives in balance when the kids choose to believe otherwise;
   

   BEAT THE TAB

8. Analyse your own pattern of technology usage and bring them at moderate level.
9. Be the role models to them who can walk the talk.
10. Clear and amicable reached Solutions around gadget usage will be helpful indeed.
11. Let them get bored- Boredom is any day better than handing over the phone /Tabs/Laptop…and finally
12. Move ahead with an understanding that the kids who are already neck deep into gadgets would resent, resist and be nasty & uncooperative. Let it make you more firm in your resolve to beat the tab and put rules around all things technological in place. Persistence will ultimately pay off.

The only parting message I can dole out is to ASSOCIATE MASSIVE PAIN to not beating the tab now and MASSIVE PLEASURE to the whole process of changing this wasteful pursuit now:) Good luck.

Will be a pleasure to hear from you as to what worked in comments.Please feel free to join hands in “BEATING THE TAB” by sharing this message.