Jasmin Espinosa EDINBURG – A study by Sara Thomee of the Department of Psychology, from University of Gothenburg Sweden, found that dependency on mobile phone usage had a negative effect on mental health and quality of sleep.
According to the National Library of Medicine, in the United States 8 to 12-year-old children spend an average of almost six hours on digital media every single day.
“A lot of kids are spending an awful lot of time on screens, phones, tablets, computers,” UTRGV Professor of Pediatrics Dr. Stanley Fisch said. “Certainly, elementary and middle schools.” … “Are implementing new rules that prohibit bringing telephone cell phones into classrooms.”
Fisch reported during his time as a medical practitioner in 2018; he saw cases of children affected by time spent online at a young age.
“Middle school age kids, particularly high school age kids coming in with, insomnia, anxiety, depression, you know, suicidal ideation, all because of, you know, very distressful encounters they’ve had online,” he said.
Fisch said children often develop mental health issues due to lack of sleep which is associated with prolonged phone usage.
“Students or kids who become really very anxious, who don’t get adequate sleep because of anxiety and worry, have clearly, you know, pretty well known, well defined, you know, physical effects,” he said. “They’re appetites, their stamina, their ability to focus, and, yeah, you know, they’re it’s very clear associations between these various behaviors and physical manifestations.”
A new Texas law requires public school districts to prohibit different types of communication devices to create a more focused, engaging and learning environment for students
Fisch said the ban on smart devices has had a positive impact on children, and it helps reduce the negative effects caused by personal communication devices.
“Already teachers are reporting a positive effect,” he said. “Kids are more engaged in learning.” … “They’re more, involved in, as you might expect, interacting with each other rather than with their telephones. they’re more curious.”
Early Childhood Education Senior Isla Del Castillo said screentime for children doesn’t benefit them educationally.
“So I feel like it just gives them one stay, one step behind because now they don’t know what [it] is to like, play outside,” De Castillo said. “They don’t know what it is to talk to one another or they just don’t know how, like even express themselves emotionally. Fisch said these symptoms can extend into adulthood and negatively impact the social and mental wellbeing of individuals.
