With the continuous advent of new technology, it gets harder to tear people's eyes away from smartphones, televisions, tablets or computers -- especially children.
The point of concern is that too much consumption of digital technology is a serious threat to the development of mental and intellectual health of a child, according to developmental and behavioural paediatrician, Dr Nanthakorn Eu-ahsunthornwattana.
"The mental health of a child is as important as that of an adult because it defines almost everything about that person when he or she grows up," said Dr Nanthakorn.
According to the specialist, children spend a worrying amount of time on digital screens, and there are several statistics to back up this claim. A decade ago, a study was conducted by a paediatric neurologist from Prince of Songkhla University with more than 4,000 Thai children and it was found that 77% of surveyed one-year-olds watched 10 minutes of television a day and 95% of three-year-olds watched more than 60 minutes a day.
In 2013, a study conducted by the Ministry of Culture in collaboration with the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Rajanagarindra Institute under the Ministry of Public Health's Department of Mental Health showed that of 18 million Thai youth, more than 2.7 million were game addicts.
For the proper development of a child's mental and intellectual states, Dr Nanthakorn continued, the consumption of digital technology should be among the first things to address especially for children below the age of two. The specialist cited the Paediatric Society of Thailand as recommending that kids in the first two years of their lives should not be exposed to any electronic devices.
"Numerous studies have shown that electronic devices do more harm than good to small children. And paediatricians have been trying to advocate this for over a decade," she explained. "This is especially true for children below the age of one -- the age at which they learn only through interpersonal interaction. For those above the age of two, parents may allow some access to technology but no more than two hours a day. But this rule only applies for those with appropriate [physical, mental and language] development and with no signs of autism or concentration difficulties."
While long-term studies on the impact of digital technology on children's mental health are still scarce, medical practitioners around the world have found connections between the two. Children's excessive consumption of digital technology is reported to be associated with several developmental issues.
First, according to Dr Nanthakorn, in terms of behavioural development, is too much time on digital screens equates to less interaction with people. If children are exposed to violent content through media, it is more likely that they will copy it and eventually become aggressive.
"There was a study where a child of approximately three to four years old was made to watch a clip with violent content. The child was then left with a doll. We saw that the child copied from the clip and then constantly hit the doll. This was imitative behaviour," she said.
Second, too much time spent with smartphones and television is likely to cause speech delays and impair language understanding. According to Dr Nanthakorn, for children, language can only be learnt through reciprocal interaction. Consuming content through digital devices is merely a one-way communication.
"Children who are one and a half years old and cannot speak a word with meaning may suffer speech delay and might need a specialist," she said.
"A lot of parents think that small kids who do not speak are just late talkers and that their speech development might get better after they go to school and meet friends," she added. "Yes, some of them probably are late talkers. But when it comes to a child's language development, the longer you wait, the worse the problem would become."
Also too much consumption of digital technology is likely to lead to attention deficit, especially for children between the ages of one and three. The more time they spend on the screen, the less attention spans they have.
But what if parents introduce children to only good content -- programmes or applications specially designed to enhance kids' development -- through digital devices? According to Dr Nanthakorn, there is little medical evidence to show that this content benefits children, especially if the child is less than two years old.
"To make digital content work best, parents must watch them with the kids and guide them through it. Otherwise, if they allow children to watch or play alone, chances that they will become addicted are high," said the doctor, adding that medical studies conducted in the US reveal that some children's TV programmes such as Sesame Street and Clifford The Big Red Dog might benefit their young audience in terms of behaviour and manners.
When it comes to handling the use of digital devices among kids, parents and schools should be key. Not only should they select what, when and how much is best, they should also be role models.
"Parents are the first to direct a child's life and they are the first to be responsible," Dr Nanthakorn said. "When kids go to school, they spend half of their time with teachers. So after giving children what is best for them in terms of digital technology, parents and teachers should behave as such. If parents still spend plenty of time on digital devices, then of course, kids will do the same."
Bringing up a child especially amid today's abundance of digital technology so that he or she grows up to become a physically and emotionally healthy person is a parental challenge because threats appear in many forms. But, according to the paediarician, it is a challenge that should not be overlooked.
"The first three years of a child's life is the foundation of everything -- intellect, physical health, mental health, attitudes and perspectives towards the world," she said. "So if we give them the right thing, it will pave way for their future. They will grow up to become an adult who is strong not just physically but also mentally. In the end, society will have fewer people with mental health problems."
Underlining key figures: Too much television is a foe
90% of surveyed Thai kids have access to some forms of media before they turn a year old. Ninety percent of the said media is television.
Only 4-7% of surveyed Thai kids watch programmes made for children.
Children in Bangkok spend twice as much time watching television than those in other provinces.
Kids who watch a lot of television before they turn a year old are likely to have inferior language, intellectual and attention development compared to other kids.
Pre-school children who watch violent contents before bedtime (around 7pm) are found to have sleeping difficulties.
Toddlers to kindergarten kids who spend a lot of time watching television and have a television in their bedroom are found to sleep less at night.
One-year-old children who have access to some forms of media before bedtime are reported to half an hour less time for sleep.
Information courtesy of Dr Nanthakorn Eu-ahsunthornwattana.
