Tips to Minimize Computer Addiction in Kids

Speaking about kids, we’ve come a long way from He-man and Barbies to FIFA and YouTube addiction. Gone are the days when recreational activities were confined to cartoons and comics. Today’s kids are far more advanced than their previous counterparts.

They have hi-tech means of enjoying leisure and computer is their hot favorite. According to scientists computer enhances eye-hand coordination and improves reaction time.

But there are adverse effects of increasing computer usage among kids. They are keeping aloof from the healthy outdoor activities and are confining themselves to computers only. A frequent sight is to have children addicted to violent computer games for hours and hours and doing nothing except eating and sleeping. This is quite concerning as it is extremely unhealthy.
Excessive use of video games is a menace for most of the parents as it leads to depression and detachment from the society.

Here are some simple and useful tips to help you get your child out from the digital trance.

Remove the screens away from your child’s bedroom-

Unplug the root cause of the entire digital menace. Remove desktops, laptops, iPads and televisions from your child’s room and keep them in public places where you can keep a vigil on their activities.  

Game time needs to be limited-

The child’s access to computer should be earned by him and not takes as a privilege or automatic right. It can be as a reward to good behavior, etc. This will help your child in utilizing his time in other co-curricular activities and will teach him the value of time management.

Parental control-

Another important tip to keep the gadgets out of children’s reach is to install Parental Control settings on all important consoles. This will help the caregivers to control the password protected devices.

Find alternatives-

Give better alternatives to your child. In order to distract your child from getting involved with computers and other gaming devices, try to spend time with him. You should understand his likes and dislikes and create a proactive environment for his sound development.

You can even courage your child to participate in outdoor games such as cycling, swimming, bowling, etc.