My four-year-old son spends much of the day watching cartoons and videos on the smartphone. I am worried! Can this excess screen time affect his brain development? Also recommend some ways to cut back on screen time.
— Girija Ganesh, Hyderabad
Digital addiction among children is a common 21st century malaise. It’s now well-established that prolonged and unregulated usage of smartphones adversely affects children’s physical and mental well-being. Here are some ways to break his digital addiction:
- Prescribe a screen time limit and adhere to it strictly
- Identify non-digital interests such as sports and music and create opportunities for him to engage in these activities
- Avoid using the smartphone as a reward or distraction
- Set an hour for family discourse every day during which all family members are proscribed from accessing any electronic device including television
Multiple scientific studies have linked excessive digital addiction with mental health problems such as depression, anxiety and sleep disorders. Some warning signs indicating severe smartphone addiction include:
- Withdrawal-like symptoms when children are forbidden to use the smartphone
- Anxiety or constant worry about whereabouts of the smartphone
- Self-isolation
- Excessive urgency to get hold of the smartphone.
If you observe any of these symptoms, consult a psychiatrist/ clinical psychologist for evaluation, as early diagnosis and treatment is important.
My six-year-old son is good in studies. But he makes spelling mistakes, and the mistakes are often with similar-looking alphabets. Does my son need to be evaluated for learning disability?
— Jeanna Thomas, Trivandrum
It’s not unusual for young children to make spelling mistakes. In particular, it’s normative for children in kindergarten to spell most words wrong. Reversing alphabets and getting confused between b and d is also common in early readers and writers. If your son continues to have problems with spelling in class II, then I suggest you consult a psychiatrist/psychologist for detailed assessment of specific learning disability and/or neuro-developmental delay.
Meanwhile encourage him to slow down while writing and spend time practising spellings of age-appropriate words.
My daughter (8) wets her bed at night twice or three times per week. Please advise.
— Concerned mother, Pune
Though most children stop bedwetting aka nocturnal enuresis by age five, a significant minority — 10 percent — continue to wet their bed up to seven years of age. Here are some ways to help your daughter cope with this problem.
- Limit fluid intake two to three hours before bedtime
- Encourage her to use the toilet last thing at night and first thing in the morning
- Encourage her to use the toilet every two hours during daytime
If your child continues bed-wetting even after following good voiding habits, consult your paediatrician or a psychiatrist as some children may need medication to cope with nocturnal enuresis.
(Dr. Sudharani P. Naik is a consultant psychiatrist for the District Mental Health Programme – Mysore)