Doctors stressed that technology hardly benefited children aged under three
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BANGKOK – Doctors from Thailand’s Mental Health Department have warned Thai parents to exercise caution when allowing their young children to play electronic gadgets following its recent survey which found that premature exposure to technology could slow down children’s development.
Mobile phones are popular among Thai children, who like to use it to play games
According to officials at Thailand’s Mental Health Department, the statistics have shown that as much as 30 percent of Thai kids are experiencing lagging development. Half of these kids are also having language deficiency.
The Department of Health revealed children’s untimely acquaintance with technological devices was to blame for the problem.
Department Doctors explained that electronic gadgets, such as smartphones, xbox, playstation and computer tablets, were an obstruction to learning in kids as they caused small kids to deviate from their surroundings which played a vital role in their communication skills. They stressed that technology hardly benefited children aged under three.
For those aged over three, the doctors suggested that parents carefully choose applications that enhance their children’s learning or family ties. Despite the applications’ usefulness, experts warned that parents still need to limit the duration their kids were allowed to play electronic devices.
The Ministry of Public Health has launched a website, www.thaichilddevelopment.com, as well as guidebooks for parents on how to foster proper development for kids at different ages, ranging from newborn babies to six-year-old. – NNT