New and Digital Media (WEEK 5ii)

Tech companies urged to protect young from dangers of excessive screen time

http://www.theguardian.com/society/2015/oct/10/tech-companies-young-dangers-excessive-screen-time
Children using smartphones, standing in a row
The article talks about how children have become way to addicted to gadgets and smartphones and how it is affecting them severely and has an affect on their well-being. It says they need to protect these children form becoming psychologically damaged before its to late.

• "New technologies, smartphones, tablets and social networking sites have brough great benefits to millions of people, including children"

• Lloyd said the government needed to “empower young people through education in the classroom to understand how usage of social networking sites and screen-based media can influence their wellbeing, for example, by making them feel inadequate next to the online lives presented by peers”.

• The SSC also floated ideas that could help children when using electronic media. These include encouraging them to keep social media diaries to help them “balance” their online and offline lives and for social networking sites to install “virtual” usage meters as default settings for all users who are under 18, so that they are made aware of how long they are spending online.

In my opinion, i think that children should be kept away from all these new gadgets and phones as its destroying them psychically and mentally. When i was younger, i did not have any of this, all i had was toys and dolls for me to play with - i had a childhood. These children don't. They have become too addicted to these gadgets, its come to a point where children cry just to play on their parents phones rather than play with toys.