why mental health is important in this digital age
Answers
Answer:
Mental health’ can mean a lot of things, depending on who you talk to. Many people confuse mental health – which is a positive state, like physical health – with mental ill-health. Mental ill-health is the anxiety that rears its head when an estranged son pictures a conversation with his mother. It’s the depression that settles on a college student facing a fractured world and a new set of life decisions. It’s the diagnosis of bipolar that reshapes a young adult’s self-perception.
But mental health, according to the World Health Organization, is “the state of wellbeing in which every individual realizes his or her own potential, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully, and is able to make a contribution to her or his community”.
The trouble is, the so-called ‘normal’ stresses of life are getting pretty stressful. While emerging technologies present the leaders of today with increased opportunities for personal and workplace development, our increasing reliance on tools like smartphones can also lead to loneliness, anxiety and depression. Our fast-paced world, when exacerbated by political polarization, climate change, and mistrust in institutions, presents a challenge for all future generations.
Answer:
The modern media landscape looks radically different than when most of us were children. And it can seem overwhelming, particularly when the same media is abuzz with speculation about how this or that aspect of the digital age is harming our children. Though there is little definitive research, pediatricians have issued conservative recommendations concerning technology and kids for the good of their physical, neurological, and emotional development.
According to Common Sense Media, almost three quarters of kids 2 to 8 watch TV every day, and 52 percent of children have access to mobile digital devices like smartphones or iPods. Some 72 percent of kids up to age 8 have a computer at home, and 80 percent of children 5 to 9 use computers at school. It''s not an exaggeration to say that tech is everywhere. Meanwhile, some studies have begun to suggest links between technology and attention problems, aggression, depression, and bullying behavior.
Looking back in history, however, technological changes have always prompted worry -- no one these days would say the telephone was an inherently malevolent development, or that printed books undermine the social fabric -- and there is no real reason to think the present situation is different. In addition to potential dangers, there are real benefits to what technology allows us to do today. Let's take a look at navigating this new world with our kids' best interests in mind.
Screen Time
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends keeping children under age 2 as "screen-free" as possible because "unstructured playtime is more valuable for the developing brain than electronic media." Researchers have many theories about how time in front of screens affects kids' development, either positively or negatively. But a couple things are clear: Young kids don't benefit from images and situations they don't understand. For most kids under 2, TV is simply a distraction, which makes it useful for parents at times, but not for the child. And when kids are staring at screens, they're not doing other things that are much more beneficial for their development, like learning motor skills, interacting with caregivers, and developing problem-solving skills.