Spokesperson for BSSN Ariandi Putra noted in his statement received here on Wednesday that gadget addiction is a screen dependency disorder (SDD).
He cited a recent study that found around 30 percent of the children under the age of six months were regularly exposed to gadgets for an average of 60 minutes per day.
"At the age of two, nine out of 10 children have higher exposure to gadgets that puts them at a risk of experiencing SDD," he noted.
In fact, the risk of gadgets damaging a child's brain could be higher if the child is exposed to gadgets from an early age, he added.
Gadgets pose major risk of damage to the child's brain and interferes with the child's development process. Based on the research conducted, there is data that illustrates the magnitude of the impact on children that use gadgets too often.
Moreover, children will experience sleep deprivation, thereby compromising their ability to focus. Children also tend to sleep during the day and wake up at night because every 15 minutes of using a device can reduce a child's sleep time by around 60 minutes.
"What is fun is not necessarily good for children in the future. Always be cautious of the dangers and how much it will cost children if they are addicted to (gadgets)," he cautioned.
Other worrisome impacts are speech delay in children, problems in children's physical development, such as drastic weight loss or even weight increase, headaches, malnutrition, and insomnia.
In addition, it can cause vision and child development problems, such as anxiety, feelings of loneliness, guilt, self-isolation, and drastic mood changes.
"Do not let this persist because it will harm parents and children and even the people around them. The future of children depends on the decisions of parents right now," he stressed.
Related news: Early gadget exposure causes speech delay among children: Pediatrician
Translator: Fauzi, Mecca Yumna
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
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