The impact of information technologies on child™s health

"The negative impact of modern information space on the mental and physical health of a child" Information space: friend or foe?

It is known that the latest computer and information technologies, especially networking, have a significant impact on a child's life and brain development. Scientists suggest that increasing the amount of information and accelerating its processing by humans can have a detrimental effect on the development of mental abilities of the child.

At the moment, there is a danger that children are gradually moving to maintain brain activity by technological means of progress, processing the information they draw from the global information base - the Internet. In turn, in the future the number of innovative ideas and independent mental processes is reduced, and therefore students, for the most part, act as a passive information consumer.

Students from a huge amount of information and lack of time to process its huge amounts, overloaded and therefore stop thinking logically, resulting in the so-called information neurosis.

Social networks contribute to the fact that children stop feeling the desire to communicate in the real world with real people, getting used to living in their own microworld with the presence of only virtual interlocutors. Gadgets both support and disrupt the spiritual and emotional connection between people.

But still the era of information technology has come, and humanity will not be able to give up its benefits due to dynamic growth and the desire for a long, comfortable and safe life. Therefore, it is necessary to realize that the development or regression of human civilization with the help of information technology depends on the number of positive or negative forms of impact of these technologies on society.

The impact of information technology on health

The prevalence of diseases among children and adolescents has increased in recent years, including diseases of the nervous system and mental and behavioral disorders. This situation is taking place against the background of the progressive introduction of technical means: computers, the Internet, mobile phones, which are becoming an integral part of life and change the physiological living conditions of adolescents and can contribute to the development of various diseases.

The main source of adverse health effects for personal computer users is the monitor. Along with ergonomic parameters: reduced image contrast, mirror reflections from the screen, image flicker, electromagnetic radiation is a danger. The most sensitive to its biological action are the nervous, immune, endocrine and sexual systems of the body. Children and adolescents are at increased risk of developing the disease - people who are experiencing a period of active growth, the formation of endocrine, nervous, cardiovascular and other systems.

Prolonged work on the computer causes changes in the functioning of the body. Computer work often involves constant concentration and assimilation of a large amount of information. It is common to receive unnecessary information that "overloads" the brain and memory and leads to mental fatigue and attention deficit. Due to nervous and emotional stress, fatigue develops quickly, which provokes a headache. Tinnitus may occur, dizziness, nausea. Uncontrolled communication with the computer on the background of fatigue leads to sleep disorders, restlessness in behavior, memory impairment.

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While working with a computer, adolescents may develop computer vision syndrome, which is based on visual fatigue. Visual symptoms: decreased visual acuity; its fogging; difficulties in shifting the gaze from near to far and back; sensation of changes in the color of objects; doubling.

Forced articalure leaning forward makes changes in the configuration of the child's spine and leads to a narrowing of the chest, which affects the filling of the ventricles of the heart with blood and heart rate.

Prolonged exposure to the computer can cause eating disorders in young people. This is an insufficient, irregular, unbalanced diet, which results in digestive disorders, vitamin and mineral deficiency, or abuse of fast food, fast food on the background of hypodynamics, which is the cause of overweight, metabolic and endocrine disorders.

Sexual disturbances associated with altered regulation of the nervous and neuroendocrine systems may occur.

The impact of information technology on the child's personality

Dosed and directed work on the computer has many positive qualities, especially at the stage of learning about the world, the formation of useful skills. Young people get great opportunities for comprehensive self-development, education and communication. But, paradoxically, these acquisitions lead to a decrease in the cultural level of the adolescent contingent, moral qualities, memory and attention; development of isolation from others.  In the "computerized" generation there are changes in the fundamental spiritual and cultural principles, concepts and ideas, and intellectual development takes place in a different socio-temporal dimension. Information technology has a hypnotic effect on the intelligence and spirituality of adolescents, and computer games can lead to a complete mix of real and virtual world.

The attractiveness of the computer world for adolescents is due to: the presence of "own territory", which is difficult to control for adults; the ability to make independent decisions. The reverse side of a long stay in virtual circumstances - psychological infantilism with no responsibility for their actions, aggression or emotional coldness, a certain narrowing of horizons, the risk of antisocial behavior.

However, prolonged exposure to the world of virtual reality in adolescence can lead to addictive behavior, which is characterized by the desire to stay at the computer as long as possible and is a manifestation of social maladaptation. Defects in family upbringing can contribute to the development of addiction: hyperopia, emotional instability, excessive demands of parents, etc.

The formation of other forms of deviant behavior is facilitated by the dangers that children and adolescents may encounter while online: exploitation of trust (they may be tempted to commit obscene acts, blackmail them); access to pornography; access to sites with destructive content (instructions for the manufacture or purchase of drugs, explosives, etc.).

The most dangerous are role-playing computer games, which can form a stable psychological dependence. Often they do not take into account the age of psychological characteristics and are able to influence the formation of personality in the period of active socialization. The teenager receives sharp, vivid impressions in the virtual world and does not seek to return to everyday life.

Use of gadgets in adolescence

More and more information technologies and modern devices are designed to improve and make life easier for children and adolescents. The widespread use of mobile phones, desktops and laptops, wireless Internet and other technological innovations requires the proper and rational use of these tools.

Adolescents have been linked to cognitive impairment, cognitive changes, and the frequency and duration of use of cell phones, tablets, and other gadgets. This connection is preferred over real communication, and the lack of messages causes anxiety and tension, irritability and low mood. Screen reading and mobile gambling lead to eye strain and can be preceded by visual impairment.

Therefore, it is necessary to take preventive measures to prevent technological dependence in children. They should include widely informing parents about the risks of uncontrolled use of computers, the Internet, mobile phones by their children.

 Harmonious development of personality and a high level of mental health will be ensured when a person from childhood will live and develop in a favorable psycho-hygienic information environment.