By Olaleke ASHAFA
Some stakeholders have urged parents and care givers to regulate the use
of technology by children to curb its negative impact on their educational and social developments.
The stakeholders made the call on the sideline of the Mega Seminar orgainsed by Catholic Men
Organisation (CMO) of Ipaja Deanery in Lagos State.
They expressed concern that children spent more time on video games, computer and watching of
television than they do on academic work that enhances their cognitive development.
The stakeholders emphasised the need for parents and care givers to bring up their wards to
understand that the use of technology and its management could impact either positively or
negatively on their wellbeing and the society in general.
According to the stakeholders, the family is the root and nursery of every human life and attitude
toward technology in the family can have great effect on the society.
A priest, Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Olewuezi,said that technology was a good tool
for development if used appropriately.
Olewuezi said that research had shown that the brain releases a chemical related to attention and focus
called `Dopamine’ which could affect the child’s zeal to study, especially when focused on technology.
He added that “when children get used to television or video games, it gives them what is called `stimulus surge.
“With too many hours on the screen, children get desensitised to focus on anything as book without that super
stimulating effect.
“The more time children give to the screen and video games, the less time they give to study.
“Parents have the responsibility to regulate the times children spend on gadgets and be involved in their academics
even on the computer.”
He said that in the family circle, children also imbibe the spirit of give and take from the society and how to interact with
other people .
According to him, parents run the risk of raising a generation who cannot interact or relate well with others because they
are immersed in playing games, computer or watching television.
The cleric said that due to time spent on technology, children lacked interpersonal or face to face interaction needed to
develop proper social skills.
According to him, the children eventually lack the ability to understand, read body languages or facial expressions.
An IT expert, Mr Samuel Onuh, , said that parents should regulate and monitor what the children do online and watch on television.
Onuh said that children should not be abandoned to the use of modern technology because it would form the bases of the
existence and attitude to the society.
He, however, urged that family values should not be broken by allowing modern technology to take over their social as
well as spiritual upbringing.
The Mega Seminar was aimed at improving family values for the good of the society.
