You've likely heard warnings from sermons or religious books against children using electronics due to their negative effects on character development. Despite knowing this, we are often slow to take action and continue to provide access to such devices. But what happens when these warnings come from secular sources and impact not just spirituality, but all aspects of a child's development?

Check out the following information published in the Huffington Post on March 6, 2014, and translated and disseminated in Brazil by the blog Antes que Eles Cresçam.

10 Reasons Why Handheld Devices Should Be Banned for Children Under 12 Years Old

The American Academy of Pediatrics and the Canadian Paediatric Society state that infants aged 0-2 years should have no exposure to technology, children aged 3-5 years should have restricted access to one hour per day, and children aged 6-18 years should have restricted access to two hours per day (Source: AAP 2001/13, CPS 2010). However, today children and youth use technology 4 to 5 times more than recommended, which is resulting in serious consequences and vital threats (Source: Kaiser Foundation 2010, Active Healthy Kids Canada 2012).

Portable devices (cell phones, tablets, electronic games) have dramatically increased access to and use of technology, especially by very young children (Source: Common Sense Media, 2013). As a pediatric occupational therapist, I am calling on parents, teachers, and governments to ban the use of all portable devices for children under 12 years of age.

Below are 10 research-based reasons for this ban. To access the research references, please visit zonein.ca to see the Zone’in Fact Sheet.

1. Rapid Brain Growth

Between 0 and 2 years of age, a child's brain triples in size and continues in a state of rapid development until age 21 (Source: Christakis 2011). Early brain development is determined by environmental stimuli or the lack thereof. Stimulation to brain development caused by excessive exposure to technologies (cell phones, internet, iPads, TV) has been shown to negatively affect functioning and cause attention deficit, cognitive delays, impaired learning, increased impulsivity, and decreased ability to self-regulate, e.g., tantrums (Source: Small 2008, Pagini 2010).

1. Developmental Delay

Technology use restricts movement, which can result in developmental delay. One in three children now enter school with developmental delays, negatively impacting literacy and academic achievement (Help EDI Maps 2013). Movement increases attention and learning capacity (Source: Ratey 2008). Consequently, technology use by children under 12 years of age is detrimental to child development and learning (Source: Rowan 2010).

1. Obesity Epidemic

TV and video game use is correlated with increased obesity (Source: Tremblay, 2005). Children who have electronic devices in their bedrooms have a 30% increased incidence of obesity (Source: Feng 2011). One in four Canadians and one in three American children are obese (Source: Tremblay 2011). 30% of obese children will develop diabetes, and obese individuals have a higher risk of stroke and early heart attack, severely shortening life expectancy (Source: Center for Disease Control and Prevention 2010). Largely due to obesity, 21st-century children may be the first generation where many will not live longer than their parents (Source: Professor Andrew Prentice, BBC News, 2002).

1. Sleep Deprivation

60% of parents do not supervise their children's technology use, and 75% of children are allowed to have technology in their bedrooms (Kaiser Foundation 2010). 75% of children aged 9-10 years are sleep-deprived, and as a consequence, their school grades are negatively impacted (Boston College 2012).

1. Mental Illness

Excessive technology use is implicated as the primary cause of rising rates of childhood depression, anxiety, attachment disorder, attention deficit, autism, bipolar disorder, psychosis, and problematic child behavior (Bristol University 2010, Mentzoni 2011, Shin 2011, Liberatore 2011, Robinson 2008). One in six Canadian children has a diagnosed mental illness, many of whom are on dangerous psychotropic medication (Waddell 2007).

1. Aggression

Violent media content can cause childhood aggression (Anderson, 2007). Children are increasingly exposed to the growing incidence of physical and sexual violence in today's media. “Grand Theft Auto V” depicts explicit sex, murder, rape, torture, and mutilation, as do many films and TV shows. The U.S. classified media violence as a public health risk due to its causal impact on childhood aggression (Huesmann 2007). The press reports an increase in the use of isolation rooms for children exhibiting uncontrolled aggression.

1. Digital dementia

High-speed media content can contribute to attention deficit, as well as decreased concentration and memory, due to the brain eliminating neural pathways in the frontal cortex (Christakis 2004 Small 2008). Children who cannot pay attention cannot learn.

1. Addictions

As parents become increasingly engrossed in technology, they are detaching from their children. In the absence of parental attachment, separated children may connect to devices, which can result in addiction (Rowan 2010). One in 11 children aged 8-18 are addicted to technology (Gentile 2009).

1. Radiation emission

In May 2011, the World Health Organization classified cell phones (and other wireless devices) as a category 2B risk (possible carcinogen) due to radiation emission (WHO 2011). James McNamee with Health Canada, in October 2011, issued a warning stating: “Children are more sensitive than adults to a variety of agents – as their brains and immune systems are still developing – so you cannot say that the risk would be the same for a young adult as it is for a child.” (Globe and Mail 2011). In December 2013, Dr. Anthony Miller from the University of Toronto's School of Public Health recommended that, based on new research, radiofrequency exposure should be reclassified as 2A (probable carcinogen) and not 2B (possible carcinogen). The American Academy of Pediatrics called for a review of electromagnetic radiation emissions from technology devices, citing three reasons regarding the impact on children (AAP 2013).

1. Unsustainable

The ways in which children are raised and educated with technology are no longer sustainable (Rowan 2010). Children are our future, but there is no future for children with a technology overdose. Addressing this is urgent, necessary, and we need to do it together to reduce children's technology use. Please watch and share the videos about excessive technology use by children. At http://www.zonein.ca

I believe these are 10 good reasons to rethink our children's activities and ask God to help us make the necessary changes. As a great writer of the last century once said: “The calmer and simpler the child’s life, that is, the freer from artificial stimuli and the more in harmony with nature, the more favorable it is for physical and mental vigor and for spiritual strength.” Education, 107

So, shall we choose to offer the best for our children? Not according to what the world dictates, but according to the teachings of the One who knows everything, our Creator.

‍