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Many children are likely absorbed in videos and games and cannot put down their smartphones for even a moment. Using Children’s Day is a good opportunity to put some distance between kids and smartphones for a moment and find different kinds of fun and joy.
Monday marks Children’s Day. It is certainly important that not only families, but also the community and society as a whole, support the healthy growth of children.
The environment surrounding children has changed significantly in recent years. Society is facing a declining birth rate, and digitization is progressing rapidly.
According to a central government survey, the majority of junior high and high school students have their own smartphones, and 70% of elementary school students aged 10 and older also have them.
The most popular use for smartphones is watching videos for elementary, junior high and high school students, followed by games and other activities. Smartphones are now deeply integrated into children’s lives for activities such as studying and communicating with others via social media about things like club activities.
In tandem with this, dependency on smartphones has become a more serious issue. The average daily time spent by elementary, junior high and high school students using the internet has exceeded five hours on weekdays. It is not uncommon for children to stay up late at night using their smartphones, leading to sleep deprivation.
The adverse effects of using smartphones for excessive amounts of time, such as reducing the time available for other activities like going out, playing sports or reading, cannot be taken lightly.
There have also been reports of cases in which children compared themselves to pictures of pop stars or friends posted on social media and felt stressed because they felt their own appearance was inferior in comparison.
Through social media and games, children may come into contact with strangers, leading them to become entangled in incidents or fall victim to sexual attacks. It is important to pay attention to the amount of time spent on smartphones and how they are used.
Recently, people are increasingly doing “digital detoxes,” in which they do not use digital devices for a certain period of time, and “digital diets,” in which people reduce the amount of time they spend using such devices.
In a program devised at Kinshi Junior High School run by the Sumida Ward government in Tokyo, students set a daily limit on their smartphone and internet use under the guidance of a school nurse, record the time they spend using the devices and work to reduce the hours.
Families could enjoy such digital detox-themed programs as overnight stays, camping trips or hikes. People should put their smartphones aside and immerse themselves in nature, to experience the relaxing effects on both mind and body.
There are movements in Western countries to regulate children’s use of social media, as the negative impacts of social media are being taken seriously. Japan should begin discussing how to create an appropriate digital environment for children while evaluating the effectiveness of efforts in other countries.
