While social media and smart devices have made life easier, they also cause health and social problems

PETALING JAYA: Social media, along with its smart devices, has been both a boon and a bane. While they have made it that much easier to get a message across to a wider-than-ever audience, they have also brought a never-before-seen impact on mental and physical well-being.

For instance, a recent report in Singapore showed that 40% of people now exhibit a deficiency in Vitamin D, thanks to a lack of exposure to the sun.

Overuse of smart devices leads to headaches, sleep disturbance, neck and shoulder pain and eye problems.

Apart from that, children are exposed to porn, while online gambling has led many down the slippery slope to financial ruin.

Overuse of smart devices inevitably means a lack of physical exercise, which may lead to obesity.

Media expert Adlene Aris said children are most vulnerable. “Overuse of social media and smart devices will have a negative impact on the development of soft skills and social skills among children,” she told theSun.

“Although they are savvy in online communication and adept at online games, they have problems engaging in face-to-face conversations,” she said. “In more severe cases, they may even experience speech delay and withdraw from offline communication.”

She said the problem could also have been exacerbated by the lockdown to curb the spread of Covid-19.

“It is inevitable that children take to smart devices very quickly, given that they are born into an era of such gadgets and the internet. However, too much of it makes it addictive,” she said.

Rather than deny them the use of smart devices, Adlene advised parents to guide their children on the use of such devices and social media, and to monitor them closely.

International Islamic University Malaysia assistant professor Dr Shafizan Mohamed said being connected and dependent on smart devices throughout the day has become a reality and in some cases, a necessity.

She pointed out that such devices can have negative physiological, psychological and social impact on an individual.

She said there have been cases of children suffering from cramps as a result of holding the devices for hours. “They can develop problems with attention span, resulting in the lack of long-term focus and retention skills in school,” she said.

“It also breeds an inability to engage in critical thinking and analytical discussions because of their reliance on Google for answers,” she added.

Shafizan said a sociological issue that may crop up is the preference to stay indoors rather than go out and socialise.

“It promotes antisocial behaviour and that is not generally good because humans are social creatures.”

She said rather than focus solely on the negative impact smart devices have on children, efforts should be made to look into how they can learn to become more digitally resilient. This means helping them learn how to use such devices productively,” she told theSun.

“Digital media is now part and parcel of everyday life. Today, the focus should be on the quality of the usage rather than the quantity.”

Shafizan said parents could direct their children to more productive and educational games, videos or apps to help them learn new skills and develop their talents.

“For instance, introduce them to apps that can help them develop an exercise regime to stay healthy.”

She added that both children and adults should also make time for outdoor activities.

“I know of people who stay up late into the night to binge watch their favourite shows or play games, or even work all night. They end up sleeping their day away, thereby taking away the chance to head out.”

Source: TheSunDaily