Every evening, Ms. Trinh Thi My (32 years old, Hanoi) has to "fight her mind" with her 9-year-old son to get back her phone.
Initially, she only lent her child the camera for 15-20 minutes to watch cartoons when she cooked rice. However, that time gradually increased to a few hours per day.
When his phone was confiscated, the boy cried, got angry, and even smashed things.
After taking the child to the doctor, the doctor determined that the child had signs of electronic device dependence, sleep disorders and reduced concentration, and even uncontrolled seizures.
That is no longer a rare story. Smartphones are becoming familiar "friends" of many children.
From online learning, watching videos, playing games to surfing social networks, learning English through apps, many children spend most of their free time in front of the screen.
The consequence is not only nearsightedness or obesity but also directly affects brain development and mental health.
Experts warn that prolonged exposure to screens can reduce children's ability to concentrate, sleep disorders, memory decline, irritability and increase the risk of anxiety and depression.
The brain continuously receives short, stimulating content, making it difficult for children to be patient with learning, reluctant to read books and reduce deep thinking ability.
The reasons come from many sides. First of all, the family. Many parents, because they are busy, give their children phones as a quick way to "keep children".
Meanwhile, adults themselves also spend a lot of time on screens, unintentionally creating a habit of imitation in children. Schools, although strengthening digital skills education, still find it difficult to control students' device usage time at home.
In addition, social networking platforms, short videos and online games are designed to keep users as long as possible. Children, with limited self-control ability, are very likely to fall into a state of dependence. Meanwhile, many residential areas still lack playgrounds, extracurricular activities and space for children to exercise and communicate directly.
The solution is not to completely ban phones but to use them properly. Parents need to stipulate the time to use the device, and spend more time accompanying their children in activities such as reading, playing sports or picnics.
Schools need to strengthen education on safe internet use skills, and management agencies need to strictly control content for children on the online environment.
Smartphones are useful tools if used properly. But when screens replace parental care and real-life experiences, the price to pay will be the health, psychology and future of children themselves.
This is a warning bell that each family and the whole society need to seriously acknowledge.
