Digital Discourse Database

Number of Posts: 12
Posts 1 - 10

Are smartphones really making our children sad?

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Newspaper | The Guardian
Date | 13.8.2017
Language | English
Country | UK
Topic Tags | (mental) health, addiction, childhood, smartphone, threat, youth
Summary | Children's relationship with screens has become a contested topic; not everyone agrees with what should or shouldn't be done. Last week, the Atlantic published an excerpt of Jean Twenge's book (the Atlantic article was titled "Have smartphones destroyed a generation?"), which initiated very diverse reactions. Jean Twenge, who is an American pychologist, said that social media have a negative effect on young people. Twenger then answered some of her critics in this Guardian article.
Image Description | Photograph of a group of teenagers all staring at their phone or tablet.
Image Tags | female(s), male(s), smartphone, tablet

Ecrans : des pédiatres préoccupés

(Screens: worried pediatricians)

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Newspaper | Le Monde
Date | 4.6.2017
Language | French
Country | France
Topic Tags | (mental) health, addiction, childhood, language threat
Summary | More and more children spend too much time on screens. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) released a statement with new tips and recommendations for parents (e.g. no screens in children's bedroom, establish a screen curfew, limit screen time to one hour a day for children between 2 and 5, etc.).
Image Description | N/A

" Mon fils n'est plus le même petit garçon "

("My son is not the same little boy")

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Newspaper | Le Monde
Date | 28.6.2017
Language | French
Country | France
Topic Tags | (mental) health, addiction, childhood, language threat
Summary | When Gabin first went to kindergarden, he was in his own bubble. He used to repeat what he was told, and would not listen to the teacher. At home Gabin was constantly on his tablet, and TV was always on. After the mother was told not to give her son his tablet, they noticed progress. Doctor Ducanda has been working a lot with children like Gabin. Most of the time, those children have been exposed to screens for too long.
Image Description | N/A

Ecrans La grande déconnexion parents-bébés

(Screens The big disconnection parents-babies)

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Newspaper | Le Monde
Date | 28.6.2017
Language | French
Country | France
Topic Tags | (mental) health, addiction, childhood, language threat
Summary | Many toddlers have autistic-like symptoms, and it might be due to too much screen time. Smartphones and other devices are everywhere, and parents sometimes give them to their kids to calm them down. Many health professionals have been warning people about the dangers of too much screen time for toddlers under 3. Those dangers can be: a lack of language, relational problems, and communication problems. Some people don't like the reference to autism that has been made because no research can prove a link between screens and autism.
Image Description | N/A

Des enfants turbulents ou en retrait

(Agitated and distant children )

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Newspaper | La Tribune de Genève
Date | 13.6.2017
Language | French
Country | Switzerland
Topic Tags | (mental) health, addiction, childhood, language threat, technology-free, threat
Summary | Experts are worried about the fact that some parents are addicted to their smartphone. Indeed, their addiction can have serious consequences on their children's development. Those children tend to be more irritable and to isolate themselves.
Image Description | N/A

Quand les écrans abîment nos enfants

(When screens damage our kids)

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Newspaper | La Tribune de Genève
Date | 26.8.2017
Language | French
Country | Switzerland
Topic Tags | (mental) health, addiction, childhood, language threat, technology-free, threat
Summary | When young kids are exposed to screens, it can alter and damage their development. Doctors in Geneva are worried about this new phenomenon, especially with toddlers younger than 3. Some toddlers don't know how to talk, are hyperactive and can't focus. Parents shouldn't have strict rules at home and should be informed about the dangers of too much screen time.
Image Description | N/A

Is it wrong to let my child play on my smartphone?

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Newspaper | The Guardian
Date | 10.8.2017
Language | English
Country | UK
Topic Tags | (mental) health, addiction, childhood, smartphone, technology-free
Summary | The author of the article sometimes feels guilty when she lets her 2-year old son play on a smartphone. When young children are glued to a screen, they are so captivated by what they're watching. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, children younger than 2 should have no exposure to screens; it can hinder their language and social development/skills. The author of the article also claims that her kids already show characteristics of "addicted" behavior. For instance, they scream and are irascible if someone takes their screen away. She also says that what is dangerous is not so much when kids are on screens, but rather when parents are.
Image Description | Photograph of a kid using a smartphone next to an adult.
Image Tags | female(s), male(s), smartphone

Quand le smartphone fait de l'ombre au bébé

(When smartphones eclipse babies)

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Newspaper | La Tribune de Genève
Date | 13.6.2017
Language | French
Country | Switzerland
Topic Tags | (mental) health, addiction, childhood, smartphone, technology-free, threat
Summary | More and more parents take a lot of pictures of their newborn before holding him/her for the first time. As a result, a hospital in the Swiss German part of Switzerland decided to impose a new rule: no screen during mother-baby nap. The problem especially affects the younger generation (under 30). Parents seem to pay more attention to their smartphone, which is alarming. For instance, mothers post pictures of themselves in labor. There are no special rules in Geneva, but doctors and midwives are thinking about alternatives. An excessive use of smartphones can also have a negative impact on children's development.
Image Description | Photograph of a hand taking a picture of a newborn with a smartphone
Image Tags | hand(s), smartphone

Einfach mal abschalten

(Just turn it off for a little)

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Newspaper | die Weltwoche
Date | 27.4.2017
Language | German
Country | Switzerland
Topic Tags | (mental) health, addiction, childhood, smartphone, threat
Summary | Lots of adults are virtually tied to their smartphones, even when crossing the street. The children, naturally, imitate this and for the "head-down generation". One cannot blame the children for becoming addicted to smartphones because they can only form into what they learn from their parents. No wonder that we are dealing with epidemic-like amounts of ADHD diagnoses: children are tranquilized with screens and later the developmental tolls of this are treated with drugs.
Image Description | A collage-like illustration of parents drifting off into the ocean on rafts made of giant smartphones and the children left behind on an island.
Image Tags | female(s), male(s), smartphone

«Fais ce que je dis, pas ce que je fais»: quand le smartphone sème la zizanie à la maison

("Do what I say, not what I do": when smartphones stir things up at home)

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Newspaper | Le Monde
Date | 6.2.2017
Language | French
Country | France
Topic Tags | (mental) health, addiction, childhood, marketing
Summary | In Germany, an ad campaign was launched to remind parents that focusing on their screens and not on their child can have serious consequences for their child's development. Children need attention, compliments, and encouragement from their parents. Some parents want their children to respect strict rules regarding new media use at home, but at the same time their addicted behavior shows the exact opposite. Children feel ignored by parents who favor their smarthpone.
Image Description | N/A

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