Will Today’s Tech-Savvy Kids Face a Dementia Crisis Tomorrow?
/For the first time in history, parents may find themselves having middle-aged children with dementia.
Researchers are predicting that kids growing up with technology from a young age may become ripe for developing Alzheimer’s while still relatively young.
That's scary news.
Screens have become babysitters for children, but they are also used to replace in-classroom teaching, and even homeschooling. This is where it gets tricky.
One of the most ridiculous assertions I've heard from the "experts" is that technology used for education is "more beneficial."
Before we decide if screen use for education is "more beneficial," we have to first determine if screen use is in fact beneficial. That would be the logical place to start.
Let's look at the facts
We know from research and empirical evidence that screen-kids have poor social skills, lack emotional regulation, and tend to have more mental health issues, such as depression and anxiety.
They are also at greater risk for suicide, which is an increasing and tragic problem in American society.
We know that screen-kids can suffer from obesity, which leads to other health problems, such as heart diseases at earlier ages and musculoskeletal issues. It is also a cause for low self-esteem.
We know that screen-kids are susceptible to near-sightedness, which leads to eye diseases at earlier ages, and we know that some eye diseases can lead to blindness.
We know that screen-kids have slower language development. They are also less likely to become readers, which will affect their academic performance and have a subsequent impact on their professional lives. .
But, somehow when the technology is used for "educational" purposes it's "more beneficial?"
Who's fooling who?
Here are some simple truths to consider when evaluating such claims:
1. In 2024, the tech industry sold us 512 billion dollars worth of products and services, according to Statista. Globally, it earned 1.6 trillion dollars, with the Americas being its largest consumer base.
2. The tech industry spends oodles of money funding lobbyists in Washington. These lobbyists then persuade congressman to vote in favor of spending that supports the tech industry’s interests, including online learning for kids through the public school system.
3. It is not a secret that research is subject to as much fraud as any other industry. Studies can be manipulated to bring about a corporation’s desired outcome.
Any statistician will tell you how easy it is to manipulate a study. How many researchers have had to resign or been imprisoned because they published studies riddled with fraud, such as Sami Anwar, who was sentenced to 28 years in prison, and Stanford principal, Marc Tessier-Lavigne, who resigned because of a scandal over falsified research?
Big pharma is another perpetrator. Read Peter C. Gotzsche's book, Deadly Medicines and Organized Crime: How Big Pharma Has Corrupted Health Care.
You can't rely on the researchers or the media to tell you the truth. If something doesn't make sense, turn away from it. We have a rational-thinking mind for a reason. We have to use our own common sense in matters which concern the well-being of our children.
The world has always been plagued with unethical and greedy people who put their self-interests first. This is nothing new.
We all know that a child sitting in front of a screen will be disadvantaged compared to a child who is outdoors playing with friends or inside reading a book or learning something of interest.
We also know that children being taught by a real teacher with real books is a better choice for the child than putting said child in front of a screen and calling it an "education."
It’s called "online learning," but what are the children actually learning? Are they learning grammar? Are they learning how to read a challenging book and think about it? Are they learning to write well?
I'm afraid not.
As I write, an ongoing study is being conducted at the Cincinnati's Children's Hospital where children from birth are being subjected to MRI's (even though we do not know the long term effects of MRIs on children) to determine the effects of screen use on their brains.
It turns out it's not so good.
We know from this study that the lining of the white matter in these children's brains is thinner, which is how a brain looks in an older person, especially one who is prone to dementia or Alzheimers.
Now we begin to see why some parents may find themselves with dementia-ridden children later, if they aren't careful. If it sounds like hyperbole, it’s not. It’s the logical conclusion of what research has told us so far.
IGNORE THE PEDIATRIC GUIDELINES
Ignore the pediatric guidelines for screen time. We see the recommendations change as we do more research, so how can we rely on them? A “best guess” is not good enough when it comes to the safety and well-being of our children.
When my children were young, a child under two could watch up to 30 minutes of television a day; I believe that was the recommendation. Slowly they inched back until now they are saying children under two should have zero screen time!
Some experts are saying zero screen time for kids under five, and rightly so.
Maybe 30 years from now the pediatric recommendation will say NO screen use is best for all children, but that will be too late for your child. The damage will have been done.
Don't wait for the mainstream spotlight to shine on the obvious: Do what mothers have always done and protect your children from harm. A healthy brain can learn anything; a damaged one, not so much.
Why take the risk?
Are you interested in a workshop on weaning your children off of screens? If you are, send an email to support@smarthomeschooler.com and put “No Screen” in the subject line.
Get a copy of Liz’s “could not live without” book, Education’s Not the Point: How Schools Fail to Train Children’s Minds and Nurture Their Characters with groundbreaking Essays on educating your kids by John Taylor Gatto, Dorothy Sayers, and Liz herself.
About Elizabeth Y. Hanson
Developing a comprehensive understanding of how to raise and educate a “whole” child, based on tradition and modern research, Liz devotes her time to helping parents to get it right.
Liz is a homeschooling thought-leader, as well as the creator of three unique online courses, Raise Your Child Well: Preserving Your Child's Natural Genius by Laying a Solid Foundation During the First Seven Years; the Smart Homeschooler Academy, educating children who are brilliant, happy, and well-socialized; and How to Teach Your Child to Read and Raise a Child Who Loves to Read.
As an Educator, Homeschool Emerita, Writer, and Love and Leadership Certified Parenting Coach, Liz has 23 years of experience guiding parents through the amazing journey of raising and educating their children.
Liz is available for one-on-one consultations as needed.
"I know Elizabeth Y. Hanson as a remarkably intelligent, highly sensitive woman with a moral nature and deep insight into differences between schooling and education. Elizabeth's mastery of current educational difficulties is a testimony to her comprehensive understanding of the competing worlds of schooling and education. She has a good heart and a good head. What more can I say?”
—John Taylor Gatto Distinguished educator, public speaker, and best-selling author of Dumbing Us Down: The Hidden Curriculum of Compulsory Schooling. For a copy of The Short Angry History of Compulsory Schooling, click here.