Thursday 23 April 2015

The Cancer of Technology: Who Suffers the Most?

Today, children are suffering from ailments that were once considered grown-up health issues; obesity, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, blood pressure and other various physiological issues that the vulnerable young bodies never experienced before. Technological miracles have changed the spectrum of everything; we have surrendered ourselves to the digital devices that have completely enveloped our lives. But who suffers the most?


The Impact of Growing Modern Technology


Since the early 2000’s, the world has experienced the least expected technological heave that has clocked every corner of the world. It is hard to find a place where technology has not left a discernible impact. Gone are the days when children could enjoy simple outdoor playground equipment and engage with simple chores in the house to have the ultimate recreation. Now the responsibility of entertaining the younger minds has been transferred to the bleeding edge technology.

The technology has its hand in causing various ailments that were once considered for the adults only. According to an article published in Time magazine in February 2015, children are becoming aged before their age. Most tykes in America suffer from various ailments that were once known to occur in adults. Below are the statistics provided by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention.
  • 18.4% (2009-2010) percent of teenagers age 12-19 years who are obese
  • 18.0% (2009-2010) percent of children age 6-11 years who are obese
  • 12.1% (2009-2010) percent of children age 2-5 years who are obese
  • More than 2 in 3 adults are considered to be overweight or obese.
  • More than 1 in 3 adults are considered to be obese.
  • More than 1 in twenty adults have extreme corpulence.
  • About one-third of children (between ages 6-19) in the United States 19 are considered to be overweight.
  • More than 6 children of ages 6 to 18 are obese.
The above statistics show the prevalence of corpulence in children and teenagers. Studies suggest that children grow older before their age by developing ailments that become the main hindrance in academic and social life. The lack of physical activity and high level of sedentary activities have turned teenagers and tykes into indolent individuals who are more prone to serious ailments such as type diabetes and carpal tunnel syndrome along with myriad other diseases.


Who Suffers the Most?


By looking at the above statistics, it can easily be said that children are the primary victim of technology. It is true that handheld devices allow kids to get acquainted with technology and understand the complexities associated with it which help them later in life. However, technological advancements bring physiological damages that our children may not be able to recover from. Therefore, in the long run, technology will prove to be an informational gadget that edifies children at a price.

So, do we just sit there while our children lost themselves in the upheaval of gaming devices and screen based activity? In this era of digital devices and escalating screen times, commercial playground equipment and modern play structures are our only hope to bring our children back to the healthy lifestyle. So, take steps to improve your child’s health and introduce him to an active lifestyle.

Reference
http://time.com/8693/young-kids-old-bodies

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