As Kenyan schools are doing their best to ensure that children adopt technology to achieve a high level of digital competence
among learners, in Sweden they are going back to the basics.

Having seen the impact of digital gadgets for learning on the young minds, authorities in Sweden are now switching to physical books.

The Swedish government has noted that excessive screen time is causing a severe health crisis for youth, and
children mentally and physically.

So serious is the issue, a new law is in the pipeline that will require schools to ban access to digital devices. Such stern action has been taken because evidence shows that Swedish students are suffering widespread disorders and a decline in physical and intellectual capabilities, thanks to hours spent online.

“They cannot cut with scissors. They cannot climb a tree. They cannot walk backward because they are sitting with their cell phones,” Social Affairs and Public Health Minister Jakob Forssmed was quoted telling DW in an interview.

“We are also seeing things like diseases that usually were in old people and middle-aged people now haunting young people” due to lack of physical activity,” he added.

So serious is the situation, the Swedish Government is now pushing for tougher rules on their use of digital devices.

Controlled access

Back in Kenya, the situation is equally worrying. Child experts and parents are noting that children are becoming so addicted
to gadgets they are slowly turning into ‘zombies’.

MaryAnn, a 30-year-old mother of one, admits that she has spotted the side effects of early screen time on her
six-year-old son. She points out that at first, it helped the child with learning and digital literacy skills, but along the way, it turned into a toxic addition.

“I loved it because it helped him be calm, especially when I was working from home. But recently, I realised that every time he is using the gadgets, he does not respond when I call him and at times he gets angry when I take his tablet away by force. I have to force him to get off the tablet so that he can eat or go to sleep. It always ends in a fight,” says Mary Ann.

Another parent, George also introduced screen time to his son at a young age, but his experience is different.

“I allowed my child to access these gadgets at the age of three. These greatly helped my son to develop skills
for problem-solving, creativity, social development and for communication,” says George, a father of one.

But George points out that what has helped him is that he limits the screen time unlike some parents who allow for unlimited access.

George observes that children who have unlimited screen time usually develop negative traits that’s why he is strict with his son on screen time and there is no negotiation about it.

“I have noticed that too much screen time can affect children’s concentration, eating habits, and can bring behavioural problems such as anxiety, hyperactivity, low self-esteem and mental instability,” he says.

Margaret Muthoni a brain trainer, who works with children with Autism, Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), dyslexia,
learning challenges and slow learners shares insights on her TikTok page.

“I have noticed two things in my profession, one of them is that there is a huge rise in autism diagnosis, and second a lot of children between the age of two to three years are not talking yet, which is odd,” Muthoni says.

Interestingly, she links these developmental challenges to screen time addiction. According to Muthoni,screen time has a positive side such as boosting a child’s cognitive skills, but if it is not controlled, it can mess up with a child’s brain development.

Dr Florence Mueni, Association of Play Therapy Kenya and a psychologist, echoes the same sentiments.

Dr Mueni stresses on the need for parents to control screen time for their children to protect them from the negative impacts.

“Once they get hooked, they stop listening, reading, doing chores at home and school work, being physically active, eating well, sleeping, and spending time with friends and family. This has an impact on their physical and mental well-being,” Dr Mueni warns.

Mueni notes that many of her clients have shared with her that their children become irritable, start arguing and fighting when
you ask them to put their devices away.

They also start talking back at you and find every opportunity to be on a screen at the expense of important engagements.

“They start lying, and even when you try to set limits, they end up breaking them. Does that mean that everything is lost?That you
should just hope that this is only a phase,which will end once your children are older?” she poses.

She points out that parents need to be intentional about how they monitor their children’s screen time otherwise the minors
will experience the natural consequences of screen addiction