Entertaining your child can be challenging…keeping them entertained for hours can be near impossible. With tablets and phones capable of housing all their favorite apps and shows on to one device, it seems like the best option to keep your child amused. But, what are the impacts of all that screen time? At Northern Hemisphere, we understand parenting can be one of hardest and most rewarding job ever. Sometimes, all you need is another option to keep your little ones smiling, without becoming dependent to a device.
They are everywhere–from the office to your refrigerator, screens have become ubiquitous to our everyday lives. For the most part, the digital age has brought tremendous positives to our day to day tasks; especially in raising children. Compared to the new toys your little ones “have to have” every month, entertaining them with a tablet can sometimes to do the trick even better. With free apps that allow kids to paint, talk with friends, go on virtual adventures, and watch all their favorite shows with, tablets and phones can be a thousand toys in one! Especially with the developments in parental control and tracking services, you will always be able to monitor what they see and where they are. With this in mind, it’s hard to look at the downsides of technology that efficiently keeps your family amused for hours. In addition, without growing up with this technology at our fingertips, it’s hard to visualize the social and mental impacts the digital age can have on kids’ development. While some of the impacts can be positive, not all of them are.
THE IMPACT
Let’s start with the obvious, attention span. Kids are prone to have the smallest ones the younger they are! In the short term, putting a tablet in front of your child seems like the best option, it keeps them occupied and allows them to go from one activity to the next with ease. In the longer term, according to Psychology Today, this can cause children to crave new exciting stimuli after another in a matter of seconds. The mental impact? A study was conducted and found that kids with long exposure to screens could not engage or listen for longer conversation and would quickly lose focus. This creates a projection of disinterest with what others have to say. This behavior was also found to correlate with a lower performance in school too! The next impact is based on children’s social development. Kids crave social interaction and based on Psychology Today, if a child can satisfy their social needs by hiding behind the internet, they become anxious and fidgety during in-person interactions and develop social awkwardness that can last into adulthood. While all this may seem overwhelming, at Northern Hemisphere, we are here to help.
HOW NORTHERN CAN HELP
By providing exceptional summer camps in Rochester, NY, Northern Hemisphere can get kids to turn off screens and start craving the next outdoor and gymnastic adventure! These programs are especially designed to keep kids constantly active and excited about daily activities. In addition, these summer camps in Rochester, NY will have plenty of other kids their own age your child can develop memories and lasting friendships with.
PROGRAMS
With a variety of summer camps in Rochester, NY, your kid is bound to find something they love. At Northern, we offer summer camps for preschoolers and children 6+ a memory filled adventure camp that will have them zip lining to kayaking! We also offer a gymnastics camp for ages 6+ that will help your flexible little ones develop their inner gymnast.
CONTACT NORTHERN TODAY
At Northern Hemisphere, our summer camps in Rochester, NY are dedicated to providing experiences your child won’t find anywhere else (even in the virtual realm!) that will keep the screens away but keep the smiles for days! Sign up today and give your child the real-life adventure they always wanted.
Call (585) 265-4740 for more information about the youth programs and camps at Northern Hemisphere Gymnastics!
