Have you noticed this phenomenon: In the past, it was cartoons that occupied children's screens, but in the past two years, when you watch it again, children have begun to brush up on short videos. Even two or three-year-old children will brush a certain sound, not to mention the old man with a baby, we will occasionally stuff our mobile phones directly to them for a moment of quiet? Many children who are addicted to short videos have even reached a level of addiction. Some children will feel very bored if they don't watch short videos on their mobile phones, and they don't know what to do; Some children hide their mobile phones and hide under the quilt in the middle of the night, and a brush is a night; some secretly take their mobile phones to school, and hide under them to watch videos during class, and they don't want to listen to lectures; Some children brush short videos all day long, and their mothers can't stand it and confiscate their mobile phones, so they scold their mothers, punch and kick them...
Short videos really create a convenient and entertaining world for people, and they can also bring people relaxation. But after watching these videos, what do we remember, except for the endless emptiness, I'm afraid it's just a waste of time...... Adults are still like this, children are in the process of growth and development, self-control, self-discipline, and judgment are immature, and they are more likely to indulge in it. No wonder Musk has repeatedly said in public that he does not use short video apps himself. also admitted that he did not control the child enough before, and he will strengthen the restraint later, because he thinks that the child's brain will really be "calculated" by the short video algorithm and gradually "eaten", which makes him feel very uneasy.
Why are kids so obsessed with short videos?
Today's short videos, when they are designed and produced, will try their best to grab your attention within 5-10 seconds, and all kinds of dazzling short videos are constantly played, so that children can be silly and silly...... Why are kids so obsessed with short videos?
There is an interesting theory in psychology called the "melon seed effect".
When we eat melon seeds, we only need to move our upper and lower teeth to easily get a melon seed kernel, and once we pick up the first one, we will eat the second and third ones...... I can't stop until I finish the melon seeds in front of me.
Think about it carefully, is the behavior pattern of watching short videos the same as eating melon seeds?
Both can bring us instant gratification, and they are unconscious, mechanical, simple and repetitive behaviors that do not require supervision, and under the subtle incentive of "immediate reward", people unconsciously continue the behavior and subconsciously enjoy this repetitive process. The mechanism of the short video platform itself is the "echo chamber effect", which makes people gradually "addicted".
Whatever you click, the algorithm mechanism will keep pushing the same type of content to you, and the more clicks, the more similar content will be pushed to you, so that you can't stop.
We adults must also have this feeling when we watch short videos: the more interesting content is brushed, the more and more interesting content is brushed, and it is always refreshing, and unconsciously "a certain sound is 5 minutes, and the world is 2 hours". It's no wonder that little ones are drawn to it almost just by looking at it. This continuous, high-intensity stimulation of the brain will gradually increase the threshold of the brain's tolerance to information stimuli. At first, 5 minutes of brushing will make your child happy, and then it will progress to 20 minutes before you can enjoy it, cry when you take it, and indulge it step by step, and extend the time of use again and again.
How do short videos "eat" children's brains?
Often watch short videos, damaging the brain
Dimitri Christakis, a child behaviorist in Seattle, found that healthy brains have clear lines and full of energy, while brains that are overly addicted to short mobile phone videos have severe atrophy and significantly different sensory stimulation.
Because when watching short videos, children don't need to think at all, all content, pictures, and sounds will be automatically played, and "passive input" will be put into the child's brain. This way of passively receiving fragmented information will make children fall into "low-level happiness" and cannot extricate themselves. In the long run, the prefrontal lobe function of the child's brain, which is responsible for higher-order thinking, will deteriorate, and in this imperceptible process, the child's memory, cognition, and even emotional control will be affected.
Lose interest in learning and are unwilling to think independently and deeply
Short videos stimulate the brain and provide instant gratification every few seconds. When we are accustomed to such quick and frequent stimuli, and things in the real world are not so fascinating, it is difficult for children to concentrate on these less interesting but necessary tasks. In this kind of short-term happiness obtained by indulgence for a long time, children will also lose interest in those behaviors in life that have little happiness and require effort to obtain happiness, such as reading, sports, studying, etc. The fast-paced lifestyle has made people more inclined to fragmented reading patterns, and attention has become a scarce resource. Have you noticed that it is becoming more and more difficult for us to settle down and read a book, and even a long article will quickly pull to the bottom to finish? Think about how long it has been since you read a book in its entirety? Many parents find that children who used to be able to play with toys or flip through picture books by themselves become more and more unable to sit still and be "bored" after getting used to watching short videos. When reading a book or analyzing a difficult problem, I become restless, unable to concentrate, and want to pick up my phone and click on it at every turn. Short videos devour not only children's time, but also children's precious concentration.
Vulgar content in short videos can also distort children's outlook on life, worldview, and values. Helping children resist this hidden erosion is the top priority of family education. In fact, many times, children are addicted to "low-level happiness", and the root is in the family, because of the parents. If you don't want your child to become addicted to short videos, you can refer to the following suggestions:
1
Lead by example and stay away from "low-level pleasures"
A very useful way for children to watch fewer short videos is for parents not to watch them in front of them, and parents can show the strongest influence when they are involved in their children's lives and model the behaviors they want.
When parents set an example, put away their phones and screens, and spend time with their children after school, talking and playing, children are also less likely to indulge in short videos.
2
Find other hobbies
Parents may wish to enrich their children's lives, cultivate some hobbies and hobbies, and take their children to learn to draw, dance, play sports, and travel...... You can even go to do farm work, learn to cook, etc., don't try to save trouble, throw a mobile phone to your child and do nothing, what you save now may bring trouble later.
These activities can be referred to:
- Singing, reading stories, playing with sensory boards, plasticine, drawing, hide-and-seek, playing with water, dress-up games, building block games
- Explore the outdoors, play house, scavenger hunts, baking, coloring games, puppet making, collage games
- Cycling, skateboarding, camping, crafting, chess, Lego
3
Watch high-quality videos, movies, as well as documentaries
Show your child a mobile phone/ipad, you can choose high-quality content, popular science films/documentaries/learning/building/puzzles, which can not only satisfy your child's desire to "watch", but also reduce the degree of addiction by relying on content. For example, we recommended before: "Collect these 16 awesome nature documentaries, recharge your children during the holiday (watch directly)", "Winter vacation movie recommendation is coming!20 high-scoring movies, suitable for watching with children!"
"These 10 Hayao Miyazaki's Heartwarming Anime Movies Have Healed Countless Children, Let Them Watch It in Summer Vacation (Watch It Directly)"
More child-friendly resources will be compiled later.
The progress of science and technology and the prevalence of short videos are the trend of the times, and we are irreversible; But parents should understand that technological progress is also a "double-edged sword", and they should take their children to experience the good aspects and abandon the bad aspects.
It is necessary to guide children correctly and be a "guide" on the road of children's growth.