"TOUCHSCREEN-TODDLERS"

This article talks about the impact mobile phones and similar devices have on little children, specially on their sleeping habits. It says that, everytime more, children get used to play with devices which include touchscreens and that there is not a concern about how may it impact on them. 

The research institution Birkbeck, University of London, has carried out a study which relates the hours children spent playing with mobile phones or tablets and their sleep patterns. They asked 715 parents about it, and the results showed that those toddlers who play with touchscreens, which are quite a lot, sleep less hours than those who don't. In general, they got to the conclusion that for every hour the toddler was using a touchscreen, he slept 15 minutes less. Dr Tim Smith, one of the researchers, admitted it is not a big amount of sleep if you sleep for ten or twelve hours, but he remembered that sleeping the necessary hours is important for the children's development.

However, they also got to the conclusion that playing with touchscreens is a good way to improve and develop faster the motor skills, also important for children. And that's when the question comes to our mind: should we let children play with touchscreens? Dr Smith says that we should be aware of its effects and limit it as parents normally do with the TV. He says that science still has to research a lor¡t about it, but for now, it's okay if we let our children play with touchscreens. But it's important to limit the time, to make sure what they are playing with and seeing it's apropriate for them and to try to avoid them using it before going to bed. This way, kids will still be able to move and develop their motor skills the way touchscreens allow them, but they won't alterate their sleeping habits.

PERSONAL OPINION:

I agree with the conclusions the researchers have got to, because I think touchscreens can have a good impact in children, such as the improvement of motor skills or the opportunities it can give them in the moment of learning. But it's important that children don't use them excessively, because it can lead to problems in sleeping and of other kinds. And we must bear in mind that activities that don't require touchscreens can also be useful for learning and beneficial for the children, so it's important not to forget them. 

VOCABULARY:

· timely: oportú

· to lag: retardar-se

· overall: en general

LINK: http://www.bbc.com/news/health-39588453