Feature: The good, bad effects of digital devices on Vietnamese children

In today's digital era and with improved economic earnings, it is not unusual for many Vietnamese children to be exposed to computers and other digital devices at a very young age.

Experts here and in other countries have agreed that computers have a double-edged effect on a child's development.

A recent social survey conducted by a research association here revealed that up to 78 percent of Vietnamese children below six years old now use digital devices.

Over 1,000 respondents of the survey are parents of kids aged three to 12 years old. The survey showed that 19 percent of under- three-year-old kids have access to digital devices and up to 59 percent of children from three to five years old play digital devices. Twenty percent of children aged six to nine play digital devices while 2 percent are aged from 10 to 12.

Thanh Tu, 38, an accountant for a foreign office in Hanoi and mother of 5- and 3-year-old girls, told Xinhua that she allowed her children to play the IPAD for 30-60 minutes a day and maybe longer during weekend and holidays. "I am working hard all day and return home late afternoon, so tired and busy to prepare dinner for my family, while my husband takes care of my children. He often allows them to play with my IPAD so that he can relax for a while,"Tu said, adding that in the evening she teaches her elder daughter to learn English or painting through IPAD.

Many parents also admitted that smartphones and tablets can serve as babysitters, considering the limited amount of time they can spend with their kids.

The survey also revealed that 97 to 100 percent of kids from three to five years old play normal games, listen to children's songs and watch cartoons on their digital devices.

Around 61 to 83 percent of kids in the six to 12 year old bracket use the device for lessons in foreign languages, mathematics and brain games.

The programs that children in both groups download themselves are mostly games and entertainment while their parents download and install educational materials. "I see a lot of benefits my daughters gain from using smart devices including early access to information, assistance in their growth of linguistic ability and a boost to their creativity,"Tu said. Tu, however, added that there some negative impacts of digital devices on children. "I know many children get addicted to the device and that makes them susceptible to eye defects later on. Besides, by spending a lot of time in front of computers, the kids do not have time to do physical exercises and that is not good for their development,"Tu said.

The 25-year-old Nguyen Mai Chi from District 2 in HCM City told Xinhua that although she is well aware of the harm to kids if they are addicted to digital devices, she has to allow her three-year- old son to play with her IPAD to stop him from crying.

Local experts asserted that although giving kids access to digital devices is an indispensable part of modern life, parents should be made aware of the possible harm that the tools could do to children.

Nguyen Thuy Uyen Phuong, training director of Tomato Extracurricular School in HCM City, said that the use of digital devices by children without parents'proper guidance or monitoring has resulted in poor concentration power, inventiveness and difficulty in articulating certain matters.

Meanwhile, Dr. Pham Minh Triet, head of HCM City Paediatrics Hospital 1's Psychology Department, said that his department has yet to receive child patients who need attention for their addiction to digital device. However, some doctors have treated children for slow or late speech ability, particularly those below three years old who have been addicted to watching television and using digital devices for long hours each day.

According to psychologists, watching television and using digital devices would result in children's lack of comprehension, inertness, obesity and inability to communicate properly.

Local eye doctors also reported that there is an alarming rise in short-sightedness among school children over the past 10 years. Although this can be attributed to many reasons, nine out of 10 children having this eye defect have been watching television and using digital gadgets for long hours. Endi