Editorial
Avoid exposing young children to screens
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According to experts, a child’s first year of life is crucial for their development, and during this time they should not be exposed to any screens at all as this can lead to Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) in young children.
A child with autism is unable to interact socially with peers in a typical way due to a neurological deficiency in brain functioning. It makes it difficult to engage and speak with other people.
In fact, there is rise in children’s screen time exposure in this technological age. While there are unquestionable advantages to electronic gadgets, too much screen time can be harmful to a child’s brain development.
Communication problems, strange social interactions, delayed cognitive and learning capacities, and improper emotional responses are a few of these.
Apart from watching TV, young children are given iPads, tablets, phones, and other electronic gadgets to use for extended periods of time without parental supervision. This puts the children in danger.
Studies have shown that children who spend more time in front of screens are more likely to acquire ASD, even though other studies have found that children who play video games do better academically and in terms of intellectual functioning.
Still, not enough information has been gathered to validate this association.
Additionally, compared to children exposed later or never exposed to screens at all throughout their early years of life, children who are exposed to screens earlier in life have a higher chance of having ASD.
Over the past few years, autism has become more common in Ghana, where many young children have reported to medical facilities showing symptoms of the illness.
It is often believed that people with autism typically have less fulfilling lives than those without the condition because of their social isolation and low self-esteem, which can create anxiety and sadness.
Parental stress and family stress are common when a child has autism. Taking care of the child’s requests requires patience because it takes a lot of time and can quickly lead to tension, agitation, and exhaustion in a mother.
Furthermore, it can be challenging for a woman to raise an autistic child and take care of the rest of the family if she is experiencing mental, emotional, or financial difficulties.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) recommends that children under the age of two should not use screens at all, while children over the age of three should only use screens for one hour each day.
So, prior to the age of two, parents should refrain from allowing their children to use screens unsupervised. If you notice any indications of a disorder in your child, get assistance as soon as possible to help treat the condition.
Have face-to-face conversations with your children and make sure they are exposed to outdoor play and toys rather than letting them use phones and iPads.
Dear Editor,
Before we start blaming the government, the authorities and how bad our roads are, perhaps we should first ask ourselves what role we played in making our roads unsafe.
Road safety is often discussed as though it is solely the responsibility of the government and law enforcement agencies, neglecting our roles we play to make the roads unsafe.
While authorities have an important role to play, the behaviour of individual road users remains equally important.
A driver who speed, overtakes recklessly, uses phone while driving or drives when tired is making a decision that could affect many lives.
A motorcyclist who ignored traffic light and also refuse to wear a helmet, passengers who encourage the driver to speed and the pedestrians who crosses a busy road carelessly can also contribute to danger.
We must therefore develop a strong culture of personal responsibilities on our roads.
Drivers should obey speed limit, avoid distractions and ensure their vehicles are road worthy, passengers should also not encourage reckless driving simply because they want to arrive at their destination quickly whiles pedestrians must also exercise greater caution when crossing roads.
At the same time authorities must continue to improve road infrastructures, enforce traffic regulations consistently and educate the public about responsible road use.
Road safety cannot succeed through enforcement alone; it requires change in attitude. If each road user understand that another person’s life may depend on their decision, our road can become safer.
Let us not wait for another crash before we remember the value of life. Thank you for the space.
From Akwasi Aaron
Accra.
Dear Editor,
I was concerned by a point raised during a radio review about the growing expectation among some parents that once their children attend government schools, particularly under the Free SHS programme, the government must provide virtually everything they need.
This mindset deserves serious public discussion.
The introduction of Free SHS has undoubtedly lifted a significant financial burden from parents. Government is already absorbing substantial costs associated with the education of thousands of Ghanaian children. Students in public second-cycle institutions also benefit from provisions such as tuition support, meals and other essential services.
However, Free SHS should not be interpreted as free parenting. A parent should not expect the government to provide every personal item a child needs simply because the child attends a public school. Items such as mattresses, sponges, toiletries, clothing, chop boxes and other personal necessities should, where possible, remain part of the parent’s responsibility.
The same principle applies at the basic-school level. Government has a responsibility to provide quality education and create an enabling environment for children to learn. Parents, however, have an equally important responsibility to support their children’s education and welfare.
Government cannot and should not replace the family. When parents gradually transfer every responsibility to the state, we risk creating a culture of dependency in which citizens expect government to solve every personal problem. That is neither sustainable nor healthy for our development as a nation.
We must therefore appreciate the support government provides while recognising that education is a shared responsibility. Parents must continue to contribute according to their means, schools must do their part, and government must continue providing the necessary educational infrastructure and support. Rather than asking, “What else will government give us?” parents should also ask, “What can I do to support my child’s education?”
Free education is a public investment, not an invitation for parents to abandon their responsibilities. Ghanaians must therefore change the mentality that government must provide everything. The state can carry a significant portion of the burden, but the family must never surrender its responsibility.
Free SHS should make education more accessible not make parenting optional.
From Desmond Aidoo
Sowutuom
