By Jeff Sheppard 03 Feb 2025 no comment 45 Views

Many children ask for cell phones for birthday or Christmas gifts.  Other times, parents want their children to have phones for reasons of safety.  A child with a phone can message their parents if plans change.  They will also be able to call 911 in case of an emergency.

Phones are useful tools.  But they carry the potential for trouble when they are misused and abused.

Set reasonable limits for kids and cell phones, just as you would for video games and TV.

Bedtime is not a good time for phones.  The bright light from the screen throws off sleep patterns and the buzz of alerts can wake kids up in the night.  Set phones to charging outside of the bedroom about an hour before bedtime.  This advice goes for adults, as well.

Situational awareness is important for people of all ages, particularly kids.  Kids need to pay attention to where they are going.  They should be alert for dangers such as vehicles, obstacles, and holes.  Phones belong in pockets or backpacks while kids are walking to and from school, running around playing, or otherwise being active.

Family time is another time to put phones away.  This is a good lesson for everyone – when we spend time with others, we should give them our full attention.  Our “digital lives” should not interfere with our ability to socialize and bond in our “physical lives.”

Just as most workplaces don’t allow employees to play on their phones during work hours, so too are phones inappropriate during homework time and in class.

The feeling that we have to be “on” all the time compounds stress.

Children can suffer from stress just as adults do.

Grown-ups sometimes struggle with the urge to answer work emails during vacation.  Children can feel similar stresses from friends who expect them to be available 24-7.  These demands are not reasonable, and children need to learn early how to set healthy boundaries.

“Text neck”

“Text neck” develops when muscles and joints become strained after spending too much time looking down at a screen.

If your child complains of a sore neck, it might not just be “growing pains.” They might have injured themselves from months or years of cumulative strain.  Fortunately, chiropractic care is for people of all ages, including children.

If your child hasn’t been to see us for a maintenance visit lately, call Sheppard Chiropractic Centre at (506) 847-7172 to schedule their next appointment.

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