Some children spend hours everyday on their smartphones
Why is this the case?
Do you think this is a positive or negative development?
Many children now spend the majority of their time on a daily basis on their smart devices. This recent phenomenon can be explained through the emergence of a wide range of captivating content being easily accessible to phone users, which is unequivocally negative on the whole as it increases the risks of developing sleep and major depressive disorders.
Increased hours of smartphone usage mainly results from a myriad of entertaining videos readily available on the internet. Social media platforms usually work with the best computer scientists to devise the most addicting algorithms, which track users’ personal interests to offer them customized content, and as a result capture viewers’ attention for extended periods. These profit-driven companies generally target the young audience as their brains are still underdeveloped, leaving them more susceptible to not being able to stop consuming content at will. Major content providers ranging from Youtube to Tiktok both excel at keeping their viewers scrolling endlessly while losing track of time on their platforms with addictive short videos. Therefore, children’s excessive use of smartphones is due to large corporations competing fiercely to exploit them for profits.
The ramifications associated with this propensity is negative. Firstly, it can lead to the disruption of sleeping patterns. Children might find falling asleep considerably more challenging as the blue light emitted from electronic devices’ screens can block the release of melatonin, which aids sleep. Recent surveys and research conducted indicate that children living in the technological age sleep much later and often suffer from sleep deprivation. The use of smartphones is also detrimental to children’s mental well-being. Online influencers often set unrealistic expectations regarding lifestyles and body images, engendering a sense of dissatisfaction and lower levels of self-esteem for young viewers. Many studies have correlated a sudden rise in cases of depression to the proliferation of the internet in general and smartphone use more specifically.
In conclusion, adolescents’ excessive smartphone usage is attributable to its addicting nature and this propensity is decidedly negative due to its injurious impact on sleeping habits and mental health.
Words: 340.
The majority of: phần lớn
On a daily basis: hằng ngày
Phenomenon: hiện tượng
Emergence: sự xuất hiện
A wide range of: một loạt
Captivating: hấp dẫn
Easily accessible: dễ dàng có thể truy cập
Unequivocally: rõ ràng
Major depressive disorders: trầm cảm
Increased hours: Số giờ gia tăng
A myriad of: rất nhiều
Readily available: sẵn sàng có sẵn
Social media platforms: nền tảng mạng xã hội
Addicting / Addictive: gây nghiện
Algorithms: thuật toán
Track: theo dõi
Customized content: nội dung dành riêng cho người xem đó
Capture: thu hút
Extended periods: khoảng thời gian dài
Profit-driven companies: các công ty chạy theo lợi nhuận
Underdeveloped: chưa phát triển
Content providers: nhà cung cấp nội dung
Excel: xuất sắc
Losing track of time: mất khái niệm thời gian
Excessive use: sử dụng quá nhiều
Large corporations: tập đoàn lớn
Competing fiercely: cạnh tranh khốc liệt
Exploit: khai thác
Ramifications: kết quả
Associated with: liên quan tới
Disruption: sự gián đoạn
Sleeping patterns: chu kỳ ngủ
Release: giải phóng
Melatonin: một chất gây ra cảm giác buồn ngủ
Emitted: phát ra
Aids: hỗ trợ
Technological age: thời đại công nghệ
Sleep deprivation: thiếu ngủ
Detrimental: có hại
Mental well-being: sức khỏe tinh thần
Influencers : người có tầm ảnh hưởng
Set unrealistic expectations: đặt ra những kỳ vọng không thực tế
Regarding: về mặt
Engendering: tạo ra
A sense of dissatisfaction: cảm giác bất mãn
Self-esteem: lòng tự trọng
Correlated: liên hệ
Sudden: đột ngột
In cases of: các trường hợp
Depression: trầm cảm
Proliferation: sự gia tăng nhanh chóng
In general: nói chung
More specifically: nói riêng
Attributable to: do
Nature: tính chất
Propensity: xu hướng
Adolescents: trẻ tuổi vị thành niên
Injurious: có hại
Decidedly: rõ ràng
Sleeping habits: thói quen ngủ
