Children who spend a lot of time on digital devices, especially mobile phones, face higher risks of developing cognitive disorders later in life.
This warning from medical experts might exert more pressure on the often shaky relationship between parenting and technology.
Even more worrying is that coronavirus pandemic has provided children with spates of involuntary holidays in which most spent consuming hundreds of combined hours on mobile phones, tablets, television and laptops.
This is even trickier considering most parents, teachers and children now increasingly have to rely on mediated learning through digital classrooms increasing prolonged exposure to screen time.
Dr Michael Mbiriri, a child psychotherapist, now warn that the end result might be “premature thinning of the cortex, the outer layer of the brain, leading to low IQ scores.”
THE STANDARD
KENYA
Members of NGOs in Kisii town on 8/8/2019 demonstrating against rising number of rape and defilement cases in the region. [Sammy Omingo, Standard] Covid 19 Time Series
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Medics’ strike slows justice for abused victims
Clinicians and doctors play a critical role in gathering evidence during treatment and medical care for victims of sexual assault.
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Since the outbreak of Covid-19, there has been an increase incases of sexual abuse among children (Photo: Shutterstock)
Since the outbreak of Covid-19, there have been at least 63 new cases of sexual abuse among children every month. This is according to Martha Sunda, director of Childline Kenya.
Of the children who fall victim to sexual predators, very few come forward to report what happened to them. A study carried out by the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection revealed that 12 out of 100 victims of sexual abuse reported the incidents.
In a report by
The Standard, it emerged that despite the increasing number of sexual abuse cases among children, very little is being done to prosecute offenders and help victims to heal.