SOCIO-EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT NEGLECT IN CHILDREN IN THE DIGITAL ERA

SOCIO-EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT NEGLECT IN CHILDREN IN THE DIGITAL ERA

I Gusti Ayu Trisna Windiani

Department of Pediatric, Medical School of University Udayana/Sanglah Hospital Denpasar

The growth of digital era has made everything easier and faster. Many advantages derived from the use of digital technology, such as facilitating communication, gaining information, as an exchange media, or simplify transaction in business fields. Meanwhile, the use of excessive and inappropriate digital technology could give negative impact. The growth of digital technology could have positive and negative impacts. 

Nowadays many parents are getting busy with their occupation, therefore children parenting usually done by either caregiver, other family members, or even replaceable by gadgets. Gadgets (i.e. handphone, computer, tablet, and television) are introduced early to children below 2 years old, in which children’s development progress rapidly.

Socio-emotional development is children’s ability to understand other people’s feeling, control their feelings and behaviour, interweave relationship and interact with other person, socialize in their environment, and the ability to be independent. Primary social development theory described by two models, the epigenetic model and the social networking model. Epigenetic model emphasize in the importance of mother-children relationship, in which if a good relationship was established between mother and children, then same good relationship possibly formed between a child and other person. In social networking model, other personal relationship is needed to balance the lack or poor relationship between mother and children.

Social development started to form during first 3 months of life, where bonding between parent and children are formed. Sensory development also started to formed during this period. Children started to smile to their mother, smile back, stare at face, doing social contacts, and feeling happy near a familiar person. In the age of 1 until 1.5 years old, children can play alone near a familiar person, hug parents, and showing jealousy. Children also started to substitute parent’s presence by using toys. In 2-3 years children able to develop social relationship and play together with other children. Children become more independent, able to eat and drink by him/herself, and change clothes. Children also able to tell their new experiences. In this period, social exchange happened where children can copy other children’s behavior. At 3-4 years old children can interact by talking, playing, or crying. Age 4-6 years are age where children have society, started to do group forming with their same sex peers. According to Erik Erikson, the stage of socio emotional development (trust versus mistrust) formed during first 2 years of life. If a child was taken care with full of love, it would gave secure, comfortable feeling, and ability to grow trust and optimism. Second stage of socio-emotional development was autonomy versus shame and doubt. This stage started from 2 to 4 years. If this stage completed successfully, children will become independent, confident, and have a good emotion control. Initiative versus guilt is the third stage of social development which occurs between the age 3 to 6 years. Children begin to enter school formally. Children also learn to imagine, feel fears, play actively, and form teamwork with other and groups.

Golden period of children growth happened during first 2 year of life. In this period children need not only nutrition, but also optimal growth stimulation. Parents should act as foundation maker, that strong enough to form sturdy build, which must not collapsed easily. If nutrition and stimulation given was inappropriate, disruption within this period will persist at later stage of life.

The use of gadget for children below 2 years old can cause speech and language delay, impairment in socio-emotional development, and even affect their cognitive development. Early use of gadgets in children will give fast and huge stimulus. As the results, when a child was given small or little stimulation (e.g when a child was called), he/she will not react and look like autism, although it was not autism. Phubbing phenomena will also happened in children, in which a child will not react to others or ignore others because of using gadgets. Emotional development also reported to be disturbed. Children can easily throw tantrums by crying, rolling over, throwing objects, punching, and becoming impatient and temperamental if gadgets is not provided. Excessive and inappropriate use of gadgets will cause addiction to children.

After evaluating the impact of gadgets to developmental delay and disruption, The American Academy of Pediatrics recommended the use of gadget in children below 18 months old should be avoided, except for video chat; also for parents with kids aged 18 to 24 months who wanted to introduce digital media should choose program which have high educational value, and accompany children during digital media use. In children age 2 to 5 years old, it is recommended to limit screen time up to 1 hour per day for high educational value programme. Parents are advised to accompany children during digital media use so that children understand and able to apply those values in real life. In children aged 6 years or more, parents can limit screen time duration consistently, and set appropriate digital media content that can be watched. Parents also need to ensure the use of digital media did not disturb sleep time, physical activity, nor other activities that important for children’s health. Parents are advised to set house rule about time to not using digital media, such as during meal time or time to go to bed. Active communication between parents and children to discuss secure use of social media, include the importance respect others online and offline. Parents should be a good role to their children by limit the use of digital media, and increase time spent and interact with children.

Succesfull socio-emotional development resulted in good social, mental and emotional intelligence. Daniel Goleman said emotional intelligence will determine 80% performance achievement, while 20% come from intellectual intelligence (IQ). Children with good emotional intelligence will have ability to control negative sense such as anger, doubt, low self-esteem, and able to concentrate to positive things such as harmonize with peope around, feel empathy, optimism, and develop harmonize social relationship.

Socio-emotional development must be implanted since early stage of life, in which this ability gained by gradual process at each developmental stage and include the importance of parental role. Parenting must not be replaced by digital media because children’s socioemotional development will be affected. Neglected socio-emotional development during early stage of life will give long term impact during next stage of life. Children who possessed optimum socio emotional development since early childhood will be able to use digital media appropriately.