Perspectives of Digital Play - Negative Effects on Children

Running head: PERSPECTIVES ON PLAY
PERSPECTIVES ON PLAY: A STUDY TO EVALUATE THE NEGATIVE IMPACT OF
INCREASED DIGITAL PLAY ON CHILDREN’S DEVELOPMENT
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Introduction
As stated by Arnott (2016), the emergence of the different digital media platforms and
the other technologies which are being extensively used by the contemporary individuals had
drastically changed the lives of the contemporary individuals when compared to those of a few
generations back. Bochicchio et al. (2018) are of the viewpoint that the effect of the different
kinds of digital medias is perceptible at all levels of the life of the individuals be it the manner in
which they shop presently, interact with their friends and family members, the nature of jobs that
they are present doing and others. In this relation, it needs to be said that an important impact of
the emergence of the different digital media is the fact that unlike the earlier times wherein the
children used to indulge in different kinds of outdoor games and the indoor games presently it is
seen that they are indulging on the different digital media games or plays (Flynn, Richert &
Wartella, 2019).
Recent researches have shown that there are both positive and negative effects associated
with the extensive usage of the digital games by the children and thus it becomes important for
the parents to allow the children to play the online or for that matter the digital games only under
proper supervision so that the children are not getting adversely affected by the same (Mustola et
al., 2018). For instance, it had been seen that the different digital games develop the cognitive
abilities, problem solving abilities, hand-eye coordination of the children and others (Nevski &
Siibak, 2016). However, at the same time it seen that extensive exposure to the same can
adversely affect the physical, mental and the social development of the children and thereby
adversely affect their overall development (Radesky & Christakis, 2016). More importantly, the
negative effects of the increased digital play on the development of the children, be it, their
physical, mental or social development far outweigh the positive impacts of the same on the

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development of the children and thus it becomes important for the parents to reduce the time that
their children spend on digital play. The purpose of this essay is to undertake an analysis of the
negative impact of increased digital play on the development of the children while highlighting
both the positive and the negative effects of the same on the physical, mental and the social
development of the children.
Digital Play and Physical Development of the Children
Huda et al. (2017) are of the viewpoint that the increasing amount of digital plays or
digital games that the children are playing in the present times rather than the outdoor games or
the indoor games had adversely affected the physical development or for that matter the physical
growth of the children. Adding to this, Leung, Choi and Yuen (2019) have noted that the primary
idea behind the different outdoor games or for that matter the games which required a substantial
amount of physical activity that the children used to play in the earlier times was to facilitate the
physical development of the children. In this relation, it needs to be said that the children are
required to perform various kinds of physical tasks as well as activities which in turn would
facilitate the growth of their muscles and also organs (Wright & Embrick, 2018). This is
important since the maximum amount of growth of the different body organs along with the
muscles takes place in the childhood stage and if adequate physical activities or exercises are not
being performed by the children then this can adversely affect their physical growth which in
turn can have life-long repercussions for the children (Anderson & Subrahmanyam, 2017). These
in short are some of the most important reasons because of which the parents as well as the
teachers of the children insisted that the children should indulge in various kinds of games which
require a substantial amount of physical activity or for that matter the movement of the body.

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However, presently it had been seen that because of the over-indulgence of the children
in the different kinds of online or digital games particularly the video games the children are not
indulging in adequate amount of physical activities which in turn had stunted the physical growth
of the children (Radesky & Zuckerman, 2016). In this relation, it needs to be said that the famous
book “The Big Disconnect: Protecting Childhood and Family Relationship in the Digital Age” of
Catherine Steiner-Adair clearly indicate that the over-indulgence of the children in the different
kinds of digital games like “Candy Crush”, “Angry Birds”, “Temple Run” and others by
substantially reducing the time that they spend on different outdoor games had given rise to
different kinds of health issues like obesity, improper posture, inadequate muscle and bone
growth and others (Przybylski & Weinstein, 2019). The important issue arises since it had been
seen that the majority of these health issues faced by the children on the score of their extensive
exposure to different kinds of online games or digital games can have lifelong repercussions
which in turn can adversely affect the quality of life that the children are likely to led in the latter
part of their lives (Tetik et al., 2018). In the light of these aspects, it can be said that the different
kinds of online games or for that matter the digital games by reducing the focus of the children
from the outdoor games or the games which require a substantial amount of physical activity had
given rise to various health issues in them which in turn had adversely affected the physical
growth of the children as well.
According to Nuttall et al. (2019), there are various positive aspects of the extensive
usage of online games or digital games on the physical development of the children as well.
Adding to this, Aldhafeeri, Palaiologou and Folorunsho (2016) have noted that an important
benefit offered by the over-indulgence of the children in the different digital games can be
attributed to the fact that the fast-paced nature of the digital games substantially enhances the