Contact: Kent A. Miles, 678-838-8523
ATLANTA, Oct. 31, 2013 /Christian Newswire/ -- They aren't the prettiest video games made, but psychologists and other cognitive experts report that online and smartphone gaming is just one of the many growing addictions seizing our kids, keeping their attention for hours daily and potentially leading to serious mental, emotional and physical issues.
The AVG's International Child Internet Safety Summit in London highlighted that children are picking up digital skills ahead of some fundamental life skills such as tying shoelaces or riding bikes. Brain experts say that these little games are appealing to some of the human brain's most deeply rooted desires. A recommendation issued this week by the American Academy of Pediatrics suggests that unrestricted use of online media by our kids can have some serious consequences.
This influential pediatricians group cites a report that found U.S. children ages 8 to 18 spend an average of more than seven hours daily using some kind of entertainment media. In a new policy statement directed at young people, particularly those who use smartphones, computers and other Internet-connected devices, the academy recommends that parents limit Internet use for entertainment, including Facebook, Twitter, TV and movies, to two hours a day.
"Young people now spend more time with media than they do in school -- it is the leading activity for children and teenagers other than sleeping," the pediatricians' group says in its policy report.
Pediatricians are concerned at the unrestricted access that teenagers have to online content, much of it age inappropriate. The pediatricians' group cites a 2007 study in which two-thirds of children and teenagers say that their parents have "no rules" about the amount of time spent with media.
"I guarantee you that if you have a 14-year-old boy and he has an Internet connection in his bedroom, he is looking at pornography," Dr. Victor Strasburger, lead author of the academy's policy report, tells Yahoo! News.
The parenting section of The Daily Local reports Mark Risinger, 16, of Glenview, Ill., is allowed to use his smartphone and laptop in his room, and says he spends about four hours daily online doing homework, using Facebook and YouTube and watching movies.
He said a two-hour Internet time limit "would be catastrophic" and that kids won't follow the advice, "they'll just find a way to get around it."
It is a fact that excessive time on the Internet by teens is a factor in incidents of cyberbullying, exchanges of "sexting" content, and vulnerability to online predators. Parents must have a means of staying abreast of these potentially serious threats.
The latest release of a service from Legacy Technology Group and its founder, Damon Davis, can give parents that ability. Davis' creation, Smart Shepherd, is powerful new software, downloaded as easy as an App, that allows parents to remotely monitor and control their children's online activity. Smart Shepherd has quickly become a trusted level of security for parents nationwide.
"This is a growing concern for parents and the media and doctors from all over the world are starting to stand up and talk about it, and bring awareness to what might be an epidemic." Davis says. "As a father of five, I'll tell you straight that kids are getting way too much computer time and now, the computer has moved to the pocket -- a smartphone. Too much of it, unrestricted, uncontrolled, unmonitored and parents unaware, can absolutely crush their future. It's time parents choose to know and have a smarter phone than their kids have."
Smart Shepherd allows a parent to monitor all real-time activity on their child's smartphone from their own smartphone, including incoming and outgoing calls, text messages, emails, social media activity, pictures and videos viewed, and all Internet activity. Smart Shepherd also provides a Panic Button, a unique feature installed on the child's phone that automatically sends a text notifying the parents of an emergency situation. The feature also provides a map to the child's location while simultaneously taking photos of the area and uploading them to the parent's portal.
Smart Shepherd offers affordable and robust protection, security and vigilance for their children engaged online. It's an added measure of trust for parents who want and demand a safe online environment for their children.
Visit www.smartshepherd.com for more information about this unique mobile app. To connect with the community, visit www.facebook.com/smartshepherd on Facebook or twitter.com/SmartShepherd on Twitter. Watch for Twitter's upcoming initial public offering (IPO).
