Does a 3-6 year old child need gadgets

Let's break down how much a 3-6 year old child needs a computer – and with it, any gadgets.

At this age, a child actively explores the world. They absorb:

• sounds – the voice of mom and loved ones, music, birdsong;
• the colors and shapes of the surrounding world;
• scents;
• tactile sensations, which are especially important for the development of speech, the ability to think and analyze.

Regarding tactile sensations, many are familiar with soft toys filled with hard beads, drawing on cereals, and multi-textured objects for play. Sound familiar?

This is how nature works:

• the more we stimulate a child's fingertips, the faster their mental development progresses;
• the more a child jumps, climbs, catches a ball, and throws objects, the better their coordination develops;
• the more they hear speech, music, birdsong, the stronger their auditory memory develops;
• the more they see, the more they remember;
• and interaction with loved ones, with music, smells, and the surrounding world gives them emotions, feelings, and energy.

This is how a child "loads" their "internal computer." They select exactly what they need according to their characteristics and learn to use it all, processing it through themselves. Consider it them setting up their unique, unparalleled perception system.

Now let's ponder: what can a gadget give a child?

Can it transmit smells, the full spectrum of necessary emotions, tune the eye to the finest perception of color and changes in light throughout the day — sunrises, sunsets? Can it develop fine hearing, especially in naturally gifted children?

Of course, a child can see and hear something interesting on a gadget. But what a screen definitely doesn't provide is the entire combination of sensations: color, light, sound, smell, touch simultaneously. And yet, this is precisely what is necessary to understand the world and attune oneself to it. And this cannot be obtained through an intermediary, through a surrogate.

Why should a child spend time and energy on a surrogate when all their sensory organs work perfectly from birth — with the finest, unique "settings" for collecting information?

Therefore, I do not support interaction with gadgets during this period. They are simply not needed – and are rather harmful because they give a distorted view of the world and "tune" the child coarsely. There is nothing useful, apart from marketing, in games for the youngest children.

Do you agree?

A little about what happens in the brain

Scientists have proven that interacting with gadgets increases the production of dopamine — a substance responsible for feelings of joy and pleasure. The amount of dopamine released during some video games is mechanistically comparable to what addiction-forming substances cause.

If a child spends a lot of time playing computer games, their dopamine releases occur more frequently than usual. The brain gradually gets used to such a high concentration — and joy begins to "fade." To experience the familiar pleasure again, they have to play more and more.

To varying degrees, this also happens with other gadget activities related to pleasure and its anticipation: communication, searching for interesting information, watching videos and photos. Perhaps not as vividly as in games, but the child's dopamine balance is still disrupted.

Remember your childhood, when literally everything brought joy: sledding, an ice slide, snowflakes, romping in the snow, a new box of crayons, winter patterns on the glass. That's how childhood is structured: the body itself produces exactly as much dopamine as needed for a happy childhood.

And we ourselves deprive the child of this natural joy when — in transport, at home, or somewhere else — we shove a gadget with a cartoon or a primitive game in front of them. Just to occupy them for a while and so they don't bother us.

What can occupy a child instead of a gadget? I'll share what worked for me.

In transit or in line at the clinic, I often played with my children myself: I'd tell riddles, and then we'd make them up for each other and guess them – time flew by unnoticed. When I needed to occupy a child, I'd ask them to come up with a fairy tale and draw it; sometimes I'd give them a theme. The child would be engrossed and labor over the paper.

You can come up with something else – something useful and interesting. Drawing circles with a finger on the window of a car or bus is much more beneficial (at 2-3 years old, this is very important for future handwriting) and engaging if you tie it to an interesting idea.

Now for something else – what parents repeat like a mantra: "Life is moving into computers, everything is being digitized, and our children will be cut off from modernity, they won't have time to master digital technology, let alone artificial intelligence."

That's not true.

It's important to distinguish clearly: it's one thing to be addicted to gadgets, and quite another to use them as tools. For a child to be able to use artificial intelligence for work and daily life in the future, the child's own intelligence must first be developed. Otherwise, artificial intelligence will use them, not the other way around.

Therefore, our task is to protect the child from addiction and develop their brain: the ability to think, solve problems, and make decisions independently.

How to do this?

• If possible, do not introduce gadgets into a child's play until they are 10-11 years old – the longer, the better. Absolutely no cartoons or computer games before the age of 6.
• Later, only start watching or playing together and for short periods – no more than 10 minutes, then take the gadget away. This way, the joy of interaction will be associated with you.
• Play board games as a family.
• From age 7 – sports are essential. Any sport, but it must be there. Swimming and tennis are excellent. For girls – gymnastics (forms graceful gait and movements), for boys – wrestling, boxing, karate (teach not to be afraid and to stand up for oneself). Team sports are wonderful: they train the ability to work in a team and quickly find one's place in any group.
• Art, music, and singing clubs.
• By age 7, accustom the child to a daily routine so they know the value of time and can manage it. This is one of the most important skills that modern children often lack.

It may sound fantastic, but the most important thing is that children are always engaged in important and useful activities.

I often hear: "children don't have a childhood." This is not true. Quite the opposite – they get a great, meaningful childhood: helping at home, going to a favorite club, time for homework, reading, communicating with you, and playing with Lego. There will be time for everything – there will only be no time for nonsense.

I know what I'm talking about: I've walked this path myself with my children. And the result, as they enter adulthood, will definitely be good.