How technology and inactive lifestyles are changing our children
Children are our future and for it to be a secure one, their staggering rates of inactivity must be addressed
The evolution of technology has reached a point where pretty much anything is available at the touch of a button. Shopping, learning, working and entertainment can all be accessed from the comfort of our own homes, on a train or sat in a cafe. But it's coming at a price; and a relatively crucial one at that. Health. And as technology changes the way we live, those who will suffer most will be our children.
Last week, two studies emerged in the media that really hit home just how inactive children are becoming and the role technology may be playing. The first, a UK study of 6,500 children aged seven to eight, found that only 51% achieved the recommended hour of physical activity each day, with girls (38%) proving to be far less active than boys (63%). The second study revealed that the average British child gets their first mobile phone aged around 12, but nearly one in 10 has one by the age of five. Yes, five. It begs the question; do these two issues come hand in hand? As children are given mobile devices for communicating, playing games and watching TV programmes at an earlier and earlier age, is the result that they become less active?