Internet May Improve Kids' Health, But Still Toss a Frisbee
When my nephew got an iPhone for Christmas, it was just the latest gadget for this young teen who began using technology when just a mere tot. Afterall, he lives in the Silicon Valley where technology is the focus of most dinner table conversations. So kids can't help but gravitate toward it.
As the Internet began evolving, he quickly learned how to utilize information, make online friends and how to play computer games, spending many afternoons mastering these skills.
With his new iPhone he watched videos from You Tube and shared his favorites with his visiting uncles, all just by touching a small keyboard and doing motions with his fingers. In the afternoons and evenings he would go online and play computer games with kids from all over the world who were logged in to zap the life-like aliens darting up and down the high-res, flatscreen monitor. I tried to keep up with all of this, but after awhile I suggested an activity outside of this tech lab; something a little more mind and body cleansing like throwing a frisbee back and forth. It just wasn't his thing.
Kids like my nephew who spend half their lives in a virtual environment may benefit from interactive health learning or watching teen tailored medical videos or Podcasts. Afterall, the medical community has the power to reach children with information over the Internet, preventing them from growing into unhealthy adults. The Society for Vascular Sugery, for example, put together an online activity book for kids who learn over the computer. You can find that at http://www.vascularweb.org//patients/PDF_Docs/composite_activity_book.pdf. The fun book instructs kids on the way oxygen and nutrients travel in their bodies and the benefits of eating right.
The time maybe right for an online series on medical imaging studies and specific needs for kids. Medical professionals recently launched a computed tomography (CT) web site: www.imagegently.org that is initially targeted to their peers to lower the dose of CT exams for children undergoing the test. In just a week since the official launch, about 400 professionals have signed on and made a pledge to cut the dose for the pediatric population. That's a real testament for the Internet's reach. The campaign had an immediate impact with 140 professionals making that same pledge just hours after the official launch. This may seem like heady information for kids, but tech savvy ones may benefit from this information on the web. If they're like my nephew, they use their Intenet ready iPhone to look up anything discussed at the dinner table, even CT scanning.
The Internet and its relevant technology has the potential to keep kids informed and healthy by bringing useful information onto their desktops, laptops or iPhones. Perhaps these devices could also include instructions on the importance of turning the gadgets off and heading outside for some frisbee tossing with a favorite uncle.