Expert: Tablet PCs slow brain development in children

BANGKOK, 6 September 2012 (NNT) – An expert in children brain and development has revealed that tablet computers for first grade students can slow down their brain development.

Dr Chanpen Chooprapawan, an expert in children brain and development commented that tablets may create negative effects to the society. She said that by using tablets, children under 12 will not use their upper brain, as they are not learning from the real environment.

According to her, a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan shows three parts of human brain. The first part is for survival such as breathing. The second part makes human a social creature by loving their families and friends, and the third part is the upper brain, which builds creativity and imaginations. Dr Chanpen stated that by being in the virtual reality when using the tablet, the upper brain stops functioning, leading to a slowdown in brain growth.

The expert stated that children under 12 have to be exposed to as many different environments as possible so they can use all of their six senses. She pointed out that human cannot skip development, especially at young age. She implied that teenagers, who already have strong foundation with natural steps of brain development, can then choose to learn through tablets.

The government has launched the one tablet per child policy in the middle of this year as part of its populist policy. The tablets are being distributed to schools in an alphabetical order of provincial names.

-- NNT 2012-09-06

The next announcement from the government will be..."because of the findings from Dr Chanpen Chooprapawan, we will suspend the 1 child 1 tablet program".

Probably no more than going to most Thai schools.

Probably no more than going to most Thai schools.

Actually that's an important point. If tablets don't stimulate the brain it is as opposed to what? Looking at stuff on a blackboard?

In any case a lot still rests on the teacher's shoulders.

Reading that has given me a headache. I worry for my 4year old.

I posted this before in the "tablet distribution' thread, but now it seems more useful here:

"Light From Self-Luminous Tablet Computers Can Affect Evening Melatonin, Delaying Sleep"

http://news.rpi.edu/...tcenterkey=3074

Why should the Yingluck government care about the initial research findings of a mere doctor?

I think alot can be said about his findings...Child (brain) development is crucial...I also think the tablets can be useful in the right situations too....but they shouldn't be considered a crutch for everything...I think the educational system i straying too far away from the basics and drifting more and more toward these new devices thus taking away from our own abilities to develop as we need to on our own

"so they can use all of their six senses"

I am counting and can only find five...but maybe my brain is not grown.....

Maybe someone can put this Dr. back in the time machine and send her back where she belongs 1800.

Most research and warnings about tablets are based on TV viewing research. A TV is about as interactive as a classroom lecture.

Preliminary studies show that touch-screens can motivate and enhance learning instead of hindering it. Creative and problem solving activities in the virtual world can be just as effective as the physical world.

This man is not an expert. His description of the workings of the brain is 100% bulls***t. How can this country develop with so-called 'experts' who would fail high-school in a western country? It's just sad.

This man is not an expert. His description of the workings of the brain is 100% bulls***t. How can this country develop with so-called 'experts' who would fail high-school in a western country? It's just sad.

Dr Changpen is woman and she has been using tablets all her life.

She must be very young. Tablets haven't been around very long.

Maybe she'd prefer this school ... Bring your own desk

Edited September 6, 201213 yr by rijb

"so they can use all of their six senses"

I am counting and can only find five...but maybe my brain is not grown.....

Maybe someone can put this Dr. back in the time machine and send her back where she belongs 1800.

Come on you know Thai not same farang as we are always being told, so they may have addtional special powers we mere farangs dont know about...trust her she is a doctor..so she must be right...

This man is not an expert. His description of the workings of the brain is 100% bulls***t. How can this country develop with so-called 'experts' who would fail high-school in a western country? It's just sad.

Dr Changpen is woman and she has been using tablets all her life.

She should increase the dosage.

If the tablets are only used sparingly, perhaps 20 to 30 minutes per day, I think they may be ok, depending on other factors such as content, support from teacher/peers, interactive programs, etc. However, if it's used as a crutch or substitute for regular classroom activities, than they can readily become problematic for several reasons.

More important than tablets or regular teaching, to me, are things like phys.ed. music, play, outdoor activities, appreciation for nature, outdoor challenges, etc. All those things mentioned are very low priority for most schools worldwide, particularly in Asia and Thailand. Over here, rote learning and memorization are of upmost importance, and it all happens in closed rooms with flourescent lamps.

If I had kids and/or influenced kids now, I would band together with other like-minded parents and form schools outside the restrictive orthodox school system. Regular schools are as much about confining and creative suppression as they are about anything else.

1 Child 1 tablet for e.g. 1 hour a day is a practical compromise suggested by some medical oriented academics and applicable to the people in my home. Using a tablet strictly as an educational aide does not make much sense in todays world in which many young children already have experienced "game noi." Such an educational restriction sounds too much as "Grommit, we have forgotten the crackers!" just before Wallace and Grommit rocketed to a planet of cheese. I know, I probably watch too much cartoons together with both of my sons.

This man is not an expert. His description of the workings of the brain is 100% bulls***t. How can this country develop with so-called 'experts' who would fail high-school in a western country? It's just sad.

This man isn't even a man, even less an expert.....she would also fail school in eastern countries like Korea, Japan or Singapore

an expert in children brain

Fail!

Tablets have been around for years

"so they can use all of their six senses"

I am counting and can only find five...but maybe my brain is not grown.....

Maybe someone can put this Dr. back in the time machine and send her back where she belongs 1800.

Thais see dead people.

Which Sixth Sense....

The one from the 70's

Or...

"so they can use all of their six senses"

I am counting and can only find five...but maybe my brain is not grown.....

Maybe someone can put this Dr. back in the time machine and send her back where she belongs 1800.

Actually, Buddhists hold that there are six senses.

Ṣaḍāyatana (Sanskrit) or saḷāyatana (Pāli) means the six sense bases (Pāli, Skt.: āyatana), that is, the sense organs and their objects.These are:

1. Eye and Vision
   
2. Ear and Hearing
   
3. Nose and Olfaction
   
4. Tongue and Taste
   
5. Skin and Touch
   
6. Mind and Thought
   

Is it possible to slow brain development of Thai students any further.....

"so they can use all of their six senses"

I am counting and can only find five...but maybe my brain is not grown.....

Maybe someone can put this Dr. back in the time machine and send her back where she belongs 1800.

=> Equilibrioception (sense of balance) and proprioception (sense of body position), commonly accepted physiological senses in addition to the usually considered "five senses"

I've seen a pediatric doctor in France convincingly explaining TV & computer were bad for child brain development before 4 or 5 years old.

But I'm not convinced by the reported explanations of this doctor about tablets for 12 years kids (it's same than using a computer) ; further reading would be required to actually make some sense (or not) out this news...

This man is not an expert. His description of the workings of the brain is 100% bulls***t. How can this country develop with so-called 'experts' who would fail high-school in a western country? It's just sad.

This man isn't even a man, even less an expert.....she would also fail school in eastern countries like Korea, Japan or Singapore

I take it you guys know this woman her qualifications and research studies and also you know everything there is to know about brain development.

How many years have tablets been around? 4, 5 years?

So her research is based on brain evolution over such short period of time and she draws conclusions for long term?

Great research, misses Thai Expert!

This man is not an expert. His description of the workings of the brain is 100% bulls***t. How can this country develop with so-called 'experts' who would fail high-school in a western country? It's just sad.

I wonder if the fact that he is a woman makes any difference at all?

I know the difference between qualitative and quantitative research. Based on her publishings, I also know she is not an "expert" in brain development.

And I'm sure she knows far less about tablets and technology-based education.

I believe the motivation for this press clipping is more political than scientific.

It looks like this expert may be exported to an inactive post...in light of the money that was spent of these tablets whose batties go out quickly