Thailand health officials blame electronic gadgets for slow down in kids education

Officials from Thailand’s Mental Health Department have warned parents in Thailand to exercise caution with regards to allowing their children to use electronic gadgets such as smartphones, tablets and computers.

Read more: http://tech.thaivisa.com/thailand-health-officials-blame-electronic-gadgets-slow-kids-education/1900/

I tend to agree with them , but on the other hand what will people do , take the gadget out of their kids hands and stick them in front of the TV

Of course it has nothing to do with bad teachers??

Blame the gadgets...............................

Sure exercise caution on useage but perhaps health officials should have a word with their pals at the education ministry. I'd guess that the failing education system plays a bigger role in the lack of development of Thai kids.

Also, didn't the previosu govt want to give all kids in Thailand tablets?

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Sure exercise caution on useage but perhaps health officials should have a word with their pals at the education ministry. I'd guess that the failing education system plays a bigger role in the lack of development of Thai kids.

Also, didn't the previosu govt want to give all kids in Thailand tablets?

True they did, but in theory that would be for school; work , not constant :Surfing" at home

Its not jut kids imo , its a breakdown of human communication. Went out to lunch the other day and their are families at the table all on their own device, not one word being passed amoungst them

"The warning comes following a recent survey by the Mental Health Department in Thailand which found exposure to technology could be responsible for a slowdown in the development of children in Thailand."

And...what was responsible for the slowdown in the development in of children in Thailand for the previous hundred years? Bottom line....Thailand has an dysfunctional education culture which places value on practically everything except functional education/critical thinking, and spends more time thinking of lame excuses for its failure than improving the educational system.

Edited January 9, 201511 yr by jaltsc

Joc post # 3

Of course it has nothing to do with bad teachers??

Blame the gadgets...............................

Of course it has nothing to do with bad teachers??

Indeed a pithy comment.

There is no such thing as a bad student but there are such things as bad teachers.

So once again everyone can blame YL and the Gov if their kids are stupid since they are the ones who paid for every student to have a new tablet last year.

Another scheme gone bad from the last admin that will leave lasting effects on this society in the future.

yes, nothing to do with the fact that every child passes their exams whether they answer exam questions correctly or not, just look at the police now, upset they had their test marked as a fail, not used to not failing and losing face. Maybe if they started to actually teach the students and make them sit real exams instead of just ignoring them in class it might help. All students learn at school is how to use their smart phones, which is funny as most of the students/users are actually dumb

Edited January 9, 201511 yr by seajae

Perhaps they could start with the little 3 year k1 children. Sitting on a computer for an twice a week. With no scheduled free play the entire week.

These are the subjects I never learned at nursery. Science, health, computer, keyboard, sports, swimming,social studies.

We learned these subjects instead pre-reading, pre-math, sand play, waterplay, indoor play, outdoor play, arts and crafts. There were no TV at our kindy. It was great.

Perhaps they could start with the little 3 year k1 children. Sitting on a computer for an twice a week. With no scheduled free play the entire week.

These are the subjects I never learned at nursery. Science, health, computer, keyboard, sports, swimming,social studies.

We learned these subjects instead pre-reading, pre-math, sand play, waterplay, indoor play, outdoor play, arts and crafts. There were no TV at our kindy. It was great.

You remember your nursery school curriculum? Just how "green" are you?

Is this Yingluk's fault for giving (very few of) them gadgets, or Yingluk's fault for giving them gadgets that were too slow?

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So once again everyone can blame YL and the Gov if their kids are stupid since they are the ones who paid for every student to have a new tablet last year.
Another scheme gone bad from the last admin that will leave lasting effects on this society in the future.

Given that this sort of technology is part of education globally, it's a hell of a logical stretch to say that Thai kids will suffer from being exposed to it. At least something was done to try and bring Thailand's shitty education into the 21st Century. Far worse right now, is the funding being stripped for the ridiculous 12 values nonsense.

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So once again everyone can blame YL and the Gov if their kids are stupid since they are the ones who paid for every student to have a new tablet last year.

Another scheme gone bad from the last admin that will leave lasting effects on this society in the future.

Given that this sort of technology is part of education globally, it's a hell of a logical stretch to say that Thai kids will suffer from being exposed to it. At least something was done to try and bring Thailand's shitty education into the 21st Century. Far worse right now, is the funding being stripped for the ridiculous 12 values nonsense.

I have never believed anything the Thai health minister has said and I agree with you on this about trying to make it more important to know the 12 values. I was simply making an observation that no one else had thought about yet

as opposed to outdated and incorrect Thai textbooks..........

Slow down? Slower than what?

Statistics from the survey have revealed that almost 30 per cent of Thai children are falling behind in their mental development and that their exposure to technological devices is to blame.

How can they come up with such meaningless c...p. A survey can show a trend or map opinions. It cannot prove a cause and effect relationship. The health officials are using this survey to support their self-serving opinion. There could be many reasons for this... a poor education system, poor nutrition, poor parenting (and parents too addicted to technological devices to care about their children), etc. How about doing some research !!!

nor the school directors who put personal wealth enhansment above education

Of course it has nothing to do with bad teachers??

Blame the gadgets...............................

Of course it has nothing to do with bad teachers??

Blame the gadgets...............................

Bad parenting more likely....

Like most other posters here I initially thought this was simply another case of the authorities not taking responsibility for their failed education system, and, as I usually do, before I posted I did a little search to back up what I was going to write.

It seems they're not too far off the mark!

electronic gadgets mental development children - Google Search

Catch 22 really...people who are stupid are often too stupid to know why they are stupid...so why would anyone take seriously anything these stupid people claim about what caused their stupidity...we know they've always been stupid...they were stupid before these gadgets came about, they are stupid now...and they will continue to be stupid at least until they stop living in denial and blaming someone else for their stupidity, this time the West (once again....yawn) because we invented all of these gadgets (because we aren't stupid) and take responsibility for themselves.

Edited January 9, 201511 yr by paddyjenkins

Very debateable topic, age matters alright, but supervision and control even more so.

With our world running ever further down the future of technology, it needs helps along the way. It's still fairly new, studies aren't "perfected" by definition and cause and effect boil down to the individuals already.

Games for education so far have been poor and need much more thought put into it so they can be properly used, but seeing as our school systems are triple galactically outdated this doesn't really come at a surprise.

Some schools have implented Minecraft into their curriculum, which seems to have had a really great boost, though I haven't followed up with that recently to see the actual turn out of it.

Then again, we might as well just keep blaming games (among other things) for all the social problems, educational deficits, school shooters and what have you, it's not like humanity so far hasn't been extremely amazing at ignoring (easy) root problems and just pointing fingers at the next best thing to avert attention from the things that matter.

deflect and blame...

deflect and blame...

welcome to lieland...

There have been studies that prove these new gadgets that keep infants busy are not beneficial for brain development. Children instead of learning their surroundings are glued to the screen. Primary level students spend most of their time playing computer games or watching TV, but not reading or physically exercising! No wonder the new generations are becoming dumber and dumber.

In my opinion, as a teacher for a decade, the younger generations become dumber and dumber. It is a trend not only in Thailand, but all over the world. Human's brain is adjusting to the new environment of high tech development which unfortunately lows the IQ of the younger generations. That is because things are getting too easy to get. There is no need top put your brain into function to find out something. Just push a few buttons or clicks and the answer is on the screen. Even debates are becoming obsolete because people google in their phones for the right answers. What I see is a big change happening in the human brain development due to the influence of high tech in our daily lives!

It is debatable weather it is good or bad! It is just happening...

So once again everyone can blame YL and the Gov if their kids are stupid since they are the ones who paid for every student to have a new tablet last year.

Another scheme gone bad from the last admin that will leave lasting effects on this society in the future.

Let's be serious. The gadgets the kids are playing or using at the moment are 99% bought by their parents. The government threw money in the wind by implementing this project as their tablets are not used by the students and are thrown in the bin!

Edited January 9, 201511 yr by Thunder26

The educational system is the problem. Not digital devices.

There are countless apps that can help a child (and adults) learn. Blaming the device is foolish. However, if you spend your time playing Flappy Bird and Candy Crush, the problem is the user, not the device.

So once again everyone can blame YL and the Gov if their kids are stupid since they are the ones who paid for every student to have a new tablet last year.

Another scheme gone bad from the last admin that will leave lasting effects on this society in the future.

Let's be serious. The gadgets the kids are playing or using at the moment are 99% bought by their parents. The government threw money in the wind by implementing this project as their tablets are not used by the students and are thrown in the bin!

Yeah! Let's be serious. I saw the kids getting handed their new iPads and saw them being used in the classrooms. Not for helping them in their work, but for sneakily chatting with their friends in FB and playing games instead of doing their work. I had them banned in my classes for this reason.

In all sense of the matter they are right that these pads aid in ignorance but it is because the students use them for the wrong reasons. Kids should have access to the internet and other resources but not with their own tablets. Just as a kid needs supervision as in other things they also need supervision in this.

First: is this yet another "opinion" or is it fact/research based?

Second: Thai educational system SLOWS down kids education. The current system ought to be trashed IMMEDIATELY. Oh, but never mind b/c then some "lo so" thai would be able to think critically, or move up in the world reeking havoc with the current owners monopoly on EVERYTHING.

Slow down? Slower than what?

Any slower and it's "full stop."

Nothing wrong with using technology for education. It's when technology interferes with education that the problems start. Every day, at least a quarter of students in my classes are playing with their phones. I've tried reasoning with them (doesn't work) Then I started confiscating phones and tablets until the end of the school day. That's when the real fun started. Parents complained to the school, and threatened to call the police.

It all begs the question, 'Who runs the schools?'