Senior Research
Henry Bujnak
10/24/16
Technology is seen today as a ground breaking tool to advance every day, but in reality, it can be detrimental to a person’s development especially in children growing up in today’s culture.
A certain pattern seems to reoccur where addictive behavior results from technology. This addictive behavior can come in many different forms, and can be caused in different ways. One such form is seen in developing children. The newest generation kids are growing up on technology, which means a lot of them use technology at an earlier age. It used to be that kids would go outside and play, but now their new, and sometimes only form of entertainment is the iPad or the TV, and when kids can’t have their “fix,” they seem to be bored and not know what to do. There are quite a few problems with this addiction to technology. Just as stated above, it takes the imagination away from a child because the iPad or computer etc. already does the thinking ahead of time. It becomes the only thing that they want to do, and thus another problem, it wastes all their time, which in and of it itself causes problems, because it starts appear at the dinner table, or while the kid is supposed to do homework, or whenever and not just during the time that their allowed to use it. Another issue that comes up, are social skills. Everything seems to relate back to addiction, because when a child is constantly on a device, it does not allow much time for social
“How Screens Turn Kids into “Digital Addicts” by Lynch March is about how technology makes kids get addicted to it. Many studies have shown that kids experience overall attention deficit, boredom, and apathy when kids are not looking at screens. Electronic devices have a similar effect as a drug , they affect the frontal cortex, the part that controls execution and impulses the same way cocaine does. This “digital addiction” is harder to overcome than a drug addiction. On the flip side, Lynch says you cannot deprive your children of technology. Classrooms are transforming into digital playgrounds, with Smart Boards, smartphone, educational apps, games, etc. More and more jobs will require at least basic computer knowledge.
Increasingly, there is a large dependence on technology today as opposed to ten or twenty years ago. Technology has changed a lot of how life is lived today. It affects shopping, job seeking employment opportunities, entertainment and academics. There is no doubt that technology has set its foundation and is here to stay. One area in which the effects of technology can be clearly noted is in the lifestyle of children. The addiction to technology by children today has increased over the years. This is clearly seen in the developmental progress of children today. This dependence has greatly influenced how children
In today’s society we are overwhelmed with technology. Technology is changing everyday, and will forever be a staple in our lives. The effect that technology has on our children has brought on some concerns and some praises. Children these days have no choice but to some how be influenced by the ever growing technology in our societies. Our common concern has been that although digital technology has boosted children’s talent for multitasking, their ability to process information deeply may be deteriorating (Carpenter, 2010). Many people have a wide range of opinions on if technology is having a positive influence on our children or a negative, there is a vast amount of evidence to support both of these arguments. Technology can refer to
the past few decades of American Society, technology has become a major factor in everyday life. As years go by, one will see many young children with phones, computers, or any form of technological device. This demand for technology has left children with an undesirable wanting for these devices. Because of technology, kids will forget the necessary foundations of life. Technology has resulted in a weakened foundation that children decades ago used to have. This includes the bases of necessary social skills and behaviors that children should have. The first image is from a Today.com news report. The second image is from a Huffington Post article. The growing technology field has severely impacted how children are able to adjust to minor adversities
My research project was inspired by my love of children and the many times I have observed children using technology. From this experience I noticed many young children are extremely familiar with technology and the use of technology can have both positive and negative effects on them. As I have researched into this topic, I have learnt there are many beneficial and harmful implications of technological use for children. A finding I have come across on multiple occasions is children should not be using or be in contact with any technology whilst they are under the age of 2. A positive implication includes using technology for educational reasons as opposed to entertainment purposes. Using technology for entertainment or for long periods of time can negatively affect the child psychologically. A key point from my research has lead me to understand technology can have a huge impact on a child’s mental, physical and emotional health. (154 words)
Technology has brought us nothing more than negativity toward people. The first effect is health. technology affects individuals' exercises; so children become lazier and are most likely not motivated to work out. Along these lines, numerous health issues like obesity are brought about by the effects of technology. The second impact is communication. Ironically children don't have the chance to socialize with each other in person. They’re wasting their time using electronics instead of exploring the world and developing human nature. In addition, individuals lean toward using communication devices than collaborating in person.
There are lots of studies in the impact of technology on children’s developing minds. Studies found that diagnoses of ADHD, autism, coordination disorder, developmental delays, unintelligible speech, learning difficulties, sensory processing disorder, anxiety, depression, and sleep disorders are associated with technology overuse, and are increasing at an alarming rate (Rowen). Technology is causing a harmful effect on some children these days and it could potentially be harming them in the long run. children who use too much technology may not have enough opportunities to use their imagination or to read and think deeply about the material (Deloatch). I am a single parent of a 3-year-old girl and I face the problem of technology overuse from my daughter on a daily basis. My daughter has had a mobile device since she was able to walk. She is completely and utterly obsessed with watching her cartoon shows. Every day after she gets home or wakes up in the morning, the first thing she asks for is her shows. She would always ask for our cell phones before she got to watch things on the big TV in the living room, and when we would tell her no she would throw a big tantrum about it. She has a very short attention span as well; it is hard for her to focus on one thing at a time. The technology keeps her up until almost 2 or 3 in the morning sometimes. If we try to turn it off, she still roams around the house and throw fits until she gets someone to turn it back on or falls asleep.
With a flip of a switch or press of a button, Parents can have their child entertained for hours on end. Televisions and Tablets are the twenty-first century babysitters. The average child spends an astounding 7.5 hours per day on some form of technology (Rowan 2), when the recommend allotted amount of time should be no more than two hours (Kaneshiro 1). Technology is rapidly evolving, making limitless possibilities available for entertainment. This virtual “babysitter” enables the parents to devote all their time and effort into their work or engross in technology with limited amounts of distraction from the children. Although, the parents are able to have free time, excessive amounts of screen time is proven to be detrimental to their child’s health and overall well-being. The technology that is drastically making life easier is a big blessing, but at the same time is a big curse.
The current generation of children is completely different than the preceding ones. They are living in the digital age. “Technology has blended in with daily activity to become a way of life and children today take for granted all of which is automated. It is hard for kids nowadays to imagine a world that existed without all of the gadgets, electronics and seamless operations that computer technology provides.” (3) “Children in the United States devote some 40 hours a week to television, video games and the Internet.” (12) Many psychologists and researchers are concerned about the impact that technology has on children. Children, tomorrow’s future parents and leaders, are being consumed by the negative effects that technology had on their
Technology is not the reason for childhood being ruined. Modern technology is said to be ruining children’s lives by many professionals. Many professionals have done studies to figure out the truth, only to find out that it is not the technology. Although modern technology may be harmful to children, modern technology is also helping children develop faster, because it enhances social interaction skills, cognitive development and improves concentration.
Although technology can have benefits in certain fields, it is holding back child development. Children are programed at a young age that technology is a
First of all, there has been a drastic rise of technology use in children over the past decade. Screens are easily accessible, easily addicting, and television companies know how to catch a child’s eye, and have them staring at their show for hours. Children have access to technology all the time, making it easy to become hooked on screen time. Today, “68% of U.S. adults have a smartphone” (Anderson). Many adults are around children. More often than not, when children get bored, adults simply hand the phone over. Consequently, technology use is on the rise. “In 2013, almost fifty-seven percent of children, ages three to seventeen used the Internet at home, nearly six times as many as in 1997, which was eleven percent” (“Home Computer Access and Internet Use”). Children have easy access to screens.
What is technology’s affect on children? Technology has a very complicated effect on children. For Instance, “He started getting more and more focused on his game and losing interest in baseball and reading” (5). Consequently, technology has been affecting this physically activities, most people agree technology can be a very helpful thing when it doesn’t affect children in a negative way. In the first place, “Developmental psychologist understand that children’s healthy development involves social interaction, creative imaginative play and engagement with the real, natural world” (23). As a consequence, many children using technology in a bad way won't get the natural development they need. Psychologists believe children need to develop
The impact of technology in the 20th century is growing and benefiting numerous amounts of people to make their lives easier; sending an email, scrolling through social media, and reading newspaper articles can all be done in one device. With more advanced technology in the future, this is troublesome for many young children. Since children are becoming more attached to technology, this can lead to numerous factors that can defect the development of a child. In this case, technology not only affects a child’s psychological development but also their physical and social development. Provided that, as the years progress I have seen that less children are playing outside or playing sports with their friends, instead children are getting addicted to playing games or watching videos on their latest device. Parent’s are contributors to their children’s addiction and are not realizing that it is affecting their children’s development, therefore adults must educate themselves and most importantly their children to decrease the amount of time of technology usage. I believe that a decrease in technology usage will benefit numerous of people, such as a healthier lifestyle.
The modern times we live in today are constantly changing in hopes that we as humans thrive successfully. To be more specific, technological advancements are driving our society into new feats that could never be imagined in the past. Thanks to this technology, we have excelled in vital fields such as medicine, education, engineering, and many more aspects that can be considered vital for our benefit, let alone our existence. Modern technology such as cell phones, tablets, laptops, and televisions have proven to be helpful and valuable to humans in modern times, although it does present some negative effects to us, as well to our future generation, medically, in