How Technology Can Help Prevent Dependency, Addiction And Other Negative Factors

Most children and parents are so-called “addicted” to their smartphones, tablets, and computers. Our world is constantly changing, by using less paper and more screens. Is this really such a bad thing? Children can learn from the internet and actually become smarter because of it. The internet has the ability to benefit all ages, but especially children. The world is transforming into a digital place, which allows children to grow and learn, find answers in seconds, and keep up with current events around the world.

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)

At the rate our society’s utilization of technology is advancing, it’s no surprise that children growing up with it will quickly become adept to it. Children can easily navigate their way through technologies such as smartphones, tablets, iPads, etc, because that’s what they are growing up with now. Sure, around the year I was born, computers were a thing. In fact, they actually started to become more widespread in homes and schools back in the 1970s. On one of our home videos, you can hear my mom asking my grandpa where my older sister (2 years old at the time) is at, to which he responds “Oh, Jayci is on the internet again.” Probably referring to a computer game such as Pajama Sam, Spy Fox, or Freddi Fish that was won in a cereal box. Fast forward 17 years, and you see toddlers swiping, unlocking, and locating different features on touch screen devices with ease. When I babysit for my backdoor neighbors, the kids fight over who’s going to use the tablet; for me at their age, it was always the Gamecube controller my sister and I fought over.The point is that with each generation, technology is becoming more and more advanced. Just as toddlers today are exposed to more technology than kids growing up in the 90s, children 10 years from now will grow up in an even further technologically advanced society. But how much technology is too much? Technology is a very versatile tool, but as a society we are headed in

With more developments being made with technology, it is easy for one to depend on it. Some causes of technology dependence are that parents are failing to set a good example for their children because they are letting technology have control over them, parents can use a technological device to stop a child from crying or having a tantrum, and overall, it is a social norm to have a technological device. With a PhD. at the Mark Hatfield Clinical Research Center and National Institutes of Health, and writer of “Technology Dependence and Health-Related Quality of Life: A Model,” Susan F. Marden is credible when illustrating that technological dependence is a reliance of a variety of devices. Because technological dependence can negatively affect the quality of one’s life, especially the life of a young child, it is important to stress the fact that there are causes to why adolescents are forming these habits of dependence. Many parents are caught up with the advancements of technology and use technology as an outlet for undergoing stress and responsibility of their child. Marden states that the major components of technological dependence include “attitude towards technology dependence and symptom distress” (Marden 1). This dependence is taking a toll on the life of adolescents because it allows them to tune out of live action than benefitting their healthy development, which is why their use of technology should be monitored or not even introduced until a later age.

In an era like the twenty-first century, it is not unusual for children all over America to be exposed to technology. The Pew Research Center released the “Teens, Social Media, & Technology Overview 2015,” which determined that eighty-seven percent of adolescents have access to a computer and fifty-eight percent have access to a tablet (Lenhart). In addition, the research center also reported that ninety-two percent of adolescents reported daily internet use. Before, children were playing outside with friends for fun, and socializing with their friends and family in person. Today, kids play and interact through laptops, tablets, and other media devices. Technology has become a part of most children and adolescent’s everyday life, through the way they interact with the world.

Technology can very addicting to kids just like drugs. Kids that are always on their phone do not do their chores and they stop spending time with family and friends. Phones can keep kids from being happy. Kids risk their education by always being online and on social media. The amount of time kids spend online on social media can affect if they get their homework done, relationships with others, and cause them to not pay attention.

The family has now made a specific time for technology and a specific time for interpersonal communication. All things considered, understand the importance of regulating the amount of technology that is allowed for children to use daily. It has been shown that often times extreme amounts of technology usage in some children can cause obesity, distraction, isolation, and some are losing the ability to display proper communication skills. For this reason As parents the most important job ever held is subjecting children to the correct environment to equip them with the skills and abilities necessary to make them more marketable which includes; proper communication skills, the correct health status, good concentration skills, and the ability to work with others as they grow older in life. For this reason parents should regulate the amount of technology they allow children to use daily. Parents be the ones to make children thrive in a world filled with technology, making them aware and accountable for their

Technology has greatly impacted today’s society. Through technology, we can have the entire world at our finger tips; but is this new and evolving way of life negatively impacting society? Traditional family foundations are rotting away due to modern use of technology. Children, instead of playing outside, riding bikes, or using their imagination, are increasingly depending on technology; and in the future, technology will have damaging effects.

Many debates have risen over the use of technology and children, with disagreements over whether technology is healthy or unhealthy for children. The department of education and many other researchers argues that it is not the technology that affect the children, but it is the time children spend on technology (Hatch Kristina E., “Determining the effects of technology and Children”). Even though this may be true, but in order for people to fully understand the use of technology and children, they must first understand the benefits and disadvantages of technology and children and how their decision about the use of technology will affect the youth of the 21st century.

One key area parents and educators need to focus on is the pervasiveness of cyberbullying. Gable, Van Acker, and Snakenborg mention how some schools have made an effort to try and put a stop to cyberbullying by stating, “A Prevention Curriculum is an eight-session curriculum designed for students in Grades” (92). Although, throughout the past couple years, schools have encouraged nationwide discussions about cyberbullying, the overwhelming reality has shown little to no improvement when it comes to children and digital aggression. Cyberbullying can be very harmful to the youth. It can lead to depression, anxiety and sometimes even suicide. Once something is publicized on the internet, it will never vanish and can even reappear at times renewing the pain of cyberbullying. Today, many bullies are refraining from physical bullying, but instead are choosing to bully using Snapchat, Facebook, instant messaging, and other online modes of communication. Although cyber bullying does not have the same obvious signs that physical bullying has, it can be as damaging or more in the long term.

Far reaching changes have occurred throughout the world within the last forty years that has made this society in which children are growing up today much different from that for which their parents and grandparents prepared. Information and communication technologies are a central part of these changes. Childhood it seems is increasingly saturated by technology. Entertainment technology that includes Internet, iPads, TV, video games and cell phones has progressed so swiftly, that families have barely perceived the substantial effect and variations that their family organization and lifestyles have had. Needless to say, the consequences of technological innovation on children are complex, with both advantages and disadvantages. Whether

Towards our future, humans excessively depend on technology even more. Generations to come will depend on technology as it advances. By the age of five, 10 percent of children possess a phone given to them by guardians (Zollinger). Technology seems to control the younger generations more and children are slowly decreasing the amount of physical activities they participate in. Twenty nine percent of teenagers take part in physical activities outside for at least one hour (Zollinger). The internet appears to take most attention from children, which is a problem parents did not face while growing up as the adults participated in outdoor activities at a young age so preventing the overuse of a smartphone or the computer throughout the young generation 's life certainly seems unknown,

Today’s youth has become accustom to “Technology” and has highly integrated it into their everyday life. Over the years of “Technology” advancing, Doctors and Psychiatrist have done studies trying to answer the big question of “How Does Overuse of Technology Negatively Effect Our Youth?”. There are many supporting theories and scientific studies to prove and or show the negative side effects of the overuse of technology in Americas young ones. There are a few main ones that are most concerning; Technology overuse causing extreme developmental issues in the most important stages of sensory, social and emotional development and coming up short. The overuse of technology affecting the way we think, sleep, absorb important information and our ability to multitask (Horvath). The need to learn when to put down “Technology” and reconnect with the world around them. Last, overuse causing depression, disconnect, feelings of being alone and overall behavioral issues (Hatch). Although some forms of “Technology” can be beneficial, we now look at the negative aspects of “Technology”.

“Everyone looks like teenage zombies who are glued to their phones.” Stated Terry Greenwald (a custodian at a high school)(Wallace). As technology advances, teens are spending an increased amount of time using it. This is creating technology addiction. Technology addiction is becoming more and more popular; some cases of technology addiction are more serious than others, and there are educational consequences for being a technology addict, but there are ways to prevent this and signs to look for when evaluating someone for being a technology addict.

The addictiveness of technology can start at a young age. Young toddlers are fascinated with moving objects from a screen. The easiest way to calm down an upset kid is to just give them a phone with a game or sit them down in front of a television. Now the kid is hooked, and the parent has an easy way to calm their kids down. If the parent isn’t careful and limits the use of technology, these kids will become dependent on technology. Manufactures even create technology targeted for kids. Tablets with built-in rubberized cases or smaller devices like cell phones that don’t have cellular capabilities like text messaging or phone calls. There’s no better way to get a young child addicted to a screen.