Technology: Overused by Children
“Our children’s digital lives are turning them into much different creatures from us – and not necessarily for the better.” – Dalton Conley, Time Magazine
Imagine a world without technology. It is almost impossible to do and might even cause the average Millennial some major anxiety. Every day we use it whether it is our cars, phones, shopping, games and most importantly in the education of students. Homework, class assignments and grades are accessed via blackboard for students as early as kindergarten. Most elementary aged children have no idea what is like to do research the “good old fashioned way” with books from a library that they found using a card catalog. The days where children came home did
…show more content…
This consumption can lead to lack of exercise and time physically active. According to The National Center for Education Center, most students spend an average of 6 ½ hours at school each day with 45 minutes to 1 hour of P.E (physical education) (2008). That is a lot of time spent sitting down using digital devices. It is quite remarkable but is leading our children down a familiar path to a sedentary life. Childhood obesity has reached epidemic proportions in the United States (US) – approximately 17% of children ages 6-11 and 21% of children ages 12-17 years old are obese ((Taverno Ross, Dowda, Dishman, & Pate, 2016, p. 352). We are asking our children to be confined to classroom glaring at a screen all day which can cause deterioration of eye health. It is mainly attributing it to sitting for hours in front of a computer screen. It can cause stress to a child 's eyes since the computer forces the child to focus and strain a lot more than any other task which can directly put a child at a greater risk than adults for developing symptoms of computer vision syndrome (Heiting,G.& Wan,L.K , 2016).
Another problem that stems from the over use of technology is the loss problem solving skills and imagination. Since children rely on technology to give them quick answers they often are not presented with an opportunity for the individual to use his or her imagination or to use their own
This technology revolution sparked a debate on children’s use of technology. Children are constantly using iPads, iPhones, tablets, and other computerized devices. By over exposing children to technology, they are being robbed of the mental stimulation that comes from doing real, non computerized, activities. It has gotten to the point where one can see a two-year-old navigate an iPhone with ease but struggle to speak. Sixty-nine percent of children aged two to five can use a computer mouse, but only eleven percent can tie their own shoelaces (Generation Tech More Kids Can Play Computer Games than Ride a Bike). Also, children are at an all time low in the creativity department
According to the article “What’s the Matter with the Kids Today”, many adults believe that new technology is consuming the minds of young people. Amy Goldwasser uses research from Common Core surveys as well as Doris Lessing’s Nobel Prize acceptance speech to create her argument. Goldwasser uses these examples to explain that if parents and teachers better understood the use of technology, students wouldn’t be punished for their overuse of technology today.
Children in this generation are losing the basic development skills we once grew up with 15 or so years ago. This in a sense that being wired to technology, that the thought of not being able to use a laptop to help write a paper is already, “feels strain” (source D). Students today rely on typing that, when it comes time to write on paper, “more the erratic, anonymous scrawl of someone learning to write for the first time’ (source D). Most people will say that technology isn't cause this sudden disinterest in doing things the “old fashion” way, technology is “the key ingredient of the cake” (source A) this transition would better prepare and equip children in their development skills. In a rapidly changing generation, it's obvious that many more people are focusing on the shorter term solution to a long term situation as “school system focus on test results” (source C) students aren't using technology to better educate themselves, instead they are just using it to find an easy answer to a question they would very well know but don't care enough to answer
Remember that scary, grotesque, evil monster we were all scared of when we were younger? Well, it's alive, we just can't see it, and it's called technology. As we all know, technology is changing and evolving every day; but it's almost as if the technology is taking over the minds of our future generation. Schools are incorporating technology into learning more and more all the time. Every month there is a new phone, tablet, television, laptop and even thousands of websites. These devices can come in handy and can be helpful, but they almost are consuming everyone's mind and minimizing critical thinking. Many of technology users are children or young adults. Although the use of technology in education can have some positive results, it has more negative effects that are affecting students.
The biggest problem with today’s education is how rapid technology is advancing. So rapid, in fact, that schools are attempting to keep up, but are sadly falling short. Teachers are being required to incorporate new technology into their everyday methods of teaching. The use of IPads or laptops in classrooms can be helpful to both teachers and students(edreform online classes)”. If a teacher is not overly familiar with the new devices, then the students will lose what little time they have to learn. As a teacher is attempting to fix technical problems in one class, the class that has a tech savvy teacher will be advancing far ahead. On the other hand, if a classroom is full of students who are very unfamiliar with the technology will have to be taught how to operate it, which wastes valuable time. In today’s society technology usage is so much more widespread than it was just five years ago. The new toys can allow schools to broaden their curriculum. Since most work can be done on a single device, kids can work at their own pace and potentially reach heights they could never reach with book, pen, and paper. The benefits of this new tech greatly outweigh the downsides. The biggest problem with technology in classrooms is their lack of use. So few schools have jumped on board with these programs, and therefore are holding their kids back. These products are readily available, but “the use of new technology
Every day, the Generation Z/Boomlets, those born after 2001, are starting to interact more and more with technological devices. This can cause very serious consequences and it can affect their development, such as irregular sleeping pattern, lack empathy, social and language skills and health issues. The Common Sense organization did some research and discovered that 10 percent of one year olds have used a technology device. They also found out that 38 percent of children between two and four years old have used mobile devices like iPhone, tablets or Kindles and more than fifty percent between ages five to eight years old also use mobile devices. How can kids have this much access to technological devices at such a young age? I remember I didn’t have my first phone until the ninth grade and it was a flip phone; I received my first iPhone in my senior year of high school. Kids these days are growing up too fast and interacting more and more early with technology and besides affecting their development, this will come back to affect our future.
But who has ever torn himself from the claw that encloses you when you drop a seed in a tv parlor? It grows you any shape it wishes! This quote is relevant to how technology is changing the way how children think and act. Many people believe that technology is changing the way that kids act and think. There is three reasons why people think that technology is changing kids minds they are more than half of video games are violent, kids watch on average 4 ½ hours of television, and how many teenagers have access to a smartphone.
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
Technology is forming barriers. Barriers between parent and child, barriers in the mind of a child, and barriers between a child and his peers. Barriers that prevent crucial relationships from forming, barriers that prohibit children from being able to interact socially, barriers that prevent children from being able to grasp their own emotion, and barriers that obstruct imagination from flourishing and academic muscles from
Despite the positive ways in which technology could be used in order to teach and learn vast amounts information, an epidemic of technology dependent children is occurring (Lenhart, Teen, Social Media & Technology Overview 2015, 2015). This problem has negatively influenced the way adolescents have been conditioned to interact and communicate in the virtual world versus the physical world (Lenhart, Teen, Social Media & Technology Overview 2015, 2015). Given the circumstances of continuous use of various devices, adolescents are steadily connecting to technology and becoming more disconnected from physical, human connections (Farber et al.,
With the use of technology, comes many negatives. These negatives range from cyberbullying to addiction, which all ties back to over usage. The overuse of technology spreads throughout the U.S and affect many kids of different age,
In our society, technologies are now easily accessible. With smartphones, tablet, computer, gaming devices along with television, young children have the access to these devices effortlessly. In the twenty-first century, technologies run our life, they keep us entertain and busy. Lots of people see no harms in it and believe that technologies are the key to a better future. Although the belief is true, having young children as old as 1 month old have access to technology is not the answer for a bright future. We see young children able to use phone and tablet rapidly. They learn much faster than an adult and sometimes, they learn how to use the devices much more effectively than an adult. For younger children, parents tend to use the television as their main source to keep their kids occupy and a resource for education. Having a kid around while trying to get things done is difficult. Kids take up most of our free time and parents sometimes just want to get some things done like chores or cooking. Because of that, parents rely on the television to keep the child company for a while. Other time, parents use educational programs on the television to teach their children much quicker than having to sit down, and find way to explain to young children about certain things. The question to focus on is, does television good for the children? Millennial parents should know about how long hours of television viewing time will affect their children milestone development in a long run.
Children are being exposed to technology today more than they are being exposed 50 years ago. Children were only watching television, before computers and internet arrive, but now children are exposed to technological devices more than before because they have unlimited access to their computers and their smartphones. Easy access to these devices brings risks and disadvantages for the children, such as laziness, absent of physical activities, social and psychological problems, biological problems and focusing problems. Children should be followed more closely to prevent the disadvantages of technology.
The ways of today’s society are a trap to the common child. One cannot go out in public without seeing at least one child using some form of technology. When most are used to seeing children playing in their front yards or on a playground as they once did, they have a sudden awakening when they realize, most children are not like that anymore. Modern culture is a corruption to one’s childhood and causes a child to be unsocial, unhealthy, and constantly pressured to follow the newest trends in social media, however, certain TV shows and websites have been known to try and educate children.
Imagine walking at a park on a nice sunny day with some kids and asking them to go play, five minutes later.. looking up, all their is a empty park because all of them have a technology in their hands and seeing how they are just tapping into those screens nonstop? That is what is happening today in society. Online and real life situations, adolescents behaviors are changing everyday because of these technology uses. The behaviors that the adolescent shows has changed rapidly as technology starts to become very high tech. Their behaviors are showing increasing numbers of cyber bullying, not being very active with other children's, or not going outdoors and more causes. Because of this, if children's behavior with technology is not monitored, it could lead to serious and dangerous consequences.