The Negative Effects Of Technology's Effects On Development

Lately, the issue of excessive screen time is becoming increasingly important in pediatrics, and it has become a major risk factor for many chronic conditions such as vision impairment, obesity, and altercations to social behavior. While many parents realize that excessive screen time is harmful, children are still spending eight to ten hours on their electronic devices. Not many parents realize that proper regulation is also needed to keep their child safe from health risks. According to the National Heart, Blood and Lung Institute, 28 percent of parents set TV-watching rules, 30 percent set rules about video game use, and 36 percent of parents set rules about computer use (“Reduce Screen Time”, 2013). This is a problem because 60 percent of children are constantly stumbling upon explicit content every year, and their behavior shifts more negatively and aggressively (Lunsford, 510). I believe that too much screen time can pose much harm to a child’s health and well-being. If we don’t find ways to limit excessive screen time than children will face many consequences that will ultimately harm them as they grow older.

According to a 2010 Kaiser Foundation study, which involved elementary children, concluded that on average 75 percent of parents allowed their children to have bedroom TV’s, North American households keep their TV’s on for 50 percent of the day, and use 7.5 hours of technology entertainment per day (Rowan). Technology is becoming a problem throughout the United States, especially in elementary aged kids. Parents are introducing technology as early as infants so that they understand certain information at an early age. When parents introduce technology at such an early age they are giving their children the advantage to be addicted to the wonders of it. Young children are at a high risk of brain damage with the advancement of technology. The more adults introduce technology to younger children the higher the chances of problems it causes. Technology has a negative effect on younger children and should have limitations on the age in which it is being introduced.

Most children today have access to devices such as television, smartphones, computers, and tablets. These devices can be used in a variety of ways, with both positive and negative outcomes. For example, preschool aged children may use a device to learn letters, numbers, or colors. School aged children may use a computer to conduct research, or watch an educational show. A child may also sit in front of the television for many hours, reducing physical activity, and become obese. I believe it is important for the parent or caregiver of the child to monitor the amount of screen time, as well as the content to optimize the benefits these devices can offer.

Technology has been part of our daily live more frequently than before. Screen time has been more popularly used on kids and adolescents. On a daily bases many kids seem to spend more time inside on their tablets, instead of having to spend time with other kids. This is a problem that is becoming more popular over the years,on whether kids need to spend that much time on technology or not. Parents either seem to have strict technology usage, or they either don’t. There has always been a huge controversy with experts, who either think that screen time is beneficial or could cause problems later on in life. There are many views towards this topic, from hurting kids brains, to helping them during school, and socially.

The effects of technology usage have long been a topic of debate, with the negative consequences often being brought up. Authors such as Robert Samuels, Alison Gopnik, Nicholas Carr, Gary Small and Vorgan Gigi have all addressed this topic in their own articles. In Samuels’ “Breaking Down Borders: How Technology Transforms the Private and Public Realms,” he discusses the creation of private bubbles in public spaces due to technology, and the consequent alienation of others. “Diagnosing the Digital Revolution” by Gopnik argues that the habits that tech users have today have always existed, while Carr’s “Is Google Making Us Stupid?” states that technology is actively changing the way humans think. “Meet Your iBrain” by Gigi and Small covers how technology affects brains and alters them. This paper will use the articles and an interview with a peer to analyze the perceived negative effects of using technology, particularly worse memory, shorter attention span, exacerbation of bad habits, and shifting emotions.

This previous research, such as that of Dr. Arc Sigman as well as Jerome and Dorothy Singer, is conclusive that parents and educators must be careful with children and their time spent in front of screens. Dr. Sigman studies the issue from a biological standpoint, discussing the mental and physical effects of technology on children (Sigman, 2012).

In this technology driven society, we often find ourselves handing children an electronic device to “occupy” them. Maybe we are on an important call; maybe the restaurant is busy and you don’t want them to cause a scene. Whatever the reason may be, the fact remains, we do not think twice about handing over our devices to a child. Without realizing, we are hindering our children’s brain growth. Too much screen time, without enough family connection time, can lead to the misdiagnosis of ADHD.

In the article The Impact of Technology on the Developing Child, pediatric occupational therapist Cris Rowan asserts that the rise in the usage of technology is having a negative effect on both mental and physical development. Rowan points out that “Young children require 2-3 hours per day of active rough and tumble play to achieve adequate sensory stimulation...” With today’s technology, and the effect it has on placating children, it takes away from the 2-3 hours necessary for growth. Without said active play, children do not receive the physical contact they need which is imperative for their maturation. Rowan also raises the concern of video games overstimulating children causing them to be constantly overstressed resulting in shaking and

Children from two years old to the age of ten years old can be effected in a negative way. Sometimes parents give their children a tablet or their cell phone to entertain them while they try and get something important done. Sometimes they are out in public and their child is being too loud so they pull out the phone and let them watch T.V. on it so they can become quiet. The American Academy of Pediatrics explains, “Screens are distractions, not tools to soothe children. Television is not a “babysitter,” so parents should enforce rules about media use” (Roman). From the start of a child 's life parents should be careful about letting kids have the ability to watch too much tv or spend too much time staring at any type of technology. Parents tend to use their technology to keep

Technological advances have increased screen time for children, taking away from the human interaction children need. Technology is detrimental to children’s socialization skills that they will use throughout their lives. In the article “Avoid Screens for Children Under 2 Years of Age,” Lucy Palladino, child psychologist, states, “The sequence of an infant’s brain can be disrupted by early experience with technology.” To correct the children’s brain sequence, Human interaction must be present during the child’s most vital brain development period. With the correct brain sequence a child will have a better chance at excelling in school and their jobs as he or she goes throughout life.

This journal article talks about how screen media use can affect children and their development. There are different types of screen media and as time goes more and more screen media is being introduced and at younger ages.

The 21st Century has brought in a wave of technological advancement. The rapid growth of digital technology has caused unexpected changes to the developmental growth of children. It has become a vital part of everyday use for adults and children. However, the consequences of prolonged screen time negatively affect children's behavior, social, and the well-being of a child.

Technology has benefited society's life today, but limits are reasonable for a child and their development. According to Summers, "or decades the AAP (The American Association of Pediatrics) has warned that children need to cut back on their screen time. The group's latest prescription: Entertainment 'screen time.'should be limited to two hours a day for children ages 3-18. And, for 2-year-olds and younger, none at all." As one can see, limiting technology is important for a child of under 18 years old for many reasons.

Living in a world of technology, media use is always increasing. Cell phones, tablets, televisions, and video games can be found in nearly every US home. Children of this generation are exposed to a variety of media and most incorporate it into their everyday lives. “A national survey in the US found that children aged 8 to 18 years had an average media usage time of 7 hours and 38 minutes every day” (Agarwal & Dhanasekaran, 2012). With this much media use, a child is sure to be influenced in some way by the excessive screen time. Studies show that too much screen time can have harmful effects on a child’s emotional, social, and physical capabilities.

Each of which are necessary sensory inputs required for development, and are lost upon children who no longer pursue activities that provide physical stimulation. Some of these include the normal development of posture, bilateral coordination, and self-regulation. The aforementioned lack of motion and stimulus can also lead to sensory issues involving their tactile, vestibular, and proprioceptive systems, leading to an inability to develop and understand movement patterns. Technology is borderline preventative in relation to the physical aspects of development in children, due to a lack of motivation that could potentially stem from the overuse of technology. The average American child’s health is beginning to decline at a marginal pace, and it can be systemically linked to; lack of sleep, less physical activity, mental overstimulation, burnout, and several other developmental problems. Many children now have televisions in their room which can hypothetically lead to lack of sleep, decreased physical activity, and shortened attention spans.