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Young Children's Exposure to Tech...Good or Bad?











Introducing Young Children to Technology -

As we move into a tech driven era, questions emerge around whether technology is beneficial or a hinderance to young children's development. The NPR Ed newsletter, in 2017 wrote, "Common Sense Media, a nonprofit organization, just released new numbers on media use by children 8 and under. The nationally representative parent survey found that 98 percent of homes with children now have a mobile device such as a tablet or smartphone....Mobile devices are now just as common as televisions in family homes." So, this makes me wonder, are there any benefits to having access to technology early in life. According to the same newsletter, children's early exposure to technology, does have some benefits. Early technology access can help children learn how to navigate technology that is needed to be successful in their education. Some studies have also suggested that when children are actively engaged with media, this can be used as a learning tool, especially when adults are present to facilitate deeper thinking and higher order learning. One challenge that arises, is if children are using technology on their own, it can fracture social developmental skills. Lynn Schofield Clark at the University of Denver, states that, "We have set up a society where it's structurally very difficult for families to spend time together;" when technology is accessed without limits, it can encroach on the time spent developing relationships within the family. (NPR Ed, 2017)


 

Technology's "Absent Presence"


We all know that children imitate life. If our children see us glued to our technological devices, that is what they will be used to and they will start to do the same thing. McDaniel (2019) noted that when parents are distracted, studies, "found that children often used negative emotion words, such as lonely, sad, and angry, and they felt dissatisfied with their time with their parents when devices were in use." Children can feel that there is no real relationship with parents and this can impact their social-emotional development. Language development may also be delayed as parents are distracted by technology and communication is limited between parent and child. Another impact that a parents' use of technology can have is that, "parents who were distracted with phones during developmental screening visits had children with higher rates of developmental

delays." (McDaniels, 2019). Children may also struggle to develop motor skills as a sedentary life is the example and parents are not actively participating is engaging motor skill development. The way that a parent handles technology is a good predictor of how their children will value technology. The idea of more technology shared use, seems to lessen the impact of regular technology use.

 

Can a toddler really be addicted?


 

My Technological Opinion

After reading the short article, What The Screen Time Experts Do With Their Own Kids : NPR Ed : NPR (2018) screen time, I thought about how I raised my children and what I have since learned about child development.

As an educator, I encourage parents to set boundaries and routines early. When children are young, preschoolers to about 2nd graders, I think very little time should be spent front of the screen. Many children become addicted, use the TV, tablet, or phone as a way to regulate, and don't develop good language or social skills. I like the idea of shared screen time, where the family watches TV or movies together. It seems to promote more of a social connection, than watching alone, which often separates the family. I also think that when children are allowed to use the screens more often, parents should set time limits, talk about appropriateness of what is viewed, and why safeguards are necessary. This helps children to really see the importance of limiting screen time. I think that there is some value to screen time, especially since children often need to be able to navigate on computers, but really knowing your child and watching how screen time affects them is of utmost import. As an educator, I also think that the new ideas of using STEM or STEAM activities even with toddlers and preschoolers is a new thought on why technology may be beneficial for children to use and experience. Guiding Principles for Use of Technology with Early Learners - Office of Educational Technology (2018), says "The “T” in STEM, however, is intended to introduce children to the underlying concepts of building or creating technology, including computational thinking, which is the basic logic underlying computer science and is beginning to be incorporated into early childhood settings." Therefore, when used appropriately, cognitive development can be increased and children can have experiences that they wouldn't normally have in their everyday lives.

 


Parent and Public Education

How can we increase the publics and parents' awareness of the effects of technology on early childhood exposure? We can provide:

  • Conferences on child development and technology

  • Helpful guides given out at pediatrician appointments/well baby checks

  • Hosting parent meetings/events about technology

  • College courses on the topic of Early childhood technology exposure

  • Changing policies on the use of technology in early childhood education

  • Teacher training on the use of technology


Resources

  • What The Screen Time Experts Do With Their Own Kids : NPR Ed : NPR

  • Guiding Principles for Use of Technology with Early Learners. (2018, May 8). Office of Educational Technology. https://tech.ed.gov/earlylearning/principles/

  • Rothbart, M. K., & Posner, M. I. (2015) The developing brain in a multitasking world. Developmental Review, 1(35), 42-63. doi: 10.1016/j.dr.2014.12.006

  • Crone, E., A., & Konijn, E. A. (2018) Media use and brain development during adolescence. Nature Communications, 9. DOI: 10.1038/s41467-018-03126-x

(2019). Parent distraction with phones, reasons for use, and impact on parenting and child outcomes: A review of the emerging research. Human Behavior & Emerging Technology, 1, 72-80.




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