When you ask most young adults about their childhood, they can illustrate a clear example of what those treasured early years looked like for them. Playing outdoors, making new friends in the neighborhood, going on spontaneous adventures and trekking home happily exhausted at sunset. But when I spend any time with my little cousins (aged 9–12), the only thing they want to do is use their technological devices. More than a few minutes without Wi-Fi is their definition of torture.
One of them has a smartphone, the other two kept busy with Amazon Kindles they have for “reading,” — air quotes intended. When they do speak to me, they’re most eager to tell me about the latest viral video or juicy bit of celebrity drama. I try to meet their zeal with interest, but I do feel a twinge of concern when my 10-year-old cousin shows me parody videos that aren’t exactly age-appropriate.
Concerns over children’s media and technology usage have risen over the past decade. Some researchers have gone so far as to call society’s current technological trends “the death of childhood.” Though such rhetoric is harsh, the growing unease is not without merit: very young children (two and under) are not mentally or cognitively capable of handling the demands of popular technology. In fact, excessive television exposure can adversely impact their early language development. And dangers persist for all ages — older children and teens’ lower impulse control makes them more susceptible to the addictive quality of apps and social media.
The constant stream of new, exciting information stimulates the brain’s reward center in a manner similar to psychological classifications of addiction. According to Common Sense Media, 50% of teens readily admit to feeling addicted to their devices, citing an immediate need to respond to notifications or texts. Even as adults, we can’t go for too long without itching to check our devices at the risk of whatever other task is at hand (including a face to face conversation). We’re all guilty of it, and as we shift life phases into adulthood, children are only mirroring the norm as their access to devices grows.
It’s become commonplace to see kids glued to a screen and staying indoors where Internet and electricity are easily accessed. Despite blowback, society seems to be shifting to adjust to this new norm. The American Academy of Pediatrics has edited their guidelines to keep up, allowing Skype for babies among other changes. Working in education, I’ve seen schools shift as well, providing laptops and tablets for student use and incorporating smartphones into classroom activities.
Many U.S. parents have noted the changes too, reporting that their 2-to-10-year olds spend the majority of their time (nearly 19 hours per week) interacting with a screen. This outweighs outdoor/indoor play, structured activities like sports, homework time and even family time. More time spent connecting with a screen means less space for real-world interactions, physical activity, and cognitive skill-building, all of which are achieved through play. Simply the presence of the television in a child’s bedroom increases the risk of childhood obesity by 31% , and yet, nearly 50% of children eight years and younger have them.
Aside from television, children are receiving devices of their own at an earlier age (an average of 10 years old, though 56% have one much younger). This generates additional concern as to how easily they can access inappropriate content. Even the rules on what’s made “for kids” have been changing overtime: movie and video game ratings, for example, have become increasingly lenient, permitting more violent and risque content to keep up with pop culture.
In comparison, I received my first cellphone (a shared flip phone with no Internet access) at age 12, a jump from my elder siblings who had to wait until 16. In spite of additional supervision, I managed to get into things I probably shouldn’t have. It’s much easier now for kids like my cousins, who have free reign over what they see and do on their devices, to find things that aren’t meant for their age range (and bypass controls that are rarely in place.) Exposure and consequent desensitization to violent or sexual material is now at risk of happening much earlier, before adults might think to step in.
Furthermore, social media (and therefore my access to anything immoral) in my adolescent days was limited just to Facebook. Kids of today are faced with several options that offer little filtering beyond one’s own interests. Now when I come across anything negative, graphic or otherwise sensitive on the many platforms of today, I struggle to think of how I would’ve handled the content as a naïve pre-teen. Teen girls in particular are at higher risk for anxiety and depression as their social media use grows. Seeing how much better your peers are doing, all the time, can create a comparison trap and a constant fear of missing out that even I struggle with as a young adult.
When it comes to sexual content, minors are not only viewing it but are sharing it as well — a 2013 study found over half of U.S. children as young as ten admitted to posting risky photos or comments online. Features of popular apps like Snapchat encourage young users to constantly make their location information accessible. There’s an obvious danger to the combination of those two factors — think Hansen’s To Catch A Predator.
So, what can be, or should be done? Is it time to cut the wi-fi, bring out the board games, and throw all the gadgets out for good? Not quite. Though there are evident dangers to children’s growing access to technology, the academic and social demands of today’s time make it more or less a necessary evil. Regardless of the restrictions at home, children will still have access to technology through school, friends, and in other indirect ways.
Thus, it falls to parents and educators to help them navigate the fast-paced, high-tech world they’re growing in. This is where digital literacy for children comes in: a new type of literacy that includes concepts like protecting privacy and understanding the impact that our media interactions can have on others. It provides a springboard for parents to have vital conversations with their children about what they’re doing online and lay down boundaries on more than just screen time.
Guidance from parents should start as soon as technology exposure does. In examining the effectiveness of learning apps for 3- to 7-year-olds, the most important factor was found to be the involvement of their parents. Adults can help explain what kids don’t understand, expand on what they do, and essentially act as gatekeepers determining the what, when and how much of their children’s media consumption. Though this becomes more challenging as kids age, involvement also includes leaving a safe space for exploration.
This is especially significant when you realize that children are using the Internet as a medium to make and connect with friends, to find new hobbies, to play, learn, and essentially understand more of the world around them. Kids of today’s technologized world are only preparing for a more tech-heavy future, and there are even educational drawbacks to limited access (something called the digital divide). Like it or not, it’s become as much a part of their childhoods as hopscotch and cartoons. Naturally, restrictions should still exist regarding safety and health, and where those boundaries lie can vary. But as parents establish familiarity with their child’s online habits and interests, they appear more open and receptive to concerns and help to create a connection that make children’s tech use a little less mysterious and scary for everyone involved.
