The Tech Effect: How Too Much Device Time May Be Taking a Toll on Today’s Children
Use of handheld devices is now common among toddlers, and near universal for teens. New research and polling shows areas of concern — many relating to communication. The noteworthy exception is assistive devices that are used by people who require them to communicate.
Finding #1: Language Development
In their earliest months and years, children learn to communicate (talk, listen, understand, and eventually, hold conversations) by listening to those around them talk. Even before tablets and phones take their hold, the youngest of children often play with electronic toys that talk and make sounds. But these may be reducing critical parental interaction. A 2015 study in JAMA Pediatrics showed that when toys make the noise, parents talk less — and subsequently, their infants vocalize less.
https://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2015/12/23/traditional-toys-may-beat-gadgets-in-language-development
Finding #2: Attention Span
Joint attention — focusing on the same thing at the same time as another person — is a key communication skill, a precursor for conversation and socialization. This involves a parent and child reading a book together or looking at the same toy, for example. A study in Current Biology points to reduced time for joint attention when parents are preoccupied with their smartphones — and shows babies’ attention spans are suffering.
https://www.fitpregnancy.com/baby/health-development/is-your-iphone-ruining-your-babys-attention-span
Finding #3: School Performance
A study of Boston eighth graders by University of Toronto and Massachusetts Institute of Technology researchers found those who spent more time multitasking with technology performed worse on standardized tests of English and math compared with those who spent less time multitasking.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/teens-think-they-can-multi-task-without-ill-effect--but-sorry-thats-not-true/2016/05/20/73dd7b84-1def-11e6-9c81-4be1c14fb8c8_story.html
Finding #4: Hearing Problems
Those hours of listening to tech with ear buds or headphones are also taking a toll on hearing, with a whopping near 30% of 11–17 year olds suffering from tinnitus (a condition characterized by ringing or buzzing in the ears), according to a study in Scientific Reports.
https://www.today.com/health/it-s-going-get-worse-nearly-30-percent-teens-have-t96756
