Impacts of Technology on Child Development: The Problem and Possible Solutions
We live in a society in which our lives revolve around our devices. We rely on our smartphones and computers to remember every detail for us, and solve even the most simple of problems on our behalf. Technology is constantly changing and evolving, and arguably made our lives so much easier. With endless information available at our fingertips, the possibilities are endless. But with this great tool, one can’t help but wonder what the catch is.
Most people are familiar with the term “iPad kids”, and how many children now can’t leave the house without the tablets. Screentime, in moderation, can be incredibly beneficial when used for educational purposes. Having witnessed first hand the downsides of allowing young children to have unlimited screen time, I wonder what further implications this dependency on technology will have on future generations? This feature piece will look into the effects of screen time on children, as well as my opinions on how to combat the issue.
To reiterate the obvious, the Covid-19 pandemic and ensuing lockdown completely altered how we used technology on a day-to-day basis. Whether we liked it or not, we were forced to immerse ourselves in the digital world. In the grand scheme of things, online school wasn’t so bad. Video call programs like Zoom and Webex allowed to maintain connections, and to a certain extent still interact face-to-face. But now, four years later, we’re seeing how truly detrimental this digital shift was. “Students lost the equivalent of several months’ worth of learning in reading and math… and students with disabilities were cut off from crucial services for extended periods of time.” Additionally, we’re seeing a generation of elementary aged students who spent their most important developmental years on a screen, rather than learning to engage in conversation needed to develop social and emotional skills needed for everyday interactions.
Victoria L. Dunkley explains that children are so dependent on their screens — be that video games, social media, or anything of the sort — their excessive screen time is resulting in a lack of social coping skills. This addiction to screens has gone so far as to lead kids to develop attachment behaviors that mimic that of substance dependence. Screens are making structural changes to our brains, inhibiting development of cognitive control and basic emotional regulation skills.
Additionally, the rise in social media consumption among adolescents and preteens shows an increasing rate in depression, anxiety, and many other mental health concerns. While most social media platforms require users to be at least 13 years old, this age restriction is hardly enforced. As a result, children that are not mature enough to understand that social media content is more often than not heavily altered are seeing this perfectly curated content, and comparing themselves to the influencers posting this content. This leads to many negative outcomes, ranging from fear of missing out (FOMO), to body insecurity and even significant weight modification behavior and eating disorders in extreme cases.
Further, the increase in social media use has led to an increase in cyberbullying. Nearly 50% of teen social media users have reported experiencing at least one form of cyberbully. With the lack of face-to-face interaction comes a lack of emotional development. Kids aren’t developing empathy and awareness of others emotions, and combined with the anonymity of screen names, they’re able to exhibit cruel behaviors without any immediate consequences. The Covid-19 lockdown only exacerbated this problem, as our tech was our main form of communication.
So knowing the risks, what can we do to combat these unhealthy tech habits?
Personally, I think the solution is quite simple, but the implementation is the tricky part. Growing up, I used the shared family computer for homework, and only once all my school work had been completed could I use the computer to play games. This desktop computer was located in the kitchen, so it was easy for my parents to monitor what my brother and I were getting up to. The technology itself isn’t the issue, but our inability to go without our devices is. We need to relearn how to function without a screen, and lead by example to prevent kids and future generations from developing the same unhealthy habits.
Kids learn by watching the world around them. If they’re constantly observing adults, people they look up to, glued to their phones, how can we expect them to act any differently?
Combating the issue of children over using screens would be easy if as a society we were all willing to change our ways. Asking society as a whole to shift is a near impossible feat, but there are many small steps we can take to begin addressing the screen time issue. For instance, something as simple as reverting back to paper homework assignments. Now of course using single use, disposable resources in excess is no good either, but making even a small change like this will reduce screen time significantly.
I’ll end with the saying, “all good things in moderation”. Technology can be a really amazing and powerful tool when used correctly. The issues arise from relying on it too heavily, and forgetting that not everyone is mature enough to understand the risks associated with having an online presence. All in all, for the sake of future generations, our tech habits need to change. But this change needs to start with those in power promoting digital literacy.
