Technology and Our Kids

Since most people are online all the time, I often wonder what impact technology has on our children. Some say that technology is another useful learning tool that makes our children smarter, and some say they don’t have a significant effect. Others, however, argue that the use of technology promotes social exclusion, increases attention problems, encourages unhealthy habits, and ultimately changes our culture and the way people interact with each other. While there is no causal link between the use of technology and human development, I think there are some correlations that are strong enough to encourage you to limit the time children watch the screen.

Is television really that bad for kids? Yes, depending on the show and the duration of the viewing. Researchers found that the impact of quick-editing programs and unrealistic flashing of cropped scenes on screen is associated with developing attention problems in children. When the brain is overloaded with a change of stimuli, it stops doing something and starts to aim. Too much exposure to these troubled programs causes the brain to exercise more in passive perception of information without deep processing. However, not all programs are bad. Children who watch slow TV shows such as Sesame Street are less prone to attention problems than children who watch shows like The Power Puff Girls or Johnny Neutron. Educational programs are slow, with fewer on-screen incentives that allow children to practice listening to news. Children can then practice connecting new and past knowledge, manipulating information from working memory, and solving problems. In short, a good practical rule is to limit TV viewing from one to two hours a day and try to look at the child’s face with shining eyes. It’s a sure sign that his brain has stopped focusing and that it’s definitely time to turn off the tube so he can start thinking, creating and thinking about things (all the actions that develop before the brain calms down).

When you close the tube, don’t be surprised if your hands melt. This technology is addictive because it constantly activates the release of neurotransmitters associated with pleasure and reward. There were cases of technological dependence in children from the age of four. Recently in the UK, a four-year-old girl underwent intensive rehabilitation from addiction to iPad! I’m sure you know how nice it is to log into Facebook and see this red notification at the top of the screen or, even more understandably, how useful a game can be on your computer when you accumulate more “achievements”. I am guilty of obsessively checking my Facebook, email and blog during the day. The usual answer to these problems is “Measure everything.” Although I agree, it can be difficult for children to achieve moderation because they lack the skills to discipline themselves, and they often go the easy way when they are not mentored by an adult. According to a new study by the Kaiser Family Foundation, children spend about 5 hours watching TV and movies, 3 hours online, 1.5 hours on texting on the phone and half an hour on phone conversations every day.

It’s almost 75 hours of technology usage per week, and I’m sure these results are published through parental control and intervention. Imagine how children use technology when they are left alone! In a recent article in the Huffington Post, Dr. Larry Rosen understands, “… we see what will happen if you do not limit this active participation. The child still has authority in a very exciting electronic world and in the worlds. Play with toys or watch TV – pale compared to that. “How are you even going to get your child to read a boring old black and white book if they can use a bright and useful iPad instead? Children spend an average of 38 minutes or less per day reading. Do you see this as a priority?

With such frequent use of technology, it is important to understand whether the use of technology contributes to or hinders healthy habits.It is reported that half of high-tech users rent C or less at school. Users using light technology perform much better, and only a quarter of the points have a low rating. There are many factors that can determine the relationship between technology use and poor ratings. One of them could be less hours of sleep. Researchers from the University of Maryland’s Department of Family and Public Health found that children who had three or more technology devices in their rooms slept at least 45 minutes less than the average child of the same age.

Another possibility is attention problems associated with the frequent use of technology. In the future, multitasking, although seen as a brilliant skill in the work, turns out to be a brake for children. It is not uncommon to see a schoolboy behind a laptop, mobile phone or TV as he tries to do his homework. If you look at the laptop, you can see several open tabs for different social networks and entertainment sites, and the phone today is a mini-computer. Thus, when children work in multitasking mode, they do not pay enough attention to learning. This leads to a lack of active learning, the inability to transfer information from short-term memory to long-term memory, which ultimately leads to worse grades in school. In addition, it is almost impossible for a child to master some of the best information processing skills, such as putting out and combining ideas in multitasking mode. We want our children to be deep thinkers, creators and innovators, not passive recipients of information who subsequently use information without thinking about it. Therefore, we need to limit access to multiple devices and limit usage times.

Age plays an important role in discussing the harmful effects of technology. For children under the age of two, the frequent impact of technology can be dangerously destructive because it limits the ability to interact with the physical world. Children under the age of two are in the sensory phase.