The Impact of Technology on Children's Lives
The world today is considered a brave place to be due to the impact of technology that the 21st-century generation is living with. Children are growing up with a completely different perspective of the digital experience which the previous generations did not enjoy. From the virtual perspective, the children experience endless games which have taken away the joys of childhood from the backyard and they now experience their lives in the living room. Technology has influenced every aspect of people’s lives and changed the way they socialize, to the way they live among many noticeable changes. Though technology is beneficial for learning of children in this age, it also has negative impacts on their development as well as the quality of life.
Sedentary Lifestyle and Obesity
One of the biggest differences of the modern-day children from the previous generations is the way they live and do not get much exercise as people previously did. The cause of this difference is accrued to technology which includes smartphones, computers, and televisions which have encouraged them to be sedentary when they return home from school unlike going out to play with other kids. The rates of childhood obesity have drastically shot up in the past few decades. The National Institute of Health published a report in 2015 indicating that the rate of obesity was at twenty percent, which is a 15 points difference from the rate in 1975 (Bartsch, James and Katherine 78). Many parents and teachers have made steps to change the new culture and promote organized exercise both at school and at home but the initiatives are not sufficient to change the current conventional ways of playing.
Lack of Outdoor Experience and Health
Also, important to note, most kids do not experience the benefits of outdoor games and rely heavily on technology for entertainment. Spending some moments outside has several benefits to the body such as exposure to sunlight helps the body to get vitamin D. This, in turn, helps the body to fight infections as well as keep the body healthy. More to that, regular exposure to light helps to maintain a regular cycle of sleep that is influenced by the body’s melatonin. With this regard, modern day children rely on technology for entertainment thus have no time to spend outdoors (Wagner 35). Recent studies have also found out that the screens from electronic devices such as smartphones, tablets, and laptops emit harmful blue light that may cause a headache, irritated eyes and eye strain for children. In addition, the use of these devices also alters the sleep patterns due to the harmful blue light that affects the body organs of the children. It, therefore, becomes difficult for the children to prepare their bodies effectively for proper sleep.
Negative Impact on Social and Emotional Well-being
Technology changes the way kids socialize and interact with their peers, hence has a huge impact on their emotional and social well-being. The high-level use of social media is now common knowledge that it may lower one’s self-esteem as well as create negative moods. Moreover, the children who use social media are at a high risk of being bullied thus may affect their social lives and may be reflected in the declined academic performance. Almost all types of technologies have negative impacts when used excessively as they lower the frequency interacting with their peers as well as the interaction patterns (Clark, 36). This makes it difficult to create meaningful relationships or friendships among children and also the social cues, thus have negative consequences on the children as they grow. The children also experience tough times in developing their emotional growth, unlike the other children who do not have the exposure to children. This is caused by the difference in time for engaging with others and discovering things which are taking place outdoors.
The Positive Side of Technology
Though technology negatively affects the lives of children, not all aspects of technology can be used to create this argument. On the positive side, technology creates opportunities for learning, socializing and entertainment. However, this should be regulated so as to derive the intended motive of using technology for learning purposes. Some of these challenges which children learn from the use of technology help them to become responsible and at the same time discover several things. The use of tablets, laptops, video games and other gadgets also improves the creativity of children as well as increase their intelligence levels (Turkle, 22). Various studies have also evidenced reports suggesting that children who learn using technological gadgets are most likely remember what they have learned in class than children who use only books and pens to study. Learning has, therefore, become easy and accessible to all parties, including teachers and parents. It has also facilitated easy and fast communication between children and their peers, teachers, and parents.
Regulating Technology Use
Rather than prohibiting technology since it negatively affects children, it is also important to consider the positive impacts it has on their lives. The use of technology can be regulated so that it can help children to be all around, learn, get entertained and at the same time interact with their peers. Parents and teachers should take responsibility and control the use of technology by children.
Work cited
Bartsch, Ron, James Coyne, and Katherine Gray. "The good, the bad and the ugly: UAS applications and technology." Drones in Society. Routledge, 2016. 77-90.
Clark, Reginald M. Family life and school achievement: Why poor black children succeed or fail. University of Chicago Press, 2015.
Turkle, Sherry. Alone together: Why we expect more from technology and less from each other. Hachette UK, 2017.
Wagner, Tony. The global achievement gap: Why even our best schools don't teach the new survival skills our children need and what we can do about it. Basic Books, 2014.
