Technological Advances, Cognitive Setbacks

Only a few years ago having a babysitter meant having someone to break the listlessness that was boring summer days and weekends in which there was no one with time to entertain you. Now when kids see a teenage-girl in their living room with coloring books and sidewalk chalk they couldn’t care less, lest she step in front of the television or try to take the iPad. In just a short amount of time a cultural revolution has occurred in America, causing huge waves, and allowing children to grow up immersed in a technological bubble personalized to their every need. Some may argue that technology has had a powerful and positive impact on society, but the most influential effects of the rapid expansion of technology has been the interruption of mental processes, and the isolation of children. Technology is therefore particularly devastating to young children in the developmental stages of their lives, as the negative effects are often irreversible and will follow them throughout their lives.

The education value of a computer increases year after year, with new programs being worked on every day to help people learn. Schools are quickly converting to digital textbooks, encouraging students to carry a device, working with teachers to incorporate digital assignments into the traditional pen-and-paper pieces to compete globally. The technological assignments certainly allow a student to get more involved, and require more interaction. Additionally technology can be used to educate anyone, from jumpstarting a toddler on their letters to teaching a stroke victim to read simple words. Technology, and especially the internet, also give children a window in which they can express their creativity and think in unique and unconventional ways. This sharing of their thoughts, ideas, and artwork can be important for their self-esteem.

The creativity that so often is spoken of when discussing the positive influences technology has on children has in society seems to be a bit like the Loch Ness Monster: a mythical thing that is believed in only by the most optimistic. Studies show that two-thirds of little ones under the age of two watch an average of two hours of television a day, despite the fact that the American Academy of Pediatrics guidelines are that kids should not watch any television until the age of two, and that children over the age of two should have no more than one to two hours of screen time a day. This dependence on technology for mental stimulation has widespread effects. The general inactivity of the population of children in America is thought to be part of the obesity problem, along with innumerable cognitive and developmental issues that will follow the affected children throughout life. These include simple things such as lowering a child’s ability to play creatively and use their imagination, as they are constantly being bombarded by sensory stimulation from a variety of chaotic sources. Gone are the days of playing dress-up with old Halloween costumes and wearing Mommy’s high heels and in has come the era in which if a little one wants to wear a Princess Gown they simply need a photo of themselves uploaded to an app, in which they will be able to wear the dress of every princess who has ever graced the big screen. This is devastating to some of the most important and basic functions that all children learn at a young age. The effects can also be much more serious than limiting creativity. Overexposure to technology, which nearly all American children are victims of, has been shown to be a cause of delays in children reaching milestones such as walking and talking. It has also been linked to a struggle with literacy, problems with self-control in a classroom or group setting, and attention skills. It is even thought that the increase in disorders that are being seen are an effect of the vast overuse of technology that has become an all-out epidemic in our country. Both psychological and behavioral disorders are being diagnosed at an alarming rate, and the climbing numbers of children who are being identified as having ADHD, coordination disorders, anxiety disorders, learning disabilities, depression, and sleeping disorders are associated with the technology consumption in America.

Technology has caused a silent revolution for the standard family routine. Families no longer sit around the table and eat together, now they may all be in the same room but they may as well send each member to a separate restaurant. Mom and Dad could not be pulled away from their phones if the house was on fire and the kids are much more interested in the family on the television on the family they have right there in front of them. While technology was created to bring people together, for Americans, it has done the exact opposite. Children in the development stages are becoming more and isolated from not only other people but from the world due to their near constant use of technology. This isolation has a variety of adverse effects, and can be introduced in many ways, all of which are detrimental to children. One effect of isolation caused by technology is decreased sensory input. This cannot be avoided, if a child is sat in front of a television or other electronic device they are getting no sensory stimulation to keep their brain functioning. This decreased sensory input will negatively impact the regulation of anxiety, development of a proper posture, bilateral coordination, and self-control over behavior. Additionally, children who are sat in front of the television and do not receive any stimulation via touch will also be negatively affected, as touch is critical in the developmental process and is needed to create normal movement patterns. Technology is particularly isolating because it provides an escape to a false world where there is no need to communicate with anyone on the outside, and to learn this from a young age is embedding the belief that these worlds are better than the real world in the heads of very easily influenced persons. The isolation of technology can often be handed directly to a child by a family member, who is too busy on their devices to pay attention to the child, and instead hands them an iPad or an iPhone to play a game on. This not only gives them the isolation that the device gives them, but the isolation of the rejection by their relative and the pain of being brushed off.

Technology does play an important role in society, I can’t imagine having to actually go into the bank and talk to the Teller to get my money, and it does hold a significant educational value. However, it has also proved that it is going to be quite devastating to the newest generation of Americans if there is not a big change made soon. These things all seem possible, especially when you consider the fact that we seem to have lost sight of the very important “anything is okay in moderation” rule.