The world has gradually changed over the last three decades, with technology playing a key role. The onset of technology brought various socio-economic impacts on society. Technology influences how things are done, transactions, interactions, and education. Through technology, most functions and elements within societies can be done in efficient and effective ways. However, technology has also brought some detrimental impacts to society, whereby it has altered the way things are done (Connect US Fund, 2018). Similarly, technology has impacted children in both positive and negative ways. Currently, children under 8 years have access to an average of 2 hours daily. Children between 5 and 8 years also spend more than 3 hours daily on screen-based technologies. Studies also indicate that more than 98% of American children live in homes at own mobile devices. In 2011, only 4% of children spent their screen time on mobile devices (Connect US Fund, 2018). By 2017, more than 35% of children were spending their screen time on mobile devices. The increased use of technology by children has led to controversies surrounding its impact on them. Those opposed to children using technology argue that it is detrimental to their health and results in poor developmental outcomes. On the contrary, technology could also be critical in child development, as it exposes them to a wide variety of knowledge. Connectedly, this paper holds that technology has positive impacts on children.
Technology provides children with educational entertainment, thus boosting their development. Children are easily distracted in life; hence the best way to maintain their concentration is by using something that is more appealing to them. One method of ensuring maximum engagement and concentration is through the use of technology. There are various educational apps that parents can use on their children, thus resulting in better engagement for their children. In her support of the use of technology for better engagement and ensuring children's interests in education, Carr-Chelman states, "We can design better games; most educational games that are out there today are flashcards." In essence, Carr-Chelman views the use of video games as the only way of ensuring that children adapt to school life (Carr-Chelman 02:34). Specifically, she argues about the low number of boys attending schools, whereby she notes that girls are more likely to succeed in education due to the various social factors favoring them. However, she suggests that the American school system must change the current video games to achieve more engaging ones, thus attracting more boys to schools. Therefore, technology results in better outcomes for children because it promotes concentration and interest in education.
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Technology enables children to access a wide variety of information, thus enabling good developmental outcomes. Through technology, both children's educational and developmental outcomes can be greatly changed. Technology enables children to access information from different cultural and ethnic backgrounds, thus leading to the development of culturally-sensitive people (Western Governors University, 2019). For instance, children use technology to watch cultural events and festivals from different cultural backgrounds, thus increasing their understanding of the world. Connectedly, increased exposure to various cultures increases the children's learning capacities, enabling them to attain high reasoning capabilities (Kildare & Middlemiss, 2017). Technology also exposes children to different political and religious views, thus broadening their thinking horizons. With such high exposures to cultural differences, children can reason from different angles, thus enabling them to grow as versatile rather than rigid people.
Children have effective decision-making through exposure to technology. Most technological features present children with problems that demand immediate solutions for them to continue using the technological devices (Western Governors University, 2019). For instance, when using a mobile device, children have to be sensitive on power levels to prevent their devices from shutting down. In this case, the children develop better decision-making by knowing when to charge the devices and when to start worrying about the battery levels. In a similar manner, when presented with real-life situations, children are more likely to develop better reasoning, thus enabling them to solve the merging challenges. Another example of how technology enables improved decision-making in children is the use of applications and games on smartphones and tablets (Kardefelt-Winther, 2017). Game applications demand children solve critical challenges to progress to the next stages of their games. Consequently, the children have to show high levels of decision-making abilities. Wise and effective use of technology broadens the children's thinking capacities, making them better decision-makers even in adulthood. The children's minds adapt to the demands for an immediate solution to problems, thus making increasing their rapid thinking capacities. For instance, most video games demand instant decisions whereby the children have to decide within a specified period. These time demands increase children's critical thinking capacities, enabling them to solve problems efficiently.
Multitasking is also an important impact that technology has on children. Technology promotes multitasking for both adults and children. In essence, most video games and technological devices are designed to enable people to increase their multitasking skills (Western Governors University, 2019). A simple example is an individual watching news or documentaries while also communicating with friends on online platforms. For children, however, technology enables them to concentrate on listening, comprehension, and decision-making capacities. When using technology in education, children have to listen to online materials while also writing important notes from the presentations (Western Governors University, 2019). In the end, the children must have a comprehension of what is discusses in the online material. The structure of such materials increases the children's multitasking abilities. Learning these important skills at an early age increases the children's adulthood multitasking capacities.
Technology also prepares children for future careers in the technological fields. The emergence of technology saw a rise in technological careers, including software engineering, design engineering, web designers, among other careers (Rowan, 2017). The careers can be shaped through the earlier exposure of children to useful and healthy technologies. As technologies continue their rapid growth, the world expects more professionals to fill the gaps created in the technological fields. Exposing children to technology at an early age enables them to develop both interest and expertise at an early age, thus building a platform for future careers in technology. Consequently, a good grasp of technology at an early age could critical in ensuring a lasting career in technology. For instance, children learning to develop IT applications or solving problems using technology can pursue careers in IT.
Technology also leads to improved spatial development among children. Through technology, children's visual-spatial skills can be developed, thus resulting in improved abilities. Spatial-visual skills are those that enable people to process and synthesize what they see (Rowan, 2017). Video games and other technological applications that children get exposed to enable them to have high visual-spatial skills. For instance, when exposing children to documentaries or other films, they develop visual-spatial skills. In this case, the children must use their visual-spatial skills to understand and visualize what they see. These skills are developed into adulthood, whereby the children become critical thinkers and can easily make decisions based on what they see (Rowan, 2017). Video games also enable increased visual-spatial skills whereby children must visualize the provided maps for them to succeed in a videogame. Grasping these skills is critical in the development of people who can solve problems based on their developmental senses.
Language skills are also improved through the use of technology among children. Most children's applications and software are designed to promote language coordination and understanding in children. For instance, videogames require children to follow a specified set of instructions to achieve success (Huda et al., 2017). For a child to reach the highest level in a videogame, they must closely adhere to the provided instructions. Consequently, children adapt to the language used in the videogames, thus gaining increased language comprehension. Apart from videogames, e-books and videos also expose children to better language outcomes. Through technology, children can read interesting and enticing e-books, thus improving their language abilities. Technology also enables the children to increase their vocabulary, whereby videos and reading content increase their vocabularies. Children are also exposed to online flashcards, which increase their mathematical and phonics concepts (Huda et al., 2017). Without such features, children could only rely on social-relationships and classroom content to increase their vocabularies. However, the exposure to technology enables them to gain widespread language comprehension and vocabulary grasp. Exposing children to technology improves their learning capacities.
Motor coordination is also positively impacted by the exposure of children to technology. Through technology, children access applications and programs that encourage them to increase their eye-hand coordination (Clinton & Steyer, 2012). In essence, the children's eye-tracking is improved with the use of technology, as they must follow objects appearing on the screen while also using their hands to control the remote control systems. Children exposed to video games can therefore manage various tasks that demand efficiencies in eye-hand coordination (Connect US Fund, 2018). Consequently, the improved coordination results in better writing and reading abilities in schools as the children can easily write or type while reading content. These skills can also be transformed into other sports careers like basketball, volleyball, and football, resulting in better sporting experiences.
Technology also exposes children to a wide variety of skills and career options. The emergence of technology increased career options for people. Among children, technology enables them to gain skills that could be crucial in their career paths. Children use technology for writing and illustrations just like those in the previous generations who used typewriters, graphic tables, and word processors (Connect US Fund, 2018). Children wanting to pursue careers in music or video production start learning and demonstrating their skills at an early age. In this way, they can easily adapt to their careers in adulthood, thus resulting in successful careers.
Despite presenting all these positive impacts, technology could also be detrimental to children. Technology makes children live sedentary lives as they are confined within homes using stationary technological devices. According to the CDC, more than 20% of school-going children in the US are categorized as obese (Connect US Fund, 2018). The statistics also indicate that the number of overweight children has tripled over the last six decades. Technology encourages in-house activities and skills acquisition while limiting children's exposure to outfield activities. Children using technology like video games are less likely to engage in physical exercises like playing outside or engaging in sporting activities (Rowan, 2013). Consequently, the children develop high degrees of calories in their bodies, making them obese. Studies indicate that indoor activities embraced by children at this age increase their risks of weight gain. Technology also exposes children to online bullying and poor developmental behavior if unmonitored use is allowed. Connect US Fund (2018) argues, "1 out of 12 children admitted to exchanging sexually-related content with other people." In this case, unsupervised technology could present numerous risks for children being exposed to adult content, thus affecting their mental and psychological wellness. Children could also face bullying on online platforms, thus affecting their development.
In conclusion, technology results in positive impacts for children. Through technology, children can gain access to more information, thus broadening their reasoning and critical thinking skills. Technology also provides entertaining, educational outcomes for children, thus enabling them to develop more interest in education. Technology also prepares children for their future careers in the technological field. Through technology, children can have improved eye-hand coordination. Children exposed to technology have better decision-making skills, high language comprehension, and increased development of natural talents. Finally, technology enables children to gain multitasking skills.
References
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Western Governors University, (2019). Impact of technology on kids today (and tomorrow). https://www.wgu.edu/blog/impact-technology-kids-today-tomorrow1910.html#:~:text=Studies%20show%20that%20using%20technology,them%20succeed%20in%20their%20future .
