I am sure that you all realized how kids of this generation are far better in using technology than we were in our early 20s. I have experienced the same. Believe it or not the curve of technology adoption among youth & kids will be rising steep like it never did before.
In this progressive era, where technology is ruling the world, it is challenging to refrain from it. It has offered several benefits in almost every field. Yet, every beneficial thing comes with a little or many drawbacks. The same is the case with technology.
It can be beneficial and hazardous for the kids as they are under development and at adoptive and learning age. Therefore, parents are usually worried about their kids when it comes to the use of technology.
In this article, we have covered the most significant benefits of technology and its negative aspects to discuss if it is beneficial or not. So, let’s get started.
What effect does technology has on kids?
Technology has presently become the only source of connection, socialisation, or source of living, as a whole, for both the elders and the children. Besides this, parents usually get worried about the things influencing their children as an excess of everything is bad; everyone has heard this cliché at least once in their life. Above all, it is the parent’s job to keep an eye on their children’s interaction with new things.
Here are a few positive and negative aspects of technology that it has on kids.
Positive affects:
Technology plays a vital role in the development of any country, and children are the future of their country.
- Easy and time-saving access to information
From mobile phones and machinery to cars our every aspect of life includes technology. Several websites, specifically the world wide web, have provided a range of information about anything that anyone can access with almost a single click.
Now, people can avail of e-books, blog posts, news articles, factual data, or images and videos, to name some, affordably and from the comfort of their homes. It has also eased the burden of searching libraries or scrolling through thousands of pages to find any book or topic. Social media platforms also provide fun to informative information while offering a direct source to interact with your near and dear ones from miles apart.
- Cognitive ability
Kids have a developing mind. When children get exposure to technology at high rates, their brains adapt an internet approach to thinking. They process multiple sources of information and try to scan everything instead of processing themselves. Therefore, in the modern-day generation, it is rare to find cognitive ability in children. The more cognitive ability a child has, the more he will improve in his studies. It will help them in gaining their academic grades. However parents have to keep in mind the child’s focus. Let me tell you a short story.
Few years ago I was in UAE with my colleagues & we were looking into an opportunity of launching kindergartens in Baku. So we decided to visit some international franchise holders in UAE. In one of the visits to one of the kindergartens, I observed a bizarre design element. On each of the walls there was only one frame with an educational graphics or text. Nothing else, no rainbows, animals, barbies or dozens of images on walls. Very minimalistic… When I asked what is the reason for doing so they said – Starting from birth, children develop brain connections through their everyday experiences. They’re built through positive interactions with their parents and caregivers and by using their senses to interact with the world. A young child’s daily experiences determine which brain connections develop and which will last for a lifetime. The amount and quality of care, stimulation and interaction they receive in their early years makes all the difference. Finally the number of neurons a child’s brain can facilitate is limited. Although it nearly doubles every year in years 0-6, we tend to make sure that we can focus a child’s attention and focus on just one thing. Rather than have scattered all over the room. And right at that moment I was amazed…
The technologies help in enhancing the IQ level of children, which are using these unique technologies for their educational purpose. It helps them in developing their learning, recognition, and cognitive skills. You can find multiple useful pieces of information available on the internet that has eased life. Several educational books are also present which aids in enhancing the learning skills of children.
- Problem-solving skills
We live in a society powered by technology. Technology helps students move beyond sitting attentively and listening. It is scientifically proven that students who can solve problems on their own have more creative minds than others.
When children can tackle problems on their own and get independent, they become resilient. Additionally, it helps them in developing more patience level and learning how to manage time. Problem-solving skills encourage children to believe in their efficiency and don’t let them get disheartened or frustrated.
- Socialisation and empowerment
Socialisation and empowerment bring people together. The development of communication and socialisation skills in children and teens is one of the essential needs nowadays. It educates children on how to interact with people. It allows them to interact with people socially and, in turn, gain confidence with social communication in a more comfortable way.
Negative effects:
Sometimes the things which are helpful for us can convert into a dangerous ones. Similarly, using technologies extraordinarily can be harmful to the kids as well as for the elders. According to the reports, teenagers and children who report more time using media have a higher chance of facing mental health issues. Damaging mental peace can also lead your health to deteriorate. Let’s discuss these aspects in detail.
- Frequent violence portrayal
Violence is an extreme form of aggression. On media, we see a lot of unusual things which are available without any restrictions. Action movies or video games, which are now common among kids, play a vital role in exposing children to violence. They try to adapt things that they see on their tv or social media.
Kids pick up things quickly, and they try to adopt each and everything. So, they may also end up smoking or using drugs in extreme cases if the children are excessively exposed to it. It might affect kids’ mental health also, like temper issues or aggression. Parents must try to keep an eye on the change in their child’s nature and behaviour.
- Addictive
Addiction to anything can destroy your whole mental peace. It may end up destroying your whole life career. Addiction to social media and games is very common in the modern-day generation.
It may affect your sleeping schedule, which can cause tiredness and laziness. It will keep distracting you and will not let you focus on your goal or task. An addiction to technology is manifested both physically and emotionally.
It can be detected through a significant behaviour change, like people who addictively overuse media or anything else become aggressive. The overuse of technology may have a more significant impact on eyesight. Getting attached to media or technology extraordinarily can also affect your memory.
- Health deteriorates
Health is one of the basic things of life. Health plays a vital role in living a happy life, and technology negatively affects it if used excessively. The overuse of media can be very harmful to you. Social media and mobile devices may lead your child to psychological and physical issues.
It is scientifically proven that social isolation can take you to deep depression or make you lonely physically. Focusing on a digital device for hours will make you stick to one place. Keeping your body at rest for a whole day can make you lazier and unhealthy.
Several researchers quote that students, who experience smartphone or video games addiction, participate less in physical activity, unlike the children who use technology moderately. This situation further worsens if not tackled timely or in the beginning.
Is it preferable for the children to embrace technology?
As we have discussed earlier, technology is not bad in itself. Excess of it makes it hazardous. It is high time that we can’t even avoid screen times or try to refrain kids from it as it has become part of our lives. It eases life by providing an easy way of communication, learning new things, and is also a cost-effective way of doing things that can’t be done otherwise.
Therefore, most parents do still prefer technology but yes under strict guidance and control. Training and support are significant to make your kids passive technology users. It can be done by encouraging them to avoid using technology for the things that can be done otherwise, like interaction with people or forming a connection physically rather than through technology. Finding useful and encouraging tech content for your kids is an essential step before you comprehensively introduce your kid to technology. In my honest opinion it is best to embrace it. My 5 year old daughter has a on old phone which she uses for games and communication with family members with voice notes & video calls. Fighting against technology makes no sense to me. There are multiple ways for the right kind of channeling the childs focus and attention to “good things” on the web.
Although we all complain about that back in our day we were playing and jumping around in our yards – & the kids today are not the same, they stay indoors watching their screens. Well we were different because we had no screens to look at. Times have changed so should you…
How can parents let their kids embrace technology comfortably?
Considering technology’s current importance, parents can’t remove it readily from their children’s lives, but its negative aspects make it challenging for them to decide. Therefore, we have compiled a few tips that can partner you in preventing the negative influence of technology from overshadowing its benefits.
- The first and foremost tip is to maintain a timeline for both the elders and kids of unplugging their tech devices.
- Engage kids in physical activities. Motivate them to play games or watch videos that are educational or informative.
- As children follow their elders or surroundings, it is important to alter them accordingly. You can do this by doing the same things around that you want your kid to adopt.
- Keep an eye on your kid’s activities on technology and encourage them to read books digitally or physically to develop their minds cognitively.
These tips are only the basic parental guide, and the parents can do a lot more only if they understand that technology has eased the world, but it can’t be a substitute for the real world. Technology doesn’t define rules. as Naval quotes, “live the life you want other people to live”, similarly it is also important for the parents to understand this because they are the role models of their kids
Final thoughts
Everything in this world has its own merits and demerits, and no one wants to step back from the benefits due to its negative aspects, same goes for technology. Where technology negatively impacts kids, it also benefits their development and skills essential at their age. So, we believe that completely refraining or even embracing it for a long time isn’t favourable. Limited use of technology won’t make your kid addicted to it and allow him to reap benefits from it.
Apart from the aspects that we have shared, technology holds a lot more in it. So, only a calculated use of technology can enable you to make the most of its benefits. It is possible by following the basic parental guidance tips or keeping an eagle’s eye on your kid’s use of technology as we can’t completely evade technology from their developing selves.
