Technology use in children has been increasingly prevalent in recent years. In fact, multiple studies have shown that children prefer to use technology over participating in outdoor activities. This continues to pose a problem as studies have found that technology can have detrimental effects on child development. Additionally, technology negatively impacts teenagers in many facets, including disrupting their sleeping patterns, creating unrealistic lifestyles, and exposing them to inappropriate subjects. While these impacts were previously limited to teenagers, the amount of young children to be affected has increased. Although technology has been very helpful to society by keeping people connected, granting individuals an outlet to be themselves, and allowing users to have a sense of community, the side effects may outweigh the benefits.
There are numerous effects of technology that go deeper than the surface level, including detrimental impacts on brain development in children. An article written by journalist Sam Anderson states that, “[young people growing up with the internet] might lack, mainly the ability to concentrate on a complex task from beginning to end.” Adolescents exposed to technology long-term have trouble developing skills involving continuous concentration.
Lack of concentration is not the only effect that technology has had, as excessive technology use has been linked to the deterioration of problem solving skills. “Constant alerts from smartphones, emails, and social media, some worry, regularly overstimulate and overstress the modern person’s mind, inhibiting deep, focused thinking and creative problem-solving.” Too much technology exposure can cause people to regress on sleep habits and creative thinking.
Despite its negative side effects, technology can positively impact minds. It simplifies communication and allows individuals to learn new things. Allowing children access to technology allows them to learn new things, but many believe the negatives outweigh the positives; especially due to the delay in child development, especially on tasks like problem solving and focused thinking. Even though there are useful parts of technology, younger children should steer clear of technology because of the numerous proven downsides.
