When I was a kid, we had a family computer. One desktop computer that would sit on a desk in our living room. When my sister and I wanted to play, our first thought was always to go and play outside. We never fought over which one of us would get to use the computer. My parents never limited our computer usage or screen time because it was not an issue.
I was in middle school when I got my first gaming system. It was a Nintendo GameBoy. I was very excited to have it, but it did not beat the joys of playing outside. I understand that parents sometimes need a break from their kids, and giving them an electronic device is the easiest way to occupy them so that you can get some things done. My situation was a little bit different because all my dad ever wanted to do was play board games and video games. I will say that having a sibling also helped. We had cheap toys and big imaginations so we could occupy ourselves for hours.
Times have definitely changed. now, kids are getting tablets and iPads before knowing how to write their name. (I would like to take this moment to add that I did not get an iPad until I was a freshman in college).
There has been a lot of controversy over whether or not children should be exposed to so much technology at such young ages.
NPR reported on a study done by Common Sense Media, and the results are pretty interesting,
- 42 percent of young children now have their very own tablet device — up from 7 percent four years ago and less than 1 percent in 2011.
- Screen media use among infants under 2 appears to be trending downward, from 58 minutes a day in 2013 to 42 minutes in 2017. This decline correlates with a drop in sales of DVDs, and particularly those marketed at babies, such as Baby Einstein. Updated pediatricians’ recommendations released last year call for limited, but not banned, screen use among the youngest set.
- Nearly half, 49 percent, of children 8 or under “often or sometimes” use screens in the hour before bedtime, which experts say is bad for sleep habits.
- 42 percent of parents say the TV is on “always” or “most of the time” in their home, whether anyone is watching or not. Research has shown this so-called “background TV” reduces parent-child interaction, which in turn can hurt language development.
As time progresses, it seems like technology users are getting younger and younger. Of course, there are a lot of programs that are designed to educate children in fun and creative ways while they are on tablets and other technological devices, but a lot of controversy surrounds that as well. Is a large amount of screen time, even if the content is educational, a bad thing? There are some mixed reviews.
The Erikson Institue released an article stating,
“The American Academy of Pediatrics discourages screen time for children under two years old, but the NAEYC/Fred Rogers position statement takes a slightly different stance. It says that technology and media should be limited, but what matters most is how it is used. What is the content? Is it being used in an intentional manner? Is it developmentally appropriate? The NAEYC/Fred Rogers position statement doesn’t set specific limits on technology, just as the field doesn’t set limits on block time or the book corner or dramatic play or manipulatives. We wouldn’t tell a child that his 10 minutes of puzzle making or reading for the week is up.”
The Telegraph reports,
” Young people exposed to modern technology for more than four hours a day are less likely to display high levels of “wellbeing” than those limiting access to less than 60 minutes, it emerged. Figures from the Office for National Statistics found that the use of video games and social networking had a number of advantages, including enhancing existing friendships and allowing shy children to communicate.
But it warned of negative effects for young people exposed (to) technology for too long during the normal school day. The conclusions come just days after a leading academic warned that a generation of children risks growing up with obsessive personalities, poor self-control, short attention spans and little empathy because of an addiction to social networking websites such as Twitter.”
That is the general argument, that too much screen time can result in a child that has poor face-to-face communication and interaction skills.
Personally, I believe that it is all about balance. We live in a digital world. It would be next to impossible to raise a child without any type of screen time. It would also put the child at a disadvantage. Many elementary classrooms are also including computers in their lesson plans. It would be beneficial for a child to have had some sort of experience with technology before being in the classroom environment.
I do not think that children should just sit in front of a computer all day or sit around and play video games. I completely disagree with that idea, but I think that children should have a limited about of screen time throughout the week.
Kids are going to grow up and the older a person becomes the more important knowing how to use technology becomes. So many college courses have some sort of online component. When I was an undergraduate student, we would register for classes online, turn in assignments online, communicate with our professor via email, and pretty much do everything else online expect for attend lectures. Even now as a graduate student, my entire degree is being earned online. So many jobs are searching for people that are tech savvy. The more you know about technology and how to use it, the better…the more marketable you become. Even now, my job requires that I have a working knowledge of technology. My job as a journalist requires me to be active on multiple social media platforms, write web stories, and know how to use editing software. Many other jobs require knowledge of Microsoft Office and other job specific software.
I know that most parents are not thinking of the technical skills that their child will need in the workforce when their kid is barely speaking, but you have to start somewhere. I think that a limited about of technology time would be a good thing, but just like with anything else in life, too much of a good thing could end up being a bad thing!
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