

Innovation has continuously made the human race more efficient and gradually safer generation after generation. The word innovation has a positive connotation for the most part- the constant change in the way humans live has overall increased the fitness of the species. Compared to the innovations occurring about two thousand years ago, today’s innovations have abruptly taken a huge step into new and advanced technologies. Especially in the past ten to twenty years, we have made a huge jump in technological advancements. These recent technologies are available to virtually everyone and have changed the way we live forever. The formation of the internet, smart phones, video game consoles, computers, and hand held devices have altered the everyday life of man. No generation has been so technologically advanced as we are today. However, no other generation has completely relied and used technological innovations as much as we have today. It is dangerous to assume that recent technological change has altered the way we live and how the young generation grow up completely for the better. 

Children in the United States are exposed to many technologies their parents did not have when they grew up. Therefore, this generation is the first to feel the effects of these innovations on their development. Parents give access of their smartphones and iPads to their children at a very young age. Sophisticated video games are becoming more and more targeted toward younger audiences. The internet and social media allows children to search and browse virtually anything. Social networking grants them the opportunity to socialize and present themselves how they want to be perceived. The computers they are exposed to in schools allow them to become more efficient and adaptable to future technology when they get jobs. There is no denying that since children are given technological access at such an early age, they can easily outpace their parent’s understanding of how the devices work and operate. It has been found that forty percent of parents have admitted that they learned how to use computers and the internet from their children (International Communication Association). 

Society has gifted us with the most advanced innovations ever. Generation after generation, there have been advances that have altered how each generation grows up. However, there has never been such a difference between parent’s childhood and the young generation’s childhood today. Technology’s effects on the future of our species is hard to determine long-term. As this generation grows, the effects of these technological advances becomes more clear. At this point in time, these effects have been shown to negatively impact this generation’s development more than positively. Children’s development, mentally and physically, has been compromised to an extent because of the immense exposure to technology on a daily basis. Because of the daily use of technologies such as smart phones, social media, iPads, video games, easy access of the internet, and hardly any supervision, children’s development has suffered socially, mentally, and physically. 

Today’s parents grew up playing outdoors and using their imaginative minds instead of sitting inside all day watching YouTube videos. There is a drastic change to the childhood of today’s kids. It is essential for children to be very active and engaging to grow up into well rounded and healthy individuals. Today, children spend about 7.5 hours a day indoors using technology (Rowan). Cris Rowan, a pediatric therapist and technology critic, argues that this sedentary lifestyle is unhealthy, both physically and mentally, for growing children. She states in her article “The Impact of Technology on the Developing Child”, “Children now rely on technology for the majority of their play, grossly limiting challenges to their creativity and imaginations, as well as limiting necessary challenges to their bodies to achieve optimal sensory and motor development” (Rowan). This generation’s obsession with technology limits the right stimulation physically and mentally. Their sedentary lifestyle restricts them from obtaining optimal development. 

Video game companies have made substantial progress in diversifying their gaming to target almost every age group and demographic. A growing demographic is young children. With the amount of accessible and affordable games that can be played on an iPad or gaming device, such as Roblox and Minecraft, kids can easily enjoy games for as long as they want. This is incredibly dangerous when children are not put to a limit on how much time they are allowed to invest in playing video games. In his article, “A Surprising New Study on How Video Games Impact Children”, Jordan Shapiro discusses a study done by Andrew K. Przybylski, PhD. The study conducted measured the effects different amounts of time playing video games has on children’s development. Prybylski found that, “children who typically invest less than one-third of their daily free time showed higher levels of prosocial behavior and life satisfaction and lower levels of conduct problems, hyperactivity, peer problems, and emotional symptoms,” (Shapiro). The study conducted found that spending minimal amount of video games does not terribly effect a child’s behavior or development compared to a child who does not play any video games. However, this does not represent the circumstance for most children who play video games. Most children are not put on a limit and end up spending more than just one third of their spare time playing video games. Shapiro also quoted from the study that, “children who spend more than half their daily free time [playing video games] … reported higher levels of both externalizing and internalizing problems and lower levels of prosocial behavior and life satisfaction,” (Shapiro). Children who spent more than half their free time playing video games ended up with decreased levels of prosocial development and internal and external problems. This is more likely the case for children that play video games. Most are not placed on a limit and play video games into their own developmental destruction. 

Younger and younger children are getting social media accounts. Most parents are aware that their children own and post messages, photos, and more on social media. Some parents may follow up on their activities, but more often than not, they are unaware of the dangers some participate in online. Social media can be a very nasty and unsafe place for children growing up. Everyone knows of the dangers cyberbullying poses on teens. It also occurs in young children. A clinical report, “The Impact of Social Media on Children, Adolescents, and Families”, written by the American Academy of Pediatrics, goes into length the many dangers, including cyberbullying, has on the mind of children. In one section discussing children, they state, “cyberbullying is quite common, can occur to any young person online, and can cause profound psychosocial outcomes including depression, anxiety, severe isolation, and, tragically, suicide,” (“The Impact of Social Media on Children, Adolescents, and Families”). They state that such a detrimental thing is common online and can hurt a child in major ways. A huge consequence and terrible outcome is suicide that can be prevented by education, denied access, and supervision on the parent’s side. Another huge concept kids do not understand with social media is the consequences of posting whatever they like. Children will post whatever they think will get them attention. They could endanger themselves, their friends, and their futures with a click of a button. The American Academy of Pediatrics states children who, “lack an awareness of privacy issues often post inappropriate messages, pictures, and videos without understanding that “what goes online stays online.” As a result, future jobs and college acceptance may be put into jeopardy by inexperienced and rash clicks of the mouse,” (“The Impact of Social Media on Children, Adolescents, and Families”). Children are not being educated on social media and blindly post whatever on their accounts are going to pay for it. Whether the consequence be now or in the future, it is there. Their development can be delayed and affected tremendously by cyberbullying and they may endanger their future growth with no censorship. Social media, especially at such a young age, is not a place for kids to go unsupervised. 

iPads and tablets have become a staple in almost every home. Parents place these devices into the hands of their children without a thought of how they are ultimately risking their development. In a way, these devices have become babysitters for these parents. Dr. Richard House claims that giving children iPads and tablets at such a young age is like, “playing Russian roulette with their development,” (Dormehl). Giving children, especially extremely young children aged four and younger, access to such a sophisticated form of technology may alter their understanding of the world around them. In the article discussing Dr. Richard House’s beliefs, “Psychologist: Giving your kid an iPad is child abuse”, quotes him saying, “to confuse children when they have hardly begun to get a handle on this world, by introducing them to virtual, techno-magical worlds, is surely an absurd reversal of the natural order of things… how much more is it relevant to young children whose brains are still at very early stages of development,” (Dormehl). Dr. House finds that giving children this technology when they barely have an understanding of the world will alter their development for the worse. He suggests that this is against the way of nature and technology negatively alters the brains development in these young children. Young ones should not be given such technologies when they are barely able to talk and move their hands with mechanical precision. Children that grow up playing with these devices will have very little dexterity in the way their fingers move if all they play with are screens (Dormehl). These effects, mentally and physically, are destructive to the development of these children. 

There are still many that believe that a mass amount of exposure to technology is a must for children to be able to live in the future. They claim that if children do not know how to use computers, the internet, and other technological devices, they will fall behind. They believe that it could affect their lives and ability to progress in the world. This is a very true statement. More likely than not, there will be more technological advances that require children to know and understand in order to stay ahead in the world. Based on the progress of technology now, there is no telling the amount of advancement there will be in the future. A peer-reviewed article, edited by Ian Hutchby and Jo Moran-Ellis, discusses the opinions of parents, scholars, and PC techs and how they believe technology is essential of children to succeed in the future. They state that, “presenting ICT to children as something with which they must become competent because it will be important to them in a future society,” (Hutchby). They suggest that parents get their children interested in using technology, like computers and the internet, to prepare them for their future. This is an acceptable reason to get children interested and invested in technology, however, this is usually not the reason children use technology. Children, more often than not, use technology for entertainment purposes. If children are in a computer lab in class, they are more likely going to goof off on a fun website instead of doing work on a word document or an excel spreadsheet. Their argument is logical but naïve and not practical without constant supervision on the children. 

The most dangerous effect technology has on a child is the fact that it goes unsupervised, un censored, and with no filter. When children are given access to technology like the internet, YouTube, social media, and other online servers, there is no way to stop them from seeing anything. Without constant supervision from a parent or adult, no one would know what the child is looking up and watching. It is a very threatening situation to a child. In the article, “Children as young as five ‘using the internet without parental supervision’”, Justin Pearce, the editor of New Media Age magazine is quoted saying, “children are increasingly living out their lives via the web and accessing it in their own rooms via laptops where there is no parental supervision. That leaves them open to adult material,” (Poulter). This is believable because many kids do have their own devices in their rooms without any parents watching. Parents can put restrictions these devices, but according to Pearce, “so few parents are taking steps to protect youngsters,” (Poulter). Parents have to option to protect their children through some techniques, but many just do not know how. Also, many restrictions that can be used on web sites are not super protective or restrictive. The highest parental restriction on YouTube still allows for profanity and suggestible content to get through the block. 

Technology has many dangers to children if it is not monitored and limited to children. Young children need to grow up playing outside and with other children about the same age to fully develop mentally and physically. Technology can be very beneficial to children if it is used for educational purposes with limited amount of time. This however, is not usually the case. 

It is true that children will need knowledge about technology for their futures. They will be living in an age of ultimate technology by the time they are adults. They may not need the interpersonal skills and social skills we expect them to have now. Children should have a thorough background on how technology powers the world and makes opportunities for the future. However, technology needs to be focused on education, instead of just entertainment. Also, as of now, children need those social and interpersonal skills to live in today’s world. Although they may not actually need them in the future, they still need them now to live in our world.

There needs to be more awareness of the effects technology has on a child. 

Teachers and parents need to actively look for ways to entertain and engage kids without going straight to using technology. It can be so easy to give a child a smartphone or a laptop to watch YouTube videos on to keep them quiet for minute. But this behavior will only negatively impact their development and themselves for the rest of their lives. 
