Children and Technology - Research Paper Example

Matthew, aged thirteen, started complaining of headaches when he was studying or watched the television for too long. He went to get his eyes checked by the doctor and learnt that his eyesight had decreased. The doctor also informed him that had he not come to see him in time, he would have suffered permanent damage to the retinal arteries of the eye. On taking Matthew’s history, the doctor learnt that Matthew has been in the habit of spending more than 7 hours watching the television and playing video games on the computer for the past 9 years or so. Matthew told, “I started gaining weight quickly from a very young age, and this, along with my poor academic performance, made me an easy target for bullies. I found it difficult to settle in school and to make friends. Excess playing of fighting games often got me into fights with the bullies of the class, often believing that I would be able to imitate the kung fu moves of my favourite video game character. With such a discouraging environment at school, my only resort was my mum’s computer and the television- something that has been my pastime as far as I can remember.” Matthew’s example shows a more deep-rooted problem. Years of computer and television use have taken their toll on him. This gives rise to the question that is use of technology justified. Use of technology is common both at homes and schools. The primary element that the schools instil in children through the use of technology is the ability to adapt to change. For this purpose, technology has emerged as a saviour, affecting both the efficiency of pedagogical tools and the individualization of education for the students. However, the varied use of technology in various fields has led to negative impacts too- a topic that is the hotbed of debate for the past few years. The government and the media have strongly been favouring the use of technology in education. Most educationists are of the perspective that learning computer skills at an early age result in better performance in the workplace. However these claims are challenged by skeptics who believe that technology has little contribution towards the enhancement of learning and tends to affect not only the minds but also the bodies of the children. It impacts the imagination of children and initiates a process of degenerative changes in the body. Also, increased use of technology takes time away for physical activities. According to Jane Healy, computers are not an essential part of the lives of young children and have a deleterious effect on the motivation and imaginations of the children. She argues that institutions should wait for children to attain the age of 7 before exposing them to computer use. Despite the benefits technology provides, such as being an interactive interface for learning, use of non-technological ways of learning should be encouraged for young children in schools. Excess use of technology adversely affects the bodies and imaginations of the children; thereby making it a viable solution to discourage the use of technology for children below the age of 7 and use non-technologies based methods to learn basic knowledge such as promoting play, using pedagogical tools to actively engage children in physical activities and mobilizing the media to promote reduced use of technology in schools for children aged less than 7. In the early years of life, the child is in the process of learning and writing. He is undergoing a series of linguistic and verbal changes with the process of identifying letters, analyzing them and their sounds and then spelling them out being achieved by the age of 7. What would happen if this complex process is disrupted at some point by use of technological means, interfering with the natural order of learning. If a child is exposed to the computers even before they are able to write, it may have significant effects of his health and development. It is seen that gaming is the most popular use of computers for children aged 2 to 18 years. Playing video games, when the prefrontal cortex of the children is still developing, can impair the ability to differentiate effectively between right and wrong. Such activities instil aggression and violence in the children (Socha and Yingling 43). It is integral for the brain of the child to develop completely. Inability to do so can cause a number of problems for the child. According to Friedrich Froebel, children are able to gain control over the language of things even before they are eloquent in their speech. Given the negative impacts of early use of technology on children, as discussed subsequently, children should be taught using non-technological methods. When looking at the past of our parents, one comes to realize that their childhood was spent in outdoor activities. In the contemporary world, lifestyles have become rushed and there is less free time for play. Not taking part in physical activities has led to a number of health problems such as obesity, sleeping problems, attention problems and degenerative changes in the body. Researchers are documenting that the use of technology is adversely affecting the bodies of children. For instance, excessive usage of the television and computers are giving rise to problems in visual systems of children. A recent research has shown that children who watch television excessively develop a narrowing of their eye blood vessels (Bakalar). Moreover use of headphones can result in a hearing loss (Pasadena Waldorf School). On the other hand, taking part in simple play has multiple of advantages. Play allows children to tap upon their imaginations by made up imaginary characters and games and does not require the supervision of parents or raise concern regarding exposure to mentally disturbing themes. Engaging in physical activities causes the healthy social, cognitive, physical and emotional development of children (Ginsburg 182). Play encourages core family values since there is greater interaction between the parents and the children. According to the American Academy of Paediatrics, taking part in creative activities like singing, reading, talking and playing are more vital to the healthy development of children as compared to television (AAP). Often parents do not recognize that watching too much television or spending time on computers depresses the children. Carmel Wynne observes that parents should aim to reduce the exposure of children to excess use of technology and to encourage their social skills. Play can be a healthy alternative to computer games. Computer games instil violence and aggressive behaviour amongst the children. In the game Hooligans – Storm over Europe, the players physically mutilate and injure the opponents, getting drugs and alcohol if they succeed. Oni, another violent game, requires that the female lead kills the enemies by breaking their necks (Catholic Ireland). In sharp contrast to that, play embodies the fullness of creativity. Creative play paves way for the blossoming of young children (Almon). Almon asserts that “the ability to play is one of the principal criteria of mental health”. Many parents worry if their children play all day long. Their concern is that how will their children learn anything if what they do is play all day. However play is not wastage of time. It is an activity that has been ordained by natural laws and it is argued that the most effective learning occurs through playful activities. There are a number of ways by which such activities promote the learning and development of children and can be used instead of technology in schools and homes. Use of creative toys entails materials which do not direct the child towards any particular game or outcome. For instance, giving a child paper and paints, sands, pots and buckets, gardening equipment, climbing toys, toy wagons and carts open a whole new world of imagination and creativity for the children. Children can be given household items and their process of playing with them should not be rushed. They can be given musical instruments to strum on aimlessly, giving them the chance to learn how to play them on their own. Science play is another type of activity which makes children aware of the laws of physics. For example, learning to angle the ball at different positions to hit a specific point represents the laws of projectile motion. Playing pretend games where children imitate different people or animals not only enhances their creativity and imagination but also develops the social and emotional skills of children (Aldort). Small world plays, dens, tree houses, puppets etc are examples of imaginative play which young children participate in (Tassoni 307). Children can play out fairy tales, enacting their favourite characters. They can imagine themselves in different settings such as a castle or a forest. Such activities make children more resilient and more helpful, vocal, sociable, creative and well-liked (Nilsen 297). Moreover the benefits are long-term. It has been documented that children who play a lot in young age develop divergent thinking which was not attributed to IQ; and hence was related to play (Singer and Singer 36). In schools, teachers have the most crucial role in the learning and development of children. Replacing teachers by computers for learning purposes has its own downside. Technology does not provide creative play the way teachers do. It is thereby difficult for children to self-regulate themselves i.e. they do not possess the quality of controlling their emotions and attitudes. Experts contend that being able to execute oneself is a superior indicator of academic success than the intelligence quotient. Also, too much use of computers makes children “overscheduled and overstimulated” (Bradley). This has become a major impediment to the sensory and motor development of the children. The reduced physical activity, compounded with disturbing and frenzied sensory inputs, has resulted in delayed achievement of developmental milestones; this has in turn affected the necessary skills needed to learn. Technology has also made both the children and the youth hard-wired for high-speed (Rowan). As a result, it is seen that children are facing emotional problems and lacking concentration needed for learning. Computers are unable to provide information in a context which is appropriate for children. Technology is not capable of linking the knowledge with what the children have learnt before or with the current happenings of the world. Technology is unable to identify or infer what the students’ context is (Setzer). Machines require the user to think in a particular way and to give a response which can be interpreted by them. This is known as machine-thinking. This directly impacts the thinking capacities of the user (Setzer). Moreover, using machines and technology deprives the child of its primary means of learning, i.e. the sense of touch. What children learn from playing and hands-on experience is very different from the learning that they acquire by seeing something on a screen. For example, one can differentiate the range of sensory modalities that are stimulated when a paper plans flies in the air and when seeing the same thing happening on a screen. The sensory inputs that are provided to the brain by staring at the screen are too “arid and disembodied” to contribute towards the development of the brain (PC). Healy argues that television, video games and computers are taking away the attention abilities of the children as well as their knowledge. Moreover, Healy also asserts that watching television, such as Sesame Street, causes a decrease in the concentration abilities of the children, thus hampering their learning process. Winn also talks about the debilitating effects of television, supporting the argument that technology should not be encouraged for education purposes. Winn writes, “The television experience allows the participant to blot out the real world and enter into a pleasurable and passive mental state” (Starker 9). On the other hand, using non-technological means of learning delivers information in the students’ context and enhances the creativity and imagination of the children. Children enter school with some degree of knowledge. Teachers facilitate in linking this knowledge with what is being taught (Hayes 269). They provide a means of immediate feedback to the information being taught, converting an “isolated experience into a personalized ‘whole’” (Macintyre 7). If the teacher feels that the child is unable to grasp what is being taught, he or she can alter the approach then and there, making it more comprehensible to the child. Teachers aim to promote the individuality of children. Giving students the chance to experiment and learn from their own experiences as well as providing them encouragement at every step, teachers can serve as better guides than any interactive, graphics-intensive computer software. Therefore teachers direct the development of the person as a whole (Setzer). The minds of the children are untarnished and still developing. Feeding them with positive advice as well as engaging them in interactive activities allows for the development of their brains. Adults make use of reason and logic for gaining an understanding of things whereas youngsters use play and imagination. Therefore, teachers should utilize these two tools i.e. play and imagination in the education of the children. One way teachers can promote it is by creative play. For instance, a day in the life of a kindergarten student can start by the usual assembly having a few minutes of warm-up exercise. Classes can incorporate the active teaching of different subjects, asking children to cut out the alphabets from colourful papers and make sentences, draw a picture story, make structures out of building blocks etc. In between the class, there can be a Physical Exercise session and a lunch break. Music and signing classes can be organized with children being encouraged to play simple instruments. Teachers can use creative dramatics as a learning tool for the children. Children can be given different roles following a particular theme. For example, they can dress up as mental containers which expand or shrink with changes in temperature. This physical phenomenon can be put in a form of a musical dance (Mayesky 331). Children can also act out dramas regarding famous stories. Teachers can hold story-reading sessions where the teacher reads out stories in an entertaining way and children are made to listen. Waldorf Schools emphasize on a similar mode of teaching, aiming to bring about a humane change rather than a technological one in the lives of children (Waldorf Schools). Thus, delivering education in using non-technological means covers the learning objectives in a better way than computers. Experts are divided on the opinion regarding the use of technology for teaching purposes in primary schools. Most people however agree that children under three years of age should not be allowed excessive viewing of television (Bradley). The delayed use of technology permits the children to undergo a developmental process where the prime focus is on play and physical activities. This view is supported by the fact that misuse of technology in the early six years of life can adversely affect brain development, as argued by Healy (Kashmanian). This forms the basis of the argument that the use of technology should not be permitted until the child has reached the age of 7. Healy contends that the reason why technology is having such a negative impact on the education and mental state of the children is because of the society. The society has accepted technology blindly, without paying attention to its consequences. The use of technology in schools has not been justly carried out. Simple activities that promoted the intellectual abilities of the children, such as finger painting have been replaced by computers and programs like draw-and-paint programs (Healy). Therefore it is imperative that the media is mobilized to communicate to the public about the negative impact of computers on the cognition, physique and imagination of the children. The media has mass coverage and not encouraging the media to responsibly disseminate knowledge regarding the use of technology can have drastic effects on the mental, physical and social capacities of young children. The media needs to assume a more responsible role, functioning as a means of raising awareness regarding the negative impact of technology. For this, Pattyn and the European Ethics Network raise questions like how can media socialization should occur so that it allows for the mental development of children (413). Also, the media needs to promote the reduced exposure of toddlers to television. Bradley contends that when children will grow up, they will receive a plethora of chances to learn and master computer skills but for the time being, they should be “playing with blocks and imagining that our sunroom is a galactic space port” (Bradley). According to a research conducted by Mark, Boyce and Janssen, excessive screening time should be markedly reduced for both children and adolescents (595). Where schools are working for the use of non-technological means of delivering education, parents need to make efforts to reduce television screening and computer use at home as well; a feat that can be achieved by media awareness. The role of the media is undisputed in affecting the minds of the public. Therefore, bringing media ethics into context, the media can be used to educate and raise the awareness regarding obesity, lower mental status, psychosocial problems and physical changes that excessive use of technology causes in young children. However what needs to be emphasized is that the ultimate decision remains in the hands of the parents. They can decide what is best for their children. Wisdom remains in the fact that the exposure of children under the age of 7 to technology should be kept at a minimal. Works Cited AAP. Media Education. American Academy of Pediatrics, 1999. Web. 2 May 2011. Almon, Joan. The Vital Role of Play in Early Childhood Education. Waldorf Research Institute, n.d. Web. 28 Apr. 2011. Aldort, Naomi. And they played all day. Naomi Aldort, n.d. Web. 3 May 2011. Bakalar, Nicholas. Risks: Television Time and Children’s Eyes. The New York Times, 2011. Web. 28 Apr. 2011. Bradley, Alice. Kids and computers: is early exposure all that important? Alphamom, 2011. Web. 2 May 2011. Catholic Ireland. Too much television. Catholic Ireland.net, 2011. Web. 2 May 2011. Ginsburg, Kenneth R. "The Importance of Play in Promoting Healthy Child Development and Maintaining Strong Parent-Child Bonds." 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