Impact of Technological Devices on Children
Abstract
The essay evaluates how technological devices have negatively influenced children. According to the paper, the use of technological device among children has children’s critical thinking and reduced imagination. Also, according to the essay, an excessive amount of technology during the development stages of a child has affected the growth of children today significantly. The paper recommends that parents should also encourage their children to put away technological devices when reading.
Keywords: technological devices, critical thinking, imagination, problem-solving
Impact of Technological Devices on Children
Today’s society is overwhelmed by technological devices. Everyday technology keeps on changing and bringing various effects on people’s lives. Children are not exceptional in this case. Technology has affected children, significantly bringing various concern and praises. Mostly, digital devices have influenced children with both positive and negative effects. For instance, digital technology has improved children’s ability to multitask, but it has reduced their ability to process information deeply. Also, due to the excessive amount of technology during the development stages of a child, growth of children today have been affected significantly. Therefore, today’s technological devices have significantly influenced children’s critical thinking and reduced imagination negatively.
Firstly, technological devices such as smartphones, televisions and computers that are used by children have greatly reduced critical thinking. Today, studies indicate that due to the increase in technology, children have decreased daily reading (Merga, & Roni, 2017). Many children are mare concentrated on their devices that do not encourage critical thinking. For instance, many digital devices contain blocks of texts that have very few characters. The presence of a few characters does not challenge children to think critically. Reading without using electronics helps a child to develop critical thinking. When a child engages in reading without using technological devices, they build references from what they have read. Therefore, technological gadgets have reduced children’s ability to think critically since technology has reduced reading among children.
Furthermore, Mustafaoğlu, Zirek, Yasacı & Özdinçler (2018) observed that technological devices had reduced imagination among children. Today children have gained a lot of visual stimuli and lack of reading books. Lack of reading affects the development of imagination in children. Many children today do not engage in reading the old-fashioned imaginative plays neither do they let their imagination ride wild in storybooks. Furthermore, many children today are addicted to technology that is a sign of lack of imagination. Children today can not engage in expansive thoughts, and they are unable to get involved in various activities alternate to technology. This is because technological devices have reduced children’s imagination and creativity. Thus, too much use of technological devices by children reduces their ability to in other activities due to reduced imagination and creativity.
However, the use of technological devices among children has brought benefits to children. For instance, children can gain the art of problem solving and perseverance (Mustafaoğlu, Zirek, Yasacı & Özdinçler,2018). Through playing different video games such as the one that a player is supposed to stay alive as long as he or she can in order to outlast opponents, children learn how to solve problems. In refutation to the claims, the use of technological devices has influenced children negatively and hinders critical thinking and imagination among children.
In conclusion, the use of technological devices among children have significantly influenced children today. Due to technology, children are not fascinated anymore by reading, and many of them spent time on gaming. Minimized reading has led to decreased critical thinking and imagination among children. Therefore, parents, today should be careful about how their children use technological devices. Parents should also encourage their children to put away technological devices when reading.
References
Merga, M. K., & Roni, S. M. (2017). The influence of access to eReaders, computers and mobile phones on children’s book reading frequency. Computers & Education, 109, 187-196.
Mustafaoğlu, R., Zirek, E., Yasacı, Z., & Özdinçler, A. R. (2018). The negative effects of digital technology usage on children’s development and health. Addicta: The Turkish Journal on Addictions, 5(2), 13-21.