Skimming the Surface
As a teacher of young children, I see many times in a week just how complex children are. Every day I work with them, I understand a sliver more about how they work and a ton more about how much I really don't know about they work. So it should come as no surprise that trying to decipher the effects of something as vast and complex as the Internet and technology in general on something as complicated and extraordinary as a child and all children in general would be next to impossible.
All children are different. Each child has his or her own view point, his or her own understanding of the world and will interact with technology in a different way. Many researchers have seen, for example, that males are more likely to be interested in video games while more females are more likely to be interested in social networking sites. Furthermore – childhood is a large time period. The effect of a computer in the home is substantially different on a five year old than it is on a twelve year old, yet both could viably be considered part of “childhood”.
The purpose of this article is to give a broad overview of some of the issues parents of young school-aged children face in a culture where computers and the Internet are inescapable elements of society.
Academic Influence
Computers are often heralded as the ultimate educational resource. Cursive writing is no longer taught in all schools, and many teachers require that all assignments be typed up instead of being submitted in handwriting. Furthermore, the computer gives the user access to the Internet, a wealth of information for students to access as well as a portal for other educational resources. Having a computer in the home can increase academic success in students who use them.
Computers can extend classroom work to the home and reinforce concepts taught at school in the home. Many schools have websites where students can access homework, schedules and resources for their schoolwork. Furthermore, computers encourage independent learning because students work independently at a machine. Having a home computer can also encourage problem solving and technological adaptability skills which are necessary as children grow up and enter a workforce that becomes more and more technology saturated every year. Moreover, if a child is confused about school work, the computer provides excellent opportunities to communicated with teachers and peers to get help.
Clearly, technology can offer some wonderful gains to a child's academic development, but the truth of the matter is that having a computer in the home is not enough to increase a student's performance in school. A study done in Romania showed that technology in the home is used more often for gaming and social networking than it is used for school, and students with access to a computer actually showed a decline in academic progress in reading and math.
Social Influence
While computers were originally analyzed for their effect of the academic progress of young children, the effects on a child's social development is equally important. The long term effects of home computers on social skills are still unknown largely because the technology is still so young. Many have theorized, however about whether the effect is positive or negative. Most people would agree that breaking up with a partner by using a text message or Facebook message is not appropriate, but this example is a surprisingly common occurrence amongst teens who never learned proper web etiquette as a child.
Those who claim that home computers are negative for social development point out the fact that many children using computers use them in solitude away from face to face contact with their peers.
Texting, email and posting messages are extremely different than regular face to face to contact and some worry that children who spend too much time with a machine and not enough with other children will develop poor social skills and an inability to communicate with others effectively. Children learn essential skills such as empathy and sympathy through imaginative play but computers do not offer opportunities to engage in activities such as pretend.
Furthermore, many children are changing their definition of friend. Many children have hundreds of friends on social networking sites and have trouble distinguishing the difference between their acquaintances online and their true friends with faces, names and personalities. What kind of person will a child grow up to be if they have only shallow relationships and more of them? Many argue that a lack of deep and meaningful relationships lead to adults incapable of deep and meaningful relationships.
In contrast, some argue that home computers are beneficial for developing social skills in young children. For example, email and social networking sites help children to stay in contact with friends and family that are not close enough to visit frequently. These mediums are also text based, meaning that children have to learn to read and compose sentences in order to use them. Literacy is a key component to communication and communication is the foundation of social skills.
Beyond strictly developing or not developing, the impact of a home computer on a child's social life can be far more varied than simply how much contact a child has with other real people. A growing problem among school children is cyber bullying. Cyber bullies take verbal and social bullying (i.e. exclusion, threats, insults, humiliation, etc...) online. Receiving violent threats or hurtful insults online is becoming a serious problem in schools, since many children are not learning how to be responsible online citizens. Some children who are online bullies are much nicer in person than they are online (Though many are not). Many children who take part in these activities say that they feel more comfortable being mean online because it is impersonal.
Physical Influence
Another key aspect of child development is their physical body. As an adult, we are not growing and changing in the same way that children are. The first decade shapes the way a child's body is able to function for the rest of their life and sitting in front of a computer for too long can cause physical as well as social and academic damage.
The largest physical problem related to home computers is obesity. Children who are sedentary using a computer too long are not as active and can develop weight problems related to a lack of exercise. Obviously having a computer in the home is not the only factor in determining whether or not a child is active overall, but it is also very evident that children who focus more on technology than activity are more prone to obesity and the problems associated with it.
Other physical problems that have been associated with children using technology too frequently are vision difficulty, frequent and painful headaches, difficulty sleeping, attention deficit disorder and repetitive motion strain. Vision difficulty and headaches are often caused by sitting too close to the screen or by staring at it too long. Since adult eyes are developed, the eyes will tire after repetitive use of a computer screen, but a child's eyes are still developing and too much screen time can deter crucial progress in the development of the eyes and proper vision. Difficulty sleeping and attention deficit disorder arise from over-stimulation.
Lastly, the development of important skeletal and muscular tissue can be delayed by sitting too long in front of the computer or television. This growth is extremely important in a child's development, as it can never be made up for. A child whose body is damaged by sitting for hours at a time can never be repaired because it was never able to grow in the way that it was meant to.
Tips for Parents
The computer has benefits and problems along a broad range of topics. The only way for children to receive the positive elements of computers and not the negative ones, parents have to be active and engaged in how their child grows up with technology. By discussing expectations, setting and following rules and supervising online behaviour, parents can foster technologically responsible adults.
1. Encourage your children not to go online without having a plan. Many people make the mistake of going online without actually needing anything. When your child uses the Internet, make sure that they know what they are looking for and where they can find it. Having a plan reduces time spent in front of the screen and teaches how to be responsible about using the Internet.
2. Give frequent reminders to do school work before gaming or social networking.
3. Talk about Internet safety. Remind them not to engage in discussions with anyone they do not know or to give out any personally identifying information. Talk about having responsible discussions with peers online, and emphasize that anything put online can be tracked and remembered.
4. Keep your home computer in a central location and do not put computers in bedrooms or offices where the user is isolated from the rest of the family while on it. Having the computer in a central location enforces the idea that computers do not have to be anti-social.
5. Limit the amount of time children spend on the computer. Many recommend limiting total recreational screen time (including monitors, televisions etc...) to an hour. If children need additional time in front of the screen for homework, make sure that they are using their time productively. Consider setting a limit on school computer time as well if it becomes too much for your child.
6. Encourage balanced time use – if you spend one hour a day on the computer, spend an hour of day playing outside as well.
7. Bookmark safe sites. Many sites featuring adult content have names based off of misspellings of safe sites.
8. Be a good role model. Abide by the rules and boundaries set by you and your family.
No comments:
Post a Comment