Negative Effects of Technology on Child Development

In our modern society, technology is everywhere, specifically digital technology, and nearly everyone has some form of device whether it is a smartphone, smartwatch, tablet, laptop, computer, television, or even smart tv. Our world is loaded with technology because in theory it is all supposed to make our lives easier, but does this come at a price? Increased portability and access have driven the use of technology and it has transformed the way we live, work, communicate and entertain ourselves. For instance, at the click of a button we can conduct transactions, get information, learn new skills, and even meet new people. Historically, we have always had somewhat of a symbiotic relationship with technology, after all we designed these tools to serve other humans, until recently in some cases where technology is replacing humans completely. Originally created to serve humanity, technology is proving case after case it can have a harmful impact on our lives. Living in this digital age means that we have come to rely on devices in one way or another whether intentionally or not. Humans cognitive abilities change all the time and can even vary day by day, so it is not completely clear what effect technology has on our attention span.

Our generation has seen some of the most drastic jumps in technological advances and this has not only changed the way we perceive the world but also how our brains receive and process information as well. People seem unable to tear themselves from their smartphones, tablets and social networking platforms, keeping the devices in close proximity at all times. In some extreme cases, some individuals suffer from video game addiction and need rehab and professional help to detox and recover. Like drugs, technology is addictive because it has built-in gratification that stimulates the pleasure centers of the brain, keeping us coming back for more. Generally speaking, almost everyone has a problem focusing when they are around technology because it’s naturally distracting, so like anything else, it is best in moderation because it has a lot of negative effects on our brain which can become serious and harmful over time. Many studies have come to the conclusion that our physical, social, and mental health suffers because of the excessive exposure to technology which can impact on many functions of the brain. Digital technology has been a revolutionary intervention in the history of human civilization, but if not handled carefully it could lead to a breakdown of many crucial features of what makes us human. It has shortened our attention spans, made us favor more distant forms of communication, and negatively impact our communication, memory and brain health. For the sake of our brains we need to be more mindful of our engagement with technology.

Problem

Due to high technology use, people now have shorter attention spans and are generally more distracted. Something is always going viral, there are new trends to follow, and our phones are constantly going off, so it’s hard to stay on task with all the distractions we have to face. These tech distractions affect our relationships, productivity and ability to learn, all of which require a certain level of concentration. Being constantly bombarded with information also impacts our creativity and ability to be contemplative. The limitless stream of notifications and updates from the internet encourages us to constantly hold a divided attention, which then in turn may decrease our capacity for maintaining concentration on a single task.

When it comes to shaping our brains/thinking our environmental experiences and interaction with our world plays a big role in that. Like any other species on our planet, we need time to evolve and adequate time to adapt to a new situation, but in our fast-evolving tech world, changes happen too fast—much faster than our slow-evolving minds which is a significant problem. Our individual brains develop in early childhood and adolescence but can also change in adulthood as various areas develop, adapt, or deteriorate. The human brain works best when it can give a job its full attention, but when you regularly make divided attention into a habit, your natural capacity for attention decreases which means you actually have less attention to spare for each of your tasks and over time, your natural attention span is lowered. According to recent estimates, the average American spends more than five hours per day using digital device, and another four and a half hours watching television. Additionally, the average mobile user checks his or her phone 150 times a day or about every 12 minutes.

Children are taught to be dependent on technology very early on as many parents frequently resort to a cellphone or tablet as a way to calm a toddler in a tantrum. Although this is a quick solution to the situation the American Academy of Pediatrics states that the distraction of mobile devices may negatively affect children’s opportunity to learn how to self-soothe and regulate in those moments.

Technology use is physically changing our brains so that we have shorter attention spans and worse memory. Technology habituates brains to constantly switching between tasks, which can lead to reduced attention spans. A review by academics from Oxford, King's College London, Harvard and Western Sydney University, found smartphones were replacing our ability to remember facts while tricking us into thinking we are smarter than we actually are by blurring the lines between our own memories and what we can easily look up. The global team reviewed a multitude of studies and experiments to assess the impact the internet has had on our brains over the last three decades and found that the average British adult is now spending 50 whole days a year online. The report said: “Results showed that online searching increases our sense of how much we know, even though the illusion of self‐knowledge is only perceived for the domains in which the internet can 'fill in the gaps' for us.”

According to a Microsoft Corporation study, technology is impacting our ability to stay focused. Their goal was to find out how technology was affecting their attention spans, so they surveyed over 2,000 Canadians that were age 18 or older and also played online games and used electroencephalograms (EEG’s) to study the brain activity in over a 100 people. Before the rise of iPhones, iPads and other devices, the average person had an attention span of about twelve seconds before moving on to something else; however, that figure dropped down to eight seconds which is less than a goldfish’s average eight seconds. A smaller study by Dr Lee Hadlington of De Montford University Leicester found similar results. The study was done on 210 people that aged from 18 to 65 and found that people who used their phone the most frequently tended to have a worse attention span. It is important to note that the Microsoft study was mainly done for advertisers who will need to find more catchy ways to capture and retain their audience’s attention.

Strategy to Solve Problem

As with advances throughout history, the technology that is available determines how our brains develop. Because young brains are still developing, they are still malleable unlike adult brains so, their frequent exposure to technology is actually wiring their brains differently from the brains of children in previous generations. Cellphone ownership among 12- to 17-year-olds has spiked in the past decade, skyrocketing from 45% of teens with their own cell phones in 2004 to an estimated 75%. Children who grew up with technology learn by quickly scanning for information efficiently because they are used to having access to multiple sources of information almost instantly. While previous generations may have spent much more time reading, using their imagination by watching clouds, or participating in activities that require focus attention, brains in children exposed to high volumes of technology are adapted to frequent visual stimulation, rapid change, and little need for imagination. Children’s brains are rewarded for jumping to the next task rather than staying on task. People who spent their time constantly flipping between short activities require greater cognitive effort to maintain concentration. The endless stream of notifications and digital distractions were found to be physically influencing the brain, with those affected showing less grey matter in the cerebral areas the associated with maintaining focus.

Research has revealed that many millennials are more forgetful than seniors — something that can be attributed to the constant use of technology. People from older generations who are less exposed to technology can store a lot of phone number in their heads over years whereas younger people tend to know probably two or three at best. The reason is, we are increasingly dependent on memory-aiding tech. Phone and computer memories are replacing our actual memories, and that in turn is decreasing our overall capacity for remembering. This process is called ‘cognitive offloading’, and it increases every time you consult the internet to check on some information. The more you rely on technology to act as your memory, the less confident you’ll be using your own over time. The internet is becoming our “external memory” as we rely more and more smartphones to retrieve information, but instead of learning new facts online the brain tended to instead log where to find the information on the internet. Memory is also the subject of some concern, fueled by the concept of the ‘Google effect’ — the idea that people are less likely to recall information if they think they can look it up later.” Our reliance on the internet has decreased our ability to easily retain facts.

How people develop attention is largely determined by their environment, so to combat the negative effects of technology we need to engage in activities that promote consistent attention and involve less distractions. We should engage in face to face conversations with others and set aside time everyday to unplug from technology. The human brain is limited in its ability to pay attention and we do not really process the ability to multitask but rather switch rapidly between tasks, which inevitably shortens our attention span. Instead, we should do our best to focus on one thing at a time and try not to surf the web while taking notes in class.

Applying the Strategy

Because of social proof, many tech companies have already been making software adjustments to set boundaries for screen time allowed as well as apps and web content to be viewed. This new revolution is meant to mitigate harm and manage addiction. Metrics like this along with other parental controls such as ones that are more proactive than reactive could feature notifications at five minute intervals to remind people about how long they are on the device as they are doing it rather than finding out later that they just spent twenty minute mindlessly scrolling on a feed. Moreover, another way social proof can make a difference in this situation is in terms of promoting physical activity. We need to be mindful of health risk of technology such as decreased motion and physical activity and an increase in sitting around. People need to be reminded to move around and exercise. Technology, when used correctly, can actually have a very positive effect on a child’s development. However, when screen time is not properly controlled, there can be negative effects of technology on child development. Social proof also needs to teach people that monitoring screen time is a personal responsibility.

Another persuasive method to help people understand how serious technology may be impacting us is liking. Today face-to face interactions have been undermined are undervalued. It is not uncommon to be on a bus or train and see that everyone was busy on their cellphones, oblivious to the world or see that groups of friends go out together just to spend more time staring at their screens than chatting with each other. These days we rely on emojis to express our feelings and prefer online interactions to in-person conversations. Some kids and teens who’ve grown up in the digital era where this antisocial behavior is a norm so they haven’t developed conversation skills or learned to read social cues and as a result, miss out on major aspects of natural communication like facial expressions, social cues, body language, direct wording, eye contact, tone of voice as well as posture and space between individuals. Less technology makes for better conversations.

Evaluation of Strategy as a Solution

Much of the research on the impact of digital technologies suffers from limitations or flaws, such as problems finding appropriate control groups because it is difficult to find comparisons of kids who aren’t on these devices. Smartphones, social media, video games and screen time in general have been accused of impairing memory, attention and reading, and making us less sociable, civil and empathetic, but some researchers say that any negative associations are small and that causal evidence is lacking — indeed, many studies have found positive effects. In the absence of clear evidence, battle lines are being drawn.

Conclusion

Digital technology has been blamed for a multitude of nasty effects, from mental-health problems to a decline in cognitive faculties. Technology has the potential to alter our brains so we should be more mindful of how often we use it and it what ways. Ultimately, we have little comprehension of what it does to us even though we all use technology on a daily basis, so there needs to be more studies done on how technology affects humans because we know there are pros and cons, but only science can truly reveal how it affects humans, especially in the long run.

Some may argue that while it may be true that technology is changing the way we use our memory at times, there is no actual scientific reason to believe that it reduces the inherent capacity of our brains to learn. Nevertheless, in today's fast-paced and demanding society, there are other factors that may have a negative impact on us—not just technology, for example poor quality sleep, stress, distractions, depression and alcohol consumption. While some positive aspect are that it can aid learning, help multitasking, and make our lives easier, it Violence in video games can increase aggression, dependence on technology limits interpersonal interactions, may effect emotional development, Stagnates Physical Activity, could hurt school performance, mental health and sleep.