Negative Effects of Technology on Child Development and Mental Health

Technology has rapidly grown throughout the world and has become the most reliable necessity in the world today. Tablets, cameras, laptops, smartphones, etc. devices have overtaken the human population. The world is surrounded by technology all around- at home, at school, at work, everywhere. On average, an adult spends about two to three hours a day on their technological devices. However, a child/teen spends nearly nine to ten hours with a screen in front of their eyes throughout the day. Managing the use of media in a family has become one of the biggest challenges of the twenty-first-century. Forcing a strict limitation for kids and these devices will help parents before it ruins their child’s mind completely.

Technology is permanently altering the way children think and focus. Children are grown with such great capacity to reflect, reason, and draw conclusions based on knowledge and insights. This is what makes them a civilized human and enables communication and creation. With this new technological frontier in its infancy and developments emerging at a rapid pace, there is no benefit to examine the value and cost of the advancements in terms of how it influences our children's ability to think. This has a huge impact on a child's observations, judgment, and decisions. Nowadays, kids view the world as an ensemble of apps where they find most of their answers through this direct and easy solution. Kids have grown an untreatable addiction to their devices that they are much more time spent with virtual friends than with the ones around us. Technology has altered our thought process where we value connections virtually rather than reality.

The youth find their identity, intimacy, and imagination in a digital world. In terms of identity, the youth today are polished and packaged in line with the trendy and suave looks of online profiles. We portray an image of ourselves based off pictures, captions and short bios on the media. This has become the way we introduce ourselves to the world, figure out who we, who we are most like. With exploring intimacy, it is proven that social media can enhance friendships and relationships, however, reports have shown repeated signs of great isolation. Digital media can give the impression of closeness while promoting only shadow connections. Most online relationships limit the youth to avoid deeper emotional investments and vulnerability of more complicated and physical relationships. The youths imagination has become very much less creative, it has lost its sense of visionary and inspiration. A glance back to childhood in the living room, the floor was burning lava, pillows were the stones that guided a pathway to survival, and couches were the finish line to success. Now, kids do not imagine lava, they see it on their screens and instead of leaping from pillow to pillow, their finger acts as their feet and with just a finger tap they land on a new rock. Their imagination has become restricted as they further immerse themselves in technology.

Technology has become more of a burden than an aid. It has become so advanced that it is impossible for a child to live without it. It has grown to become the biggest distraction when it comes to school, social events, and at home. In a college survey created by Harvard University, it shows that about ninety-five percent of students carry their phone with them at all times, and ninety-four percent use their phones the majority of the time in class. Even ten percent of the students admitted to using their phones to text during an exam. The temptation for distraction is large. Some would argue that their devices allow them a much faster and simpler way to take notes and follow along through lectures and is even recommended by professors as the most efficient way to take well-organized notes. And despite that being true, are we willing to admit that the majority of the time students are not actually taking notes as they use their devices? Studies show that those eighty percent that use their devices in class decrease their ability to pay attention. Most students spend considerable time on activities not related to taking notes and furthermore identified a negative correlation between student success in the class and in-class technology devices use. Not only does this affect their success in their education, but it also affects their social ability making them completely oblivious to their surrounding company. For example, kids and video games. At dinner time, kids are called to leave their devices alone and come to eat. They eat as quickly as possible, squirm and drum their fingers on the table ready to be excused to return, dinner has left kids restless.

It all starts at a young age, it is their first addiction. Records show that ninety percent of two-year-olds own a smartphone and/or tablets. Along with altering their development, it also affects their relationship with their parents. Majority of parents use technology as babysitters. Over sixty percent of parents have admitted they rely on technology to keep their kids entertained as they do their jobs either at home or runs at grocery stores. Take a look at today’s youtube, kids history is other kids advertising toys instead of enjoying them. Kids twelve years and under are making millions for recording toy reviews, forced skits, a gaming channel, candy reviews, the list goes on. Imagine if adults now knew they would be making millions for putting their kids, or themselves years ago, in front of a recording screen and give critiques on toys, candies, and daily skits. Parents should not be relying on these devices to keep their kids in place and in control. Relying on technology as their go-to distraction sparks their behavior, triggering daily tantrums and increases the likelihood of mental illness.

One of the most troubling things about technology is its correlation with increased rates of depression, particularly in people who spend a lot of time on computers. It’s not surprising though, how much these devices can ruin our sleep habits and mentally affect us. Technology such as smartphones, social media, and video games are increasing clinical depression. Smartphones can be easily taken anywhere along wherever and because of this, the internet can be taken everywhere- always connected, never more than a tap away from viewing another webpage or sending another text message. However heavy smartphone usage has had a real impact on mental and physical health. Studies showed that heavy cell phone use showed an increase in sleep disorders and in depressive symptoms. Using multiple devices a day makes the associations even stronger. Social media allows us to stay connected with friends and family, to have fun and interesting discussions, and to stay on top of the news, trends, and other social phenomena. It is quite a fascinating and wonderful thing, at least when used with caution. However, using social media apps such as Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter may result in a negative mood shift. Seeing the daily lives and physical looks of others may lead to envy and too much envy leads to severe depression. Social media allows people to post daily feelings or pictures to keep their followers updated. However, receiving little likes and positive comments may lead one to drain their self-esteem. The media is infecting the mind and health of its users.

As for video games, a recent study shows that online gamers with longer weekly gaming hours tended to have an extended history of online gaming, and more severe depressive, social phobic, and internet addiction symptoms. Like most forms of entertainment, video games are widely considered to be a form of escapism. For some, this means an escape from personal responsibilities or it could also be a way to distract from the unpleasant aspects of real life, such as one’s general state of unhappiness. Giving kids an early access to all of these activities may result in early depression and further learn to live with this unhealthy lifestyle as they grow older.

Not only does technology affect us emotionally, but there are also several cases that show there has been an effect on vision and hearing. Dr. Richard Shugarman, a volunteer professor of ophthalmology at the Bascom Palmer Eye Institute at the University of Miami says that his clients often, 'complain about their eyes feeling uncomfortable, thinking there's something wrong with their vision… But they don't always realize ocular discomfort can be a result of too much technology.” Dr. Shugarman also states that tension headaches, dry eyes, and eye strain are symptoms. And as well as vision problems comes a case of hearing loss. Ever listened to music or any audio with headphones and get a notification about the risks of raising the volume too high may permanently impair your hearing? Majority of the time, that warning is ignored as we continue to hit the volume up button on our device. However, this alert should not be ignored considering that a stunning number of teens have lost a little bit of their hearing, nearly one in five, and the problem has increased substantially in recent years, a new national study has found. Extrapolating to the nation's teens, that would mean about 6.5 million with at least slight hearing loss and the reason is all linked to their devices.

While it is unclear exactly the effect information overload has on people, it is know that children under the age of then are going to use digital technologies more than any generation before. The overuse of technology from entertainment, homework, and amusement is permanently destroying the youngest generation. Parents will have an ongoing struggle to reduce or remove the media usage and exposure to their kids. There is no end sight of these technological advances nor the addiction that is taking over our youngest generation.