Technology in the Lives of Kids

When it comes to technology and kids, there is a line of uncertainty that may or may not be willing to cross. Considering that we live in a society that is running into technology at full speed, it’s difficult to understand the benefits and the negatives of technology. Also, because technology is developing at such a fast pace, there is not enough research to determine what is fact and what is opinion. In the article, “Media and Young Minds”, it say that “Children younger than 2 years need hands- on exploration and social interaction with trusted caregivers to develop their cognitive, language, motor, and social-emotional skills… [they] cannot learn from traditional digital media…”, and maybe they got this information from a study that was done with TV’s and not the technology we have today. But I would argue that a TV is pretty similar to tablets or smart phones for an infant/ toddler. It is a screen and they watch something on it. I would recommend that children under the age of 2 shouldn’t have screen time, and if they do, no more than an hour. For the ages of 3-6 I would recommend 2 hours, which includes the technology that they are probably using at schools. For kids 6-18, I would recommend 2-3 hours a day. Another article, “Child and Teens”, states that “Research has suggested a U-shaped relationship between Internet use and depression, with increased risks of depression at both the high and low ends of Internet use.” While technology has it cons, I wouldn’t recommend banning technology in a child’s life. Because society is incorporating more and more technology, I wouldn’t want a child to fall behind because of their lack of understanding in technology. There are benefits to using technology as well. The same article previously stated that technology can bring new ideas and information to an individual, it can be used for an academic experience. How it can also help expand social network. While there are pros and cons to technology, it’s not going anywhere. For kids, I would try and keep them away from technology for as long as possible, but that wouldn’t be fair for them either. Technology is just another boundary that parents are going to have to deal with.