The Impact of Technology on Children By Nadia Khan

The average kid, ages 8-18, spends over 7 ½ hours a day using technology gadgets equaling 2 ½ hours of music, almost 5 hours of TV and movies, three hours of internet and video games, and just 38 minutes of old fashioned reading according to the Kaiser Family Foundation, which adds up to 75 hours a week! These statistics are not just mere numbers; they are a reflection of the way our society is heading.

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echnology advancement has great impact on our society. It has transformed our lives especially children today are so much engaged in Technology. It has become important part of their lives which have changed their daily routine keeping them busy all day using different gadgets without which they cannot visualize their lives. Change in technology is so drastic that if we compare families of the past and present in the 21^st century there is a great difference in terms of family structure and life styles. Children were allowed to play outside they were involved in physical activities and games,  but today by the influence of technology every where they are restricted in homes sitting in front of the TV all day surfing the net, playing games online for hours, chatting with the friends all day. Children are addicted of using all these gadgets and they consider these things necessity of their lives.

At one point when these technology development made people life more convenient fast and efficient in terms of communication, learning, socializing, sharing, collaboration, in different fields of our life whether home, school, or workplace.

Technology's have great positive effects on children. Computer is a great learning tool which provides kids with different software, word processors, spreadsheets, search engines, multimedia encyclopedias etc which help them to develop Project and slide shows for schools. Computer aided learning (CAL) helps them to learn and gain knowledge outside the classroom which make students independent and increase their sense of empowerment. There are number of different online activities available for children to develop their creativity and different skills which not only enhance their learning but they can have fun in learning at the same time. Even interactive games can be beneficial for kids that encourage creative thinking and for their motor skill development with eye/hand coordination.

Technology is benefiting our lives but like every thing have two sides positive and negative similarly, technology development have positive and negative impact on our lives especially on children. Our social, mental physical and environmental health can be devastating if we don’t maintain a balance in the use of technology.

Here are some negative effects technology can have:

·         Kids live in isolation. These days they isolate themselves around in their own little world, watching TV, chatting with friends on line which can lead to obesity in kids.

·         Lack of human contact, over eating and no exercise results in depression.

·         Due to engage late night in online activities on internet results in poor sleeping disorder.

·         Lack of privacy just one click can give the address and contact information of anyone, more use of viruses, phishing, hacking help to find any information wish to obtain.

·         Technology has produced an entirely different method of interaction and communication. Children are interacting with others through different platforms like apps, online games, social networks, etc. This innovation has hindered the physical interaction skills of children.

·         The extreme uses of digital communication, online chatting, have greatly weakened the writing skills of today’s young children.

·         There are also fears that children see things in video games or online that have negative effects on their behavior and can lead to anxiety disorders, violent behavior, or hyperactivity.

·         Technology causes people to suffer from mental and emotional disturbances, such as anxiety, phobias and delusions, which are all symptoms of neurosis.

• The greater use of these devices has shortened our attention span from 12 minutes to 5 minutes.

Technology helps us be more productive and improves our lives, but we have to learn to use it carefully and in healthy ways. Technology should be use in moderation. Kids should be taught to secure their information and not to share with any unknown person. Parents should provides guidance to help monitor their children’s computer and gaming activities and should decide what technology they allow their children to use based on the child’s maturity level. They can be aware of their children’s activity online and put monitoring software in place to ensure a positive, safe, and healthy technology experience for children.