What Do We Know About Children And Technology?
The article "What Do We Know About Children And Technology" provides a deep dive into the current resources we have that detail the effects of technology on children. The article seeks to answer the question of "What are the impacts of technology on children, and how can screens impact their growth and development?"
The Goldilocks Effect
One of the main concepts this article talks about is the "Goldilocks effect". The Goldilocks Effect proposes that there is a "right" amount of technology for children to use. In the graph below, you will see that mental well-being increases to a peak at 1 hour of daily digital-screen engagement, and then decreases from there. This shows that a Goldilocks Effect is quite real, and more research should be done on various parts of technology to find that sweet spot.
Video Games and Children
Video games have gone through a large change since they were first introduced. They are no longer entirely built to be something that you just sit down and have no physical engagement with. Now, there are games being built that have the specific purpose of being physically active! Take a look at games such as Pokemon GO, Wii Fit, Ring Fit Adventure, and many more. You will see in these games that their main goal is to promote fitness.
The Internet and Children
The internet can be a fantastic tool for children to use, but it is important that students are safe while they do so! Schools should implement several safety policies and procedures to ensure students are getting the knowledge they need while being in a safe environment. These include cyberbullying policies, digital citizenship lessons, training teachers on online safety, and more. The article also suggests that there is a Goldilocks Effect for internet usage, where it is possible to find a sweet spot of children's time spent on the internet.
Questions
- What is the main reason behind switching screens off an hour before bed?
- Why is it important to reduce screen time while eating?
- How can parents in disadvantaged households implement co-viewing?
- Will children willfully engage in physical activity games on their own, or do they need to be pushed towards them compared to non-physical games?
- Why do girls have a higher tendency to feel bad if not connected compared to boys?
A Review
Why is it important to reduce screen time while eating?
I found this topic particularly interesting because my parents had a hard limit on no screens while at meal times. I always wondered why this was, but I just chalked it up to them wanting us children to be more socially engaged at the dinner table.
The real reason according to this article is that eating while engaged in screen time has been associated with a delay in the feeling of fullness! Another effect is that it can cause children to keep eating, even if they are full.
How can parents in disadvantaged households implement co-viewing?
Co-viewing is an important part of a child's screen time. Labeling and describing what is happening in whatever the child is viewing helps build those connections for the child. The unfortunate reality is that not every parent has the opportunity in their busy schedules to co-view with their child. So what can they do?
One substitution for these families that the article provides is at least talking to the children about what they are watching, even if it is not in the exact moment they are watching it. Another method is to incorporate co-viewing into other health habits.
Comments
Post a Comment