I have no children of my own and this will be true for some time. I do however have a 6-month old godson named
Ryken. People that know me are well
aware that I am a long-term planner. This
means that while it is just September, I am already looking to get Christmas
presents planned out and bought. My
issue has been, what to get a child that is under a year old. This dilemma had me thinking about my own
childhood and the things I appreciated most about it. One glaring difference between my upbringing
in the 90’s and my godson’s is the excessive amount of technology. I worry that Ryken will be so surrounded by gadgets
and electronics that he will not have the same quality of childhood I feel I
had. I am not arguing that technology is
bad, but the way people treat it can be unhealthy. Obsession with technology is a very real
issue in our society. My greatest joys
growing up were using my imagination to play Barbie dolls and going outside to mess
around in the dirt. I am anxious that my
little godson will not have a full and adventurous childhood. This is difficult to predict, but other
people are concerned for today’s youth like me.
One example of this is the Nickelodeon television channel’s Worldwide
Day of Play. This event has been hosted every
year since 2004. On this day, all
Nickelodeon sponsored channels show a screen with the banner of Worldwide Day
of Play and encourage kids to go outside.
As it is an event that is over a decade old, I think it works! It was hard for me to find any scientific
data supporting the concern I bring up.
My hope is that people are researching the overall effects of technology
on youth and it has not been issue long enough for them to publish findings. I personally will attempt to provide Ryken
with a childhood full of technology and
imagination.
I agree! It blows my mind that 1st and 2nd graders have smart phones these days. I think I got my first cell phone in 8th grade-which didn't have a full keyboard or a screen on the front, texts took 2-3 minutes to download, and it had a super embarrassing antenna. I understand that parents want their children to have cell phones for safety reasons, but it needs to be just that. It is so important that kids use their imagination and get outside and play. (I think my favorites were playing house and pet store with my beanie babies.) Not only is the increased use of technology in youth leading to poorer social skills and lack of creativity, but it will also contribute to the ever growing concern of childhood obesity and physical inactivity. I'm sure it is easier said than done, but when I have kids of my own in the future, they will not be sitting inside all day on their cell phone or computer!
ReplyDeleteErin, I have five nieces and nephews as well, and I share your concern as well especially as they get older (the eldest being 12 and youngest is now 9 years old)! Although, like yourself I don't have any of my own, I worry about the amount of exposure they are allowed on such technologies. Although very limited, I was able to find SOME research on technology and its impact on children's health that you might find interesting, one in particular entitled "Video and Computer Games: Effect on Children and Implications on Health Education" (Dorman, 1997) Note that it is almost 10 years old which is crazy to think how much in terms of technology itself has changed for children. But their findings is what is interesting especially with cardiovascular and video game induces seizures. I have provided the link to the full article below.
ReplyDeleteHannah, you are also raising a great point in child development, social skills, and obesity. Although I do know that some technology can be beneficial for some children in communicating. My nephew for example uses technologies and games to interact with other children but it is important to know where the line is drawn; how do we use technology as a resource and not a detriment is important for parents I think! Speaking of obesity, I did find another research study that found that those children who had greater television viewing time had a higher BMI than those children that had fewer hours of TV (link also below).
I thought I was the only one without children with this concern and always felt I had to keep it to myself as I wouldn't be understood or concerned as having a valid concern, so thank you to you both for sharing!
Resources:
Dorman,S. (1997) Video and Computer Games: Effect on Children and Implications on Health Education. Journal of School Health.
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1746-1561.1997.tb03432.x/epdf
Leonard H. Epstein; James N. Roemmich; Jodie L. Robinson; Rocco A. Paluch; Dana D. Winiewicz; Janene H. Fuerch; Thomas N. Robinson. (2008). Randomized Trial of the Effects of Reducing Television Viewing and Computer Use on Body Mass Index in Young Children. JAMA Pediatrics.
file:///C:/Users/Amy/Downloads/poa70111_239_245.pdf
Erin, what an interesting topic this is. I do not have any younger siblings, or any younger family members that I am very close to, but I do have friends who have this same concern as you. Like Hannah and Amy mentioned, technology has come quite a long way. I think our generation is unique in that as children we were introduced to limited technology, yet now as young adults we are surrounded by rapidly evolving technologies. This puts us in another unique situation as future parents: how do we draw the line between helpful and harmful technology? I think the Mayo Clinic summed it up concisely in their article: http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/childrens-health/in-depth/screen-time/art-20047952?pg=1.
ReplyDeleteI feel that technology can be amazing at times – Skype connecting people from thousands of miles away, YouTube teaching people how to play instruments, Pinterest expanding your creativity – but also harmful, like when I see a group of friends glued to their phones and not interacting with each other, or the correlation between technology and obesity. In the future and now, regardless of young population or older generations, the use of technology will always be a balance.
P.S. I hope you find a good present for him! I would suggest a shape sorting game, or a push toy, since kids around 12 months are just starting to learn how to walk!
I agree that this is a potent public health issue for our generation. It reminds me of a personal experience I had around 3rd grade. We moved and I switched schools, from one with a modest playground and lots of grassy area to run around in, to one with an incredibly elaborate jungle gym and lots of things to do. At my old school, to make up for what we lacked in playground equipment we played very imaginative games, creating stories that spanned weeks of recesses and involved many people and plot twists. When I got to my new school, on the first day of recess I asked my new friends what we were going to pretend that day. They just looked at me confused and headed for the swings. While they were still getting physical exercise, the imaginative component of childhood had been somewhat stunted by the abundance of snazzy equipment. I think technology is doing the same thing. There are so many ways to be entertained on a phone or iPad that require very little work on the part of the user. I would think that in addition to decreasing physical activity, the overpowering technology industry will also lead to some mental health differences due to lack of imaginative play and interaction with other children. As American inventions, foods, and habits are making their way into the developing world more and more, technology is another area of concern that could affect public health all around the world.
ReplyDelete