Running Head: CHILDREN AND TECHNOLOGY

Impact of Technology on Young Children: A Review of Literature

Carolina Rojas
University of Texas at El Paso

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Abstract
Technology plays a huge part in society, especially on the development of children as they are
growing up with it and using it at such a young age. There are concerns and questions
surrounding the influence technology and digital devices have on children and the progress of
their skills. Some believe that technology helps advance the learning development and gives kids
more opportunities, while others believe that it hinders child development since technology is
replacing real life experiences. Parents, teachers, and health care providers must understand the
effects technology has on childhood development and learn how to limit negative effects and
amplify positive effects. It is important to know the extent of the use of technology by young
minds, know the statistics of how many children are using technology and for how much time, in
order to determine suggestions and recommendations for appropriate use of technology by
children.

Impact of Technology on Young Children: A Review of Literature

Todays modern life is surrounded with tech goods. Technology has been growing rapidly
and has become an important part of everyday life. This new technology has huge impact on
everyone and everything, especially on young children. From smart phones to tablet computers
and game consoles, it is not unusual to see toddlers swiping screens and confidently pressing
buttons. Todays American children have a higher exposure to technology than any previous
generation. They live in a world enveloped by technologies and use it in their daily life. Because
technology keeps advancing, it has changed childrens life and they ways they learn or develop.
A 2010 Kaiser Foundation study showed that elementary aged children use on average 7.5 hours
per day of entertainment technology, which is very concerning. There have been observations of
both positive and negative effects of technology on young minds. Parents, doctors, teachers, and
experts question the effect of this exposure on young children. Debates surrounding the
introduction of technology highlight the different points of view. In general, proponents of
technology innovation argue that it benefits children by opening up new worlds to them and
preparing them for the future, while opponents argue that technology at such a young age is
being used to substitute for real life in learning ethical principles, making them rely too much on
technology and might even cause hindering development skills. In order to determine how
technology should be integrated into childrens lives, the different effects technology has on the
youth must be analyzed. The debate over this topic continues because it it such a big and
common issue, and to understand it more and have an effective research, this literature review
will consider the next four questions:

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1. What exactly is the controversial issue with children being exposed to technology at a
young age?
2. What are the statistics of children using technology?
3. What type of technology would be developmentally appropriate for children to use?
4. How should young children be introduced to technology in order to avoid the negative
effects of this issue?
These questions will narrow the topic of this literature review and give each individual a better
idea of where they stand in this debate by analyzing the benefits and disadvantages of this issue
and providing possible solutions.
What exactly is the controversial issue with children being exposed to technology at a
young age?
To understand the controversy of this topic, the overall situation and the different point of
views of this ongoing debate must be known and clear. In contrast to previous generations,
young children in the 21st century not only watch TV at home but engage with digital media
through desktop computers, gaming devices, touch screen tablets and mobile phones for a range
of purposes. However, there is always the question if it is beneficial or hurting the childs
development. Although many researchers and educators have supported for the importance of
young childrens technology and devoted themselves to investigate and implement technologyrelated practices, the influence technology has on childhood development is still controversial.
According to Dr. Michelle M. Neumann, in the article Young Children and Screen Time:
Creating a Mindful Approach to Digital Technology, studies have shown how young children can
learn communication skills by using digital devices to creatively explore their world and express
themselves, in contrast other researchers have found that spending too much time on digital
devices may lead to antisocial behavior and reduced attention (Neumann, 2015), as well as
impede social, emotional, physical, and cognitive development. As shown there are two very

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obvious sides pertaining to this topic, those who support the idea of exposing children to
technology and those who believe that technology has a negative effect on the development of a
child.
Lets take a look at the benefits technology does bring to this youths generation. Through
engaging in modern applications children may develop their hand-eye coordination further. The
DigiParenthood article, Benefits of Exposing Young Children to Modern Technology (2013),
states that this occurs when children visually follow an object on the screen and actively
participate in the activity the application presents. Technology also opens the door to a whole
new world and presents more opportunities for the future. It facilitates cooperative learning,
encourages new roles for learners and the ability to work independently as stated in the article
The Benefits of Children Learning Technology: Why is Makes for a More Successful Future by
Activity Hero Blog (2013). Many developmentally appropriate computer programs increase a
childs readiness and can provide skills in which they need to be successful in school.
Technology can also equip children to pay more attention to details in order to complete
activities. As they play video games or are on an application, these activities train children to pay
more attention to every detail on the screen. Many apps and computer games are created to
encourage children to complete a level before moving on and this can help create a foundation
for children to keep on trying and to overcome challenges even outside the screen setting
(Benefits of Exposing Young Children to Modern Technology, 2013). There are many other
benefits that come from the use of technology such as helping children develop more dynamic
spatial skills, develop problem solving skills and talents as well. In an interview, Heather
Kerkorian, a professor in human development and family studies, said that her research proved

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touch screens could hold educational potential for toddlers. Her research led her to the
conclusion that kids who interact with the screen get better, faster, and learn quicker.
Technology has also proven to benefit therapist to communicate with patients. These
cases are primarily concerned with young patients who use materials of technology to
communicate, such as texting, video games and blogs. According to the scholarly article, Effects
of New Technologies on Child Psychotherapy, therapists are flexible in adapting to the new
technology contexts within their patients brought their fantasies, defenses and feelings
(Seligman, 2011). Good-quality programs and particular software can help children with learning
difficulties develop the skills they are lacking. This shows another and different way of how
technology can be beneficial for children.
Now that it has been clear what advantages the use of technology has on childrens
development, the opposite view, how technology can harm how children learn and grow, will be
analyzed. The controversial issue here is that many believe that children should not be using so
much technology when they are young. People, especially parents, have voiced and reported
their concerns about their childrens over use of touch screen tablets, believing that the addictive
features of tables negatively impact on childrens social, physical, and cognitive development
and reduce time for more traditional non digital activities (Neumann, 2015). Technology can
change a childs brain; the use of technology can alter the actual wiring of the brain. Many
believe it distracts them from their education and hinders their social growth. According to The
Impact of Technology on the Developing Child, the impact of rapidly advancing technology on
the developing child has seen an increase of physical, psychological, and behavior disorders
that the health and education systems are just beginning to detect (Rowan 2013). Diagnosis of
ADHD, autism, coordination disorder, developing delays, unintelligible speech, learning

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difficulties, sensory processing disorder, anxiety, depressing, and sleep disorders are associated
with technology overuse and are increasing at a disturbing rate (Rowan, 2013).
The article also states that there are four critical factors necessary to achieve healthy child
development and they are movement, touch, human connection, and exposure to nature. All these
types of sensory inputs ensure normal development in order to achieve foundation skills for
school and the future as well (Rowan, 2013). In an interview, Dr. Carolyn Jaynes, a learning
designer for Leapfrog Enterprises, said that children under two years of age learn best from real
world experiences and interactions. Movement in children is effected by technology because
due to less physical activities and always being on a phone or tablet, children are not getting
enough movement which can result in obesity. Touching hugging and playing is also very
critical for development, but if children are neglecting those sensory skills by using too much
technology it will leave a negative impact on them. Also, with human connection, since children
are addicted to gadgets they dont have time to sit with their parents and to spend quality time
with friends, meaning that they are connecting through a virtual world rather than the real world
which can have an effect on their social skills and how to have a basic conversation with another
person. Being exposed to nature is important and has a calming influence on children, but also
is attention restorative and promotes learning (Rowan, 2013). Technology has also shown to
have a negative effect on childrens writing skills since technology allows them to write not
caring about spelling, punctuation and grammar. One of the biggest problems overuse of
technology can cause is an impact on the childrens character for the bad, influencing them to go
away from their moral values. They are exposed to violence which can be influential or have a
long term effect on their character (Rowan, 2013). As children are connected more and more to
technology, society is seeing a disconnection from themselves, others and nature.

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Figure 1. Further analysis of the impact of technology.

Source: Cris Rowan. 2013. Huffington Post: The Impact of Technology on the Developing Child. Retrieved
from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/cris-rowan/technology-children-negative-impact_b_3343245.html

It is clear why this topic is such a controversial issue, both points of view are quite
opposite and it is obvious that there are bad and good impacts of technology on children. As
society argues what kind of influence technology has on young minds, knowing where both sides
stand and what they believe helps people become educated on the use of technology. Individuals
can decide where to stand on this issue, whether is it something positive or something negative.
What are the statistics of children using technology?
According to the article The Impact of Technology on Child Sensory and Motor
Development, elementary aged children use on average eight hours per day of entertainment
technology, and 65% of these children have TVs in their bedroom, with 50% of North American
homes have the TV on all day (Rowan, 2015). On a given day 64% of babies between 1 and 2
watch TV and videos for an average of slightly over 2 hours according to Facing the Screen
Dilemma article by Campaign for Commercial-Free Childhood (2013). It also states how in
2011 there were about 3 million downloads of apps for infants and toddlers. Research from the
University of Wisconsin in Child Development found that children aged between two and three

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were more likely to respond to video screen that prompted children to touch them than to a
video screen that demanded no interaction (Roxby, 2013).
Other survey findings from the scholarly article, Young children and screen time:
Creating a Mindful Approach to Digital Technology, showed that families had one or more
televisions with other 90% of households owning a mobile phone, with 80% of families owning
on average at least one touch screen tablet, laptop, and mobile phone (Neumann, 2015). The
next figure gives more of an overview of the percentages of families with digital devices at
home.

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Figure 2.

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their opinion and over a third of parents agreed that young children should have access to touch
screens at home and school, a third have neutral vies, and 20% of parents believed that homes
and schools should not have touch screen tablets. (Neumann, 2015)
These statistics show the extension of technology, most homes have more than 1 digital
device and children are using these devices for a long period. So technology does play a huge
part in childrens life and knowing the percentages of the use of digital devices, it continues to
pose the question, is technology having a positive or negative impact on childrens development?
Source: Michelle M. Neumann (2015). Australian Educational Computing. Retrieved from
http://journal.acce.edu.au/index.php/AEC/article/view/67/pdf

What type of technology would be developmentally appropriate for children to use?

Technological advances have been an opportunity for parents looking to keep their
children entertained during long car trips or dinner with friends, however, many educators, health
experts, and parents do worry about children replacing hands on learning and experiences with
technology. According to scholarly article, Technology and interactive Media as Tools in Early
Childhood Programs Serving Children from Birth, appropriate technology enhances the use of
essential materials, activities, and interactions in the early childhood setting, becoming part of
the daily routine (NAEYC, 2012). Effective technology tools connect on-screen and off-screen
activities with an emphasis on co-viewing and co-participation between adults and children.
NAEYC and the Fred Rogers Center believe that appropriate uses of technology include viewing
digital photos, participating in Skype interactions with loved one, co-viewing e-books, and
engaging with some interactive apps. The article, Kids and Technology: Age Appropriate Guide,
gives a few suggestions, if parents are thinking about getting their child a cell phone for quick
calls or emergencies, Kajeet has gotten recognition for being a tween friendly cell phone service
because of its parental controls which include blocking calls, pictures, text messaging, as well

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as setting time limits (McGinnis, 2012). Many companies have also created special tablets for
kids, from toddlers to tweens. Kids tablets have apps and many of the other functions available
on the traditional tablets. If children want to use technology for social networking sites, sites like
BunkiMunki, Club Penguin, Everloop, Franktown Rocks and other offer younger children a taste
of what social networking is like. The KidZui browser is also a great option for parents to
monitor online activities (McGinnis, 2012). By choosing appropriate gadgets children can enjoy
the benefits of technology while reducing many of the risks and negative effects.
How should young children be introduced to technology in order to avoid the negative
effects of this issue?
How much screen time is appropriate for children? Should young kids be exposed to
technology? What age does technology become appropriate for children? These are all questions
that surround this debate, and it all depends on the childrens maturity and the parents own
values of what they want them to be exposed to. However, there are some tips and
recommendations to look out for young children using technology. According to the MediaMinded: How to Introduce Technology to Young Kids article, experts agree that the best way to
teach a child about how to use technology is to log on with them. Get involved and ask them
questions about what they are watching or playing. Also pick fun games and apps that are age
appropriate and educational (Epstein, 2014). The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends
that kids over 2 should have no more than two hours of daily screen time (Epstein, 2014).
Parents also need to make sure that they are not using technology to keep their child quiet and
not forget that they are the example their kids follow, so it the child sees that a parent is
constantly on a phone or gadget the child will follow their lead on tech habits. Other suggestions
include the prohibition of the passive use of television, videos, DVDs, and other non-interactive

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technologies and media, provide balance of activities in programs for young children, making
sure they engage in hand on, creative, and creative activities with those around them and the
world as well, carefully consider the screen time recommendations from public health
organizations for children and from experts, and provide leadership in ensuring equitable access
to technology and media experiences for children (NAEYC, 2012).
In this era, there is no way kids will not stumble upon technology and use it at a very
young age. Technology can be a powerful tool to inspire children, and if it introduced to them in
a right and appropriate way, it can bring a lot of benefits to them. In this century children are just
handed gadgets and start so young to use them, but as a society it is important that young
children are slowly introduced to technology, and with time, when it is appropriate, they start to
progress and little by little use it more often.
Conclusion
Like everything in life, access to technology is best done with a healthy moderation and
limitation. This literature review has analyzed information in detail and answered the following
questions surrounding the conflict of young children using technology. As shown technology can
provide children with many new horizons and opportunities but it can also negatively effect how
they develop by replacing real life with screens. Healthy attachment to technology can result in a
happy calm child, but on the other hand over attachment can result in an anxious, shy, agitated
child. Although there are very strong points that supports both sides, there are also policies and
recommendations to address screen time concerns. In order to set children up for a successful
future and ensure healthy and appropriate use of technology, it should be taken into consideration
that they must be limited and supervised.
References

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10 Benefits of Exposing Young Children to Modern Technology. (2013). DigiParenthood.
Retrieved March 17, 2016, from https://digiparenthood.wordpress.com/2013/08/23/10benefits-of-exposing-young-children-to-modern-technology/
Epstein, A. L. (2014). Media-Minded: How to Introduce Technology to Young Kids. Parents
Magazine. Retrieved March 17, 2016, from http://www.parents.com/toddlerspreschoolers/development/intellectual/introduce-technology-young-kids/
McGinnis, T. B. (2012). Kids and Technology: Age Appropriate Guide. What's the right age?
SheKnows. Retrieved March 17, 2016, from
http://www.sheknows.com/parenting/articles/816642/kids-and-technology-ageappropriate-guide-1
Nuemann, M. M. (2015). Young Children and Screen Time: Creating a Mindful Approach to
Digital Technology. Australian Educational Computing, 30. Retrieved from
http://journal.acce.edu.au/index.php/AEC/article/view/67/pdf
Rowan, C. (2013). The Impact of Technology on the Developing Child. Huffington Post.
Retrieved March 17, 2016, from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/cris-rowan/technologychildren-negative-impact_b_3343245.html
Roxby, P. (2013, April). Does technology hinder or help toddlers' learning? - BBC News.
Retrieved March 18, 2016, from http://www.bbc.com/news/health-22219881

Seligman, S. (2011). Effects of New Technologies on Child Psychotherapy: Discussion of

Clinical Papers from the Conference, Where the Wired Things Are: Children and
Technology in Treatment. Journal of Infant, Child & Adolescent Psychotherapy, 10(4),
422-427. doi:10.1080/15289168.2011.614190

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Technology and Young Children | National Association for the Education of Young Children |
NAEYC. (2012). Retrieved March 17, 2016, from
http://www.naeyc.org/content/technology-and-young-children

The Benefits of Children Learning Technology. (2013). ActivityHero Blog. Retrieved March 17,
2016, from http://blog.activityhero.com/children-learning-technology/