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Lauren Taylor
Malcolm Campbell
UWRT 1104
4 April 2019
Through the Screen: Are Computers and Smart Phones Holding Children Back?
The world has gone from no phones and computers to those that can only be connected to
a wall to those that are considered “smarter” than most humans. So, what are the boundaries for
these smart phones and computers, especially when it comes to young children? Everyone, in
recent years, have or should have at least questioned this at one point or another considering that
the new generations coming into this world are who will sculpt the future. The early stages of a
child’s life are crucial when it comes to their health and learning how to interact with others. Many
psychologists and other scientists have done extended research on this thought and have found a
Most individuals today find it difficult to be able to predict how the future generation of
children are going to handle face to face interactions once they get older. I personally, wanted to
go into depth in my research on this topic as I plan to have my own children one day. Not only do
my parents not know what to tell me about how to prepare for technologies involvement in my
child’s life, but I had zero idea before I read multiple articles, journals, and more. According to
the New York Times, children use technology, particularly smart phone and computers, more than
any other generation has before. Not that these advancements are a bad thing, however, recent
research has shown that they have a high correlation with leading to less involvement in activities
starting at a young age. According to a journal of Child Development, teens and young children
today are beginning to not be prepared for the adult world and think that technology is the real
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interactions needed in the world, not face to face. This can be a problem considering that most
jobs require at least some face to face conversations in order to sell their products, gather
information, come to conclusions, and more. Yes, every child has a different personality ranging
from shy to extremely social, yet this does not mean that these devices are any help to making an
At a young age, it is known and stated by the New York Times that most, if not all, people
play not only with others, but by themselves as well. As a child, it is crucial to use one’s
imagination. Not only does this help with preventing their own boredom, but it grows connections
between other children their age that later can lead to friendships. As an adolescent is developing,
friendships are what help them create a sense of social skills and communication techniques with
others. If one does not have real world experiences with face to face interactions and just hides
behind a phone screen, how will they know later on know how to properly have a conversation
with teachers, fellow students, and more. The Huffington Post in 2013 stated that the majority of
children use their phones and computers as their resource to play. This leads to them, for the most
part, being stuck inside and not thinking of things to create and do themselves. Instead of going
and making friends they are found to stay away from social activities and dig their face in a screen.
Creativity and imagination are necessary to create the sensory and motor developments of a child
at a young age. If these are not tackled correctly in their prime years as a toddler and young pre-
teen, then this could lead to a lack of social decency as well as behavior disorders.
This leads to the concern that researchers have on the future of child health. Health is not
only physical, but also mental. It has become common today to dismiss the negative emotional
effects of smart phone use to a child. The Clinical Psychological Science journal found that those
in grades eight to twelve that have an increased rate of social media use on their phones have had
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a higher risk of being in a depressive and suicidal state. Depression is a big concept to think of
when relating to a child. No mother or father wants to hear that their daughter or son has a risk of
harming themselves just from the fact of using a smart phone. This is a huge health concern that
most individuals responded to and wanted to act on, according to Feiler, a well-known
psychologist in the world of social media. He has done research to try to find positive ways to
prevent the ability of an adolescent to use their device too often. Through a survey on social media
done by Feiler in 2016, it was found that the most effective ways to do so can be by putting a cap
on the amount of time a phone or computer can be used by a child, taking the devices away during
times for homework or family time, turning off wifi systems late at night, and more. Every parent
has their own way of dealing with specific issues and there is no right or wrong way to do things,
these are just helpful suggestions that may come in handy if one’s child becomes too attached to
their phone.
Speaking in terms of attachment, Common Sense Media was said to have found that 72
percent of teens feel the need to respond to their notifications immediately. Many will say that
they are not dependent on the device, however 59 percent from that same media source admitted
to having the feeling of addiction when on their device. No addiction is in fact healthy and is a
major concern. Growing up always having a phone attached to one’s hip can make responding in
the matter of seconds seem crucial. However, it is not. Becoming addicted to a phone can cause
many issues other than just having an “addiction”. If one is constantly on their phone this takes
away from family time, homework, school activities, clubs and sports. Research from Princeton
University in 2000 has shown that the increase of smart phone use causes this and that it will lead
to young children not participating in sports and other active events. Another study done through
the National Library of Medicine stated that 10 to 20 percent of adolescents have a risk of
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becoming technology dependent. This is yet another negative effect that is spouting from over use
of phones and devices such as computers. according to the Huffington Post in 2013, obesity is a
concern in the United States already and if the future generations start to become less active than
On the other hand, a study was done on adolescent twins in Finland that compared body
mass index to the amount of time that was spent playing video games on a computer. It was found
in a 2007 study done by BMC Public Health that there is no correlation to obesity and playing on
a computer, but in fact is just a possible side thought to being overweight. The main things that
were found to relate to obesity were involvement in physical activities and what is in one’s diet.
Many might try to argue this as other research from Princeton University in 2000 has shown that
use of computers leads to some children not involving themselves in sports and exercise, but there
Not only is obesity a huge physical health concern, but smart phone and computer
dependence can also lead a young influential child to have more serious psychological problems.
In 2013, a Huffington Post article brought to attention the decline that has occurred in recent years
of imagination based on the fact of children being on their devices more than going outside and
playing. It states here that the effects of this can be as dangerous as leading to the development of
autism, sleep deprivation, anxiety, and more. These are serious issues for a child to develop at
such a young age. Studies are being done to try to find solutions to prevent these issues. The
main priority that almost all researchers are finding is that no child should be allowed to access
technology at any age younger than two. The American Psychological Association backs this
statement up as the first five years of a child’s life can either be detrimental or prosperous based
This all seems scary and overwhelming, but it is not uncontrollable. The American
Psychological Association shares many possible ways to try to prevent a child from obtaining any
side effects from smart phone and computer use. They state that a child under eighteen months
should only be allowed to video chat and not have any other interactions with a device screen. It
is also stated that any child from the age two to five should have a limited amount of time with
their device of around one hour a day. After the age of six, these researchers have found that it is
especially helpful to put limits on a child’s phone and computer for what media sources that they
can use and how long that they can be on them. This is all just like the research found from
psychologist Feiler. There is a consistent observation of how one can prevent a child from
becoming dependent, anti-social, and unhealthy when relating to the use of smart phones and
computers. There is a common misconception in the world today that the development of children
is soon to be ruined, but it is all about limitations. Any child can grow to have negative traits;
however, it is up to their parents and those around them to teach them how not to gain these
qualities.
Everything must be put into moderation. Technology is also a great thing for the
developing child. From online applications that help with learning to websites that teach children
how to read and speak proper grammar, these devices are not all that bad. Continuing with the
findings from the American Psychological Association in 2015, a child is vulnerable to learn what
is right to use and what is not right to use on the internet. Parents should allow their children to
learn through the use of applications, but in a controlled way. One must talk to their child about
what is allowed and not allowed to be accessed and what good online behavior looks like. People
have questioned if technology should even be used before the age of ten, and it should be. Teachers,
schools, clubs, and more all use smart phones and computers to communicate and help adolescents
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grow. With all of this being said, I now feel better prepared for what to expect for when I have
my own children and how to raise them in this technology focused world.
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Works Cited
Campbell, Leah. “How Smart Phones Are Causing Kids to Experience ‘Altered Childhoods.’”
“Digital Guidelines: Promoting Healthy Technology Use for Children.” American Psychological
Feiler, Bruce. “When Tech is a Problem Child.” The New York Times, The New York
Gentile, Anderson, et al. “Television and Video Game Exposure and the Development of
Lajunen, Hanna-Reetta, et al. “Are Computers and Cell Phone Use Associated with Body Mass
Index and Overweight? A Popular Study Among Twin Adolescents.” BMC Public
https://bmcpublichealth.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/1471-2458-7-24. Accessed
1 Mar. 2019.
Rowan, Chris. “The Impact of Technology on the Developing Child.” The Huffington Post, The
Subrahmanyam, Kaveri, et al. “The Impact of Home Computer Use on Children’s Activities and
https://www.jstor.org/stable/1602692?casa_token=QlDGgr0qQFIAAAAA:tw7SJd2t9uhe
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