Children and Technology: Is it
Good or Bad?
Computers, smartphones, iPads, iPods, smartwatches and others
technology, it is definitely blazing our pathway into the future. It is permanently woven into our lives and I think
it is necessary that children become extremely comfortable with it. Teaching children how to use technology now
will help them in school and will help them become more proficient in their
future careers. Technology now allows
our children to have an incredible amount of knowledge and information at their
fingertips. I personally think that technology is good for our children,
however there are many parents who would disagree. Even though technology may
be good for our children they may require some supervision until they are more
responsible. We should take time to teach our children as efficiently as we can
about technology and the advantages and disadvantages that it may have on our
society and children. Let’s look at the
good, the bad and the ugly with today’s technology.
Technology is no doubt a double
edged sword, but the good side seems to be shining through. Technology is good for all of us,
including our children, even though it has aspects which are not as pure as we
might want them to be. Every change, every improvement or alteration within our
lifestyles must be approached with a great deal of thought, consideration and
understanding. Technology is no different. If technology is properly used and incorporated
in our lives it can help and already has helped improve very many aspects of
our lives and the lives of our children.
It is not unusual to see a young child today use an iPad to learn the alphabet,
use a smartphone to send a text message, use an iPod to listen to music or even
program a DVR. Children quickly learn to
use technology that is part of their daily lives, often with greater ease than
their parents, siblings or other adults. But does their ability to do these
complex tasks really enhance the child’s development? Does using technology
really teach children new skills? It seems to me in this day and age that computers
and technology would be an active teaching agent with child learners in a very technological
time period. Some studies have also
shown that technology can be a passive agent in a child’s life. Parents who recognize this difference or issue
should choose appropriate computer programs for their children.
As passive users, children utilize tools with no understanding of the
concepts represented on the screen. It becomes an electronic device that asks
children to memorize something without fully comprehending. As active agents
for learning, computers extend children’s abilities, helping them to accomplish
goals and objectives. In active use, children understand the relationship
between real ideas and what is being represented on the screen. Constructing
relationships between pictures and concrete objects helps children establish
meaning.
In order to promote effective computer learning, parents should monitor
the quality of the software children use, the amount of time children work with
it, and the way in which they use it. As parents, we should teach our children about
technology and not be afraid of it.
Things such as how people control technology, and how technology can be
used for activities that are meaningful to people. Technology can take on different forms, such as
in calculators, telephones, and recorders, etc. It provides different, useful
things in a variety of ways. Technology
has rules that control how it works. Objects must have a source of power, they
have plugs or batteries. These kinds of
thing are all very important to formulate a basic base knowledge on how
computers are utilized. Computer programs require different ways of organizing thinking. Some
will ask you to match and rhyme, others will give you the freedom to draw or
paint whatever you wish.
Some parents express concerns about the role of technology in
children’s lives, such as how it will affect their attention to social
relationships and other activities. Some
computer programs promote dialog between children, as well as integrating some group
problem-solving skills. They also offer opportunities for shared experiences
between parents and children. As partners in our children’s learning, we may
not only monitor their educational environments, but we may experience their
progress first-hand.
In modern society we are giving more and more technology to kids.
Whether this is a good thing depends on who you ask. Some say giving kids more access to computers
gives them an opportunity of a head start in learning how to use them, giving
them an edge in succeeding in an ever more computerized world. Others say
computers are depriving kids of natural play, exercise and in some cases even
interfering with brain development. Some
say it is giving children never before seen abilities to connect with other kids
from all over the world, giving them access to other cultures, points of view
and ways of seeing the world. Others say the reliance on computers and social
networking is a hindrance to child development of face to face social skills
which are crucial to success in the real world.
Some parents say that the web gives kids never before seen access to
information. From online books and online education to You Tube how to manuals,
kids can now find the answer to more questions than their parents or teachers
could ever know. Others point out that with all that information comes video
games, advertising and child centered marketing which may be undermining
parent’s ability to instill wisdom and values on to the next generation. Parents
can’t really always control what their kids use computers for and it is
sometimes easier to restrict access than to be a censor.
In my opinion our children today are in a much better place as far as improving
their learning and education with technology.
They are still very vulnerable to improper use of technology, but that
is where supervision and controlled usage plays an important role. As parents
should we be encouraging our kids to use computers and smartphones at a young
age or should we be sheltering them from the consequences that technology
brings with it? Well I guess that just
depends on who you ask.
