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Lauren Taylor Commented [a1]:

Commented [a2R1]:
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 ones 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 learning how to interact with others. Many psychologists

and other scientists have done extended research on this thought and have found a multitude of

positive and negative results.

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. They use technology,

particularly smart phone and computers, much more than any other generation has. Not that these

advancements are a bad thing, however, recent research has shown that they have a high correlation

to leading to less involvement in activities starting at a young age. According to a journal of Child Commented [a3]: Maybe reword as ‘with leading to’

Development, teens and young children today are beginning to not be prepared for the adult world

and think that technology is the real 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
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different personality ranging from shy to extremely social, yet this does not mean that these devices

are any help to make an anti-social person isolate themselves even more.

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 Commented [a4]: Try rewriting this as ‘An adolescent is
developing…”
social skills and communication techniques with others. If one does not have real world Commented [a5R4]: Nvm, I know what you’re trying to
say I just had to re-read it a few times.
experiences with face to face interactions and just hides behind a phone scree, how will they know Commented [a6R4]:

later on 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 future young children’s health. It has

become common today to dismiss the emotional effects of negative 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 a higher risk of being in a depressive

and suicidal state. Depression is a big concept to think of when relating it 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. Research has been done to try to find positive ways to prevent the ability of an
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adolescent to use their device too often. Through a survey on social media done by psychologist

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 seventy

two percent of teens feel the need to respond to their notifications immediately. Many will say

that they are not dependent on the device, however fifty nine 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 a “addiction”. If one is constantly on their Commented [a7]: An “addiction”

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 this will lead to young children to not participate in sports and other active events. Another Commented [a8]: That it will
Commented [a9]: Not participating
study done through the National Library of Medicine stated that 10-20% of adolescents have a risk

of becoming technology dependent. This is yet another negative effect that is spouting from over

use of phones and devices such as computers. Obesity is a concern in the United States already

and if the future generations start to become less active than those currently, it could make the

health the society plummet, according to the Huffington Post in 2013. Commented [a10]: Health of society
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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

are a multitude of studies that show both sides.

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

on how much time they are allowed to have in front of a screen.

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
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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 in 2016. 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

grow.
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Works Cited

Campbell, Leah. “How Smart Phones Are Causing Kids to Experience ‘Altered Childhoods.’”

Healthline, Healthline Media, 2018, https://www.healthline.com/health-news/smart-

phones-causing-kids-to-experience-altered-childhoods#1. Accessed 19 Feb. 2019.

“Digital Guidelines: Promoting Healthy Technology Use for Children.” American Psychological

Association, American Psychological Association, 2015.

https://www.apa.org/helpcenter/digital-guidelines. Accessed 27 March 2019.

Feiler, Bruce. “When Tech is a Problem Child.” The New York Times, The New York

Times, 2016, https://www.nytimes.com/2016/11/20/fashion/children-technology-

limits-smartphones.html. Accessed 21 Feb. 2019.

Gentile, Anderson, et al. “Television and Video Game Exposure and the Development of

Attention Problems.” National Center for Biotechnology Information, U.S. National

Library of Medicine, 2010. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6361300/.

Accessed 27 March 2019.

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

Health, BioMed Central Ltd., 2007,

https://bmcpublichealth.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/1471-2458-7-24. Accessed

1 Mar. 2019.
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Rowan, Chris. “The Impact of Technology on the Developing Child.” The Huffington Post, The

Huffington Post, 2013. https://www.huffpost.com/entry/technology-children-negative-

impact_n_3343245. Accessed 26 March 2019.

Subrahmanyam, Kaveri, et al. “The Impact of Home Computer Use on Children’s Activities and

Development.” The Future of Children, Princeton University, 2000,

https://www.jstor.org/stable/1602692?casa_token=QlDGgr0qQFIAAAAA:tw7SJd2t9uhe

qOGoV6HcA03MyLiagmDXY_iAVvaGwvcid3MznqT1HcFA_86KygGf2wdUttIElRH3

LY-

PuXl6Q4z68G0EV5jOTmWlH6Q7cETPkJdSFQ&seq=2#metadata_info_tab_contents.

Accessed 14 Feb. 2019.