Why you should allow your children to be in contact with technology
Julieta Martínez Bermúdez
As we become increasingly more reliant and absorbed in technology, it is not surprising that
today’s children have become avid users as well. Laptops are being developed for children
as young as five. Smartphones are now in the hands of children as soon as they can hold
things. As children continue to become more immersed in media, many adults have begun to
wonder whether or not this exposure to such a high amount of electronic media is a good
thing or not. Nevertheless, there are many good reasons to allow children to use technology
with the supervision of their parents or an adult.
Nowadays, technology is preparing children for the ‘real world’ that they will have to enter
into. Sixty percent of jobs in the market are technology related, and children need the
technology advantage to be successful in such an environment (US Department of Education).
At the same time, they develop skills they also unlearn things. According to a report in the
Telegraph in London, some schools are substituting digital clocks for analog because
students have no idea what’s with the circle filled with a dozen numbers. In their world, it’s
9:45 and never quarter to 10. Despite this, skills that children don’t learn won’t be needed for
them due to they develop just what the environment pushes them to acquire.
People say that technology may have a role in helping children to develop social and
emotional skills, such as using cloud-based software like Google Docs to collaborate with
people in different places learning how to communicate with others, but on the contrary, a
a common concern for parents is how technology will affect their children’s social lives. With
rumors of social networking and texting ruining children’s social development, it is easy to
see how concerns have grown. However, according to an article in the Los Angeles Times
discussing social media in the lives of children, technology act as a way for children to
develop and sustain emotional bonds with peers, as well as carve their own identity and
learn to communicate with others.
Related to the children classroom, technology is incredibly motivational for them since it
provides ease to students. In a study conducted by David Dwyer, vice president of advanced
learning technology for Computer Curriculum Corporation, students were found to produce
more writing because it was easier to type than writing, which kept them more interested and
motivated. It is said that technology in the classroom can be a strong distractor due to it’s
very striking for children, but I think to restrict the use of this devices in times that it’s not
needed and including fun recreational content it’s a good solution.
As we evolve and develop more technology it’s important to introduce it to children in an
appropriate way, in order to they learn how to use it well and in their favor. There are some
disadvantages in allowing children to use technology, but as we saw a few paragraphs
above the benefits they obtain are more and very relevant for their lives. It can help them to
enhance their skills, and in a constructive way, it can lead to developing a healthier and efficient
mind.
References
(2019). Retrieved from
https://digitalcommons.uri.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?referer=https://scholar.google.com.mx/&httpsredir=
1&article=1212&context=srhonorsprog
Technology to Improve Social and Emotional Learning – Green & Write. (2019). Retrieved from
https://edwp.educ.msu.edu/green-and-write/2016/technology-to-improve-social-and-emotional-
learning/
Growing Up with Technology. (2019). Retrieved from https://online.purdue.edu/ldt/learning-design-
technology/resources/growing-up-with-technology
(2019). Retrieved from
https://digitalcommons.uri.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?referer=https://scholar.google.com.mx/&httpsredir=