Negative Effects Of Technology On Children

How are electronic devices and technological advancements affecting children? Kids no longer have a need to go outside in order to go on adventures or to visit with friends since they can communicate and play games on electronic devices. They can access all the information and entertainment they could want from a single device; however, while technological developments might seem beneficial to the younger generations, there are several negative consequences of children using them, like cyber-bullying. Recently, there have been several cases of children committing suicide resulting from it. For instance, a girl named Jessica was popular at school, yet she still was tormented by peers through social media. She then took her own life which completely …show more content…
For example, it can result in a reduced ability of children being able to read human emotions. In a study done by UCLA, sixth-graders were split up into two groups. One group went to a camp without any electronic devises for five days while the other group continued using them. At the end of the five days both groups were tested; as a result, the children not exposed to electronic devices scored higher on being able to pick up facial expressions (Summers). The experiment shows the damaging effect of technology on children being able to read human emotions. These skills are important, because without the ability to discern facial expressions, children will not know how to communicate well with friends or family. Also, technology can prevent the next generation from developing strong bonds with their friends and family. For instance, with my family, we do not spend as much time together as we used to. Most of us just go to our rooms or to a comfortable place with our free time in order to entertain ourselves with mobile devices, computers, or television. I do not feel as connected with my family as I do when we are together playing a game or talking together. Likewise, children who use technology to communicate with peers will not develop the strong bonds which form when adventuring or when being connected through face to face conversations. Without strong bonds from peers or family, children will have …show more content…
All the harmful effects from technology on children are not going to provide a healthy next generation. A wise decision would be for parents to limit the amount of time their child is allowed to use technology to no more than about two hours. The restriction of technology usage will keep children from becoming dependent on technology for means of entertainment and communication. Also, tragedies like suicides from cyber-bullying could be prevented if parents monitored and limited children’s use of social media. Parents are responsible for keeping their offspring safe, so they should be vigilant in managing their children’s use of