Technology: Our Toddlers Intelligent Reality
I recently found myself contemplating the proficiency of my 3 year old nephew as he skillfully put his iPad to use. YouTube videos, angry birds, minions, and contemporary music plagued the multiple windows of his iPad. Then, I went back in time. The year was 1997. I was sitting, for the first time, in front of my new desktop computer, a Compaq Presario, playing a 2-dimensional game in Windows ‘95 when some friends knocked on my front door and requested we headed out to enjoy fun activities. My generation was the vision of what previous generations thought of a healthy childhood. I feel as if most of us, the millennials, had an intrinsic balance between physical socialization and the primitive cyber-world around us, but perhaps that balance was not much of a choice, rather a circumstance.
Today, technology is often indirectly criticized as a cause for childhood obesity, and antisocial behaviors (even among adults) and I can understand why some might perceive the internet as a potential cause for these maladies. Not long ago I read the book Smarter Than You Think: How Technology Is Changing Our Minds for the Better by Clive Thompson, the first thought that surface in my mind was the fact that there is always some kind of bias in any publication, the key to taking a stance with regards to any issue is to objectively analyze the information, weigh the pros and cons, and deliberate what is in our best interest. Thompson poses a compelling argument on why technology is not as evil as some believe, and in fact, is making us smarter. We all enjoy the micro-contributions that millions make to sites like Wikipedia, some have benefited from organized initiatives to aid those in need during difficult times, others from a good online sale, and the vast majority from the ever flowing fountain of information; the internet unequivocally plays an active role in our lives.
Now, it is evident that the digital age is becoming adept at manipulating digital devices rapidly, their earlier exposure to computers is definitely a primal factor in their success. So how do computers affect our youngsters, and is it for the good or the bad? John Medina, molecular biologist at Washington State University School of Medicine, believes that exposure to TV and the like before the age of 3 carries serious repercussions, stating that, per each additional hour a child under the age of 3 spends watching TV the likelihood of an attentional problem by age 7 is increased by 10 percent. In fact, the American Association of Pediatrics have stated that 10 to 20 percent of violence among children can be attributed to violent media exposure. Their recommendation is as follows:
Pediatricians should urge parents to avoid television viewing for children under the age of 2 years. Although, certain television programs maybe promoted to this age group, research on early brain development shows that babies and toddlers have a critical need for direct interactions with parents and other significant caregivers (e.g., child care providers) for healthy brain growth and the development of appropriate social, emotional, and cognitive skills
According to Medina the “intelligence stew” is compose of:
- The desire to explore
- Self-control
- Creativity
- Verbal communication
- Interpreting nonverbal communication
He encourages parents to spend time with their kids empowering these attributes. It is appropriate to conclude that, like everything else, moderation is key and technology can be both good and bad according to the way we put it to use; like much in life, one must objectively analyze, weigh the pros and cons, and deliberate what is in our childrens’ best interest. One can easily combine teaching skills such as self-control with the alluring effect of technology and find clever ways to find the balance we were gifted with in our childhood. After all, times have change, and technology is here to stay.
by Mounir C. Cejin