An Essay Examining the Impact of Technology on Children's Learning

This essay delves into the multifaceted impact of technology on children's learning and development. It explores how technology has altered various aspects of childhood, from social interaction to cognitive processes. The discussion centers on both the positive and negative effects, with a particular focus on the potential detrimental impacts on attention span, memory, and decision-making skills. The essay examines how excessive technology use can hinder the development of critical thinking, problem-solving abilities, and vocabulary. It also contrasts the benefits of traditional learning methods, such as reading, with the distractions and fragmented information prevalent in the digital environment. The role of parents and educators in monitoring and regulating technology use is emphasized, with the goal of fostering a balanced approach that supports children's overall well-being and academic success.

Running Head: ESSAY ON HOW DOES TECHNOLOGY AFFECT CHILDREN’S
LEARNING
Essay on how does technology affect children’s learning
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1ESSAY ON HOW DOES TECHNOLOGY AFFECT CHILDREN’S LEARNING
Introduction
Technology has been responsible for altering our way of life in the past centuries. From
the way we work to the manner of socializing, technology has changed each corner of our lives
and everything that lies in between. It is quite understandable that the pace at which we as human
beings are moving towards the digitalization of our lives, a day would soon come when we
would be left with no agency to manifest ourselves in the society anymore. In the same light, one
of the most noticeable and disturbing corners that have been touched is the childhood of the
generation. Although many people can argue that technology comes with a lot of positive aspects
and effective changes in our lives, the number of negative effects that come along with the
technological boom is too big to be ignored. Children are the most precious asset of any society,
and it has always been that way ever since mankind has come into existence. Thus we, as a
collective being, have tried to improve the lives of our children.
Discussion
Human beings are blessed with the capability of thought process. It is even more potent
in children as they are not bound by the norms and ideologies like the adults. Hence, this
freedom allows them to be free in terms of thought process (Gottschalk 2019). Thinking is
essentially important as it allows the development of analytical capabilities and development of
creativity. These are the two most significant ingredients that are required for any human being
to be successful and happy in his life span. However, with the overreaching involvement of
technology in our lives, the scope of thinking is being thwarted, specifically in children. The
capability to reflect and reason, and finally come to a conclusion is developed during the early
phases of our lives. These skills are the differential factors that distinguish us from other
mammals as it helps us to effectively communicate, create, and make advancement. In other

2ESSAY ON HOW DOES TECHNOLOGY AFFECT CHILDREN’S LEARNING
words, it makes human beings civilized. Technology, with all its new advancement along with
the help of the internet, has no doubt, moulded the manner in which the changes have been made.
They are, at times obvious, sometimes subtle; they are also known to be deliberate and
detrimental and weighs in advantages for a particular group (Gottschalk 2019). Another
uncertainty that is closely related to the constant development of technology is the fact that there
is no proof in history that can help human beings understand the values and costs of those
advancements and its negative effect on the child’s ability to think. With the uncertainty of
reality, we are progressing at a great speed with the technology at its frontier, although it is still
in its infancy.
However, the recent times have witnessed a growth in the body of researchers who are
dedicated to gaining more knowledge about the benefits and harmful effect that technology has
on children; specifically on the manner in which children think. It is important to conduct careful
and exhaustive studies as the brain of a child is still in its process of being fully developed and
thus is malleable. In this stage, if the brain gets frequently exposed to the digital natives, it ends
up changing, sometimes temporarily and sometimes permanently the manner in which a brain is
developed. According to the observations of Nicholas Carr, the need to read encourages the brain
to be more focused and imaginative (Gunter and Gunter 2019). Whereas, with the constant use of
the internet, our capability of registering and processing information effectively is being
increased by leaps and bounds.
Along with the early years that are extremely crucial for the development of a child, the
ill effects of technology only keep increasing as they enter the realm of education. However, the
question that should be asked is not whether children should be allowed to use technology in
order to help themselves in their student life. But the question should consist of the what, where,

3ESSAY ON HOW DOES TECHNOLOGY AFFECT CHILDREN’S LEARNING
how, and when technology should be used for it to contribute towards the betterment of their
lives (Gunter and Gunter 2019). When the aspect of learning is involved, the most basic question
that needs to be addressed is whether we need to indulge in the use of technology at all. As an
example, in order to sift through the humongous amount of information that is available on the
internet, one should have a certain amount of understanding and skills to navigate on the internet
and eventually reach where he or she had aimed to reach. Without these skills, it is extremely
easy to move off the track, get lost , and even gather false information (Gunter and Gunter 2019).
There are also risks of getting exposed to undesirable information that is not meant for kids. For
academic purposes, it is thus better to use laptops rather than smartphones or tablets as the
availability of peer-reviewed articles and materials are easily available with the distractions of
social media and games. The kind of software that is used for enhancing the learning purpose is
also important as it allows children to be better equipped with the high-level application that they
are required to use in high schools. It is also the responsibility of teachers and parents to help
monitor and regulate the consumption of the internet in the various devices that are being used
by children irrespective of their intent and nature of usage (Hettiarachchi, Kitnasamy and Gopi
2020).
Once the previous factor is answered, it is now the time to question where and when
aspects of using technology. In instances where one can effectively work, study, and learn
without the use of technology, it is important to keep any kind of technology away from the
learning area. It is necessary to do so as children are not able to control their impulses when it
comes to gaming or to use social media. Hence, having any device that allows them the chance
of accessing these options should not be kept (Hettiarachchi, Kitnasamy and Gopi 2020).
Moreover, it is necessary to have rules that forbid children to use technology before their

4ESSAY ON HOW DOES TECHNOLOGY AFFECT CHILDREN’S LEARNING
bedtime as it seriously hampers their ability to have a sound sleep. One might question why and
how is technology actually affecting the children. This is answered with the help of researches
that show the long hours of using technology that has not a positive effect on the learning
process of kids. In addition to it, it has only been harmful to children if they continue to use
technology for a longer period of time (Hettiarachchi, Kitnasamy and Gopi 2020).
In order to carry out an in-depth analysis of how the technology is actually harming the
kids, some key aspects have been brought into focus and are being discussed. These areas
include attention, an overload of information, decision-making capability, memory, and learning
abilities.
Attention is considered to the first gateway that is involved in conducting an effective
thinking process. Without the ability to hold attention, the various other aspects that are closely
related to attention, such as perception, memory, language, learning, creativity, problem-solving
ability, and capability of taking decisions are put at huge risk or even can lead to no development
at all (Keeley and Little 2017). This is extremely alarming because the child’s ability to learn
how to focus in an effective manner and do it consistently is essential to the paving of a strong
foundation that leads to their growth. It is also the most fundamental aspect that leads to the
development of life into a happy and successful one. As per the various studies and researches on
attention, it has been concluded that the environment in which one is continuously being exposed
to, is responsible for developing the habit of paying attention. This kind of behaviour is also
noticed in various species in the animal kingdom such as tigers, lions, and wolves, who are
predators and are required to develop a skill that helps them to pay very close attention to the
preys while spotting them and finally attacking them (Keeley and Little 2017). Whereas, the
contrast lies in the nature of the preys such as deer, and antelope which have been developed by

5ESSAY ON HOW DOES TECHNOLOGY AFFECT CHILDREN’S LEARNING
nature in such a manner that enables them to have heightened sense of auditory attention which
in turn provides them with the scope to escape from their predators. Hence, in both cases, it is
very evident that the environment acts as an active factor that determines the attentional
capabilities of the creatures (Sage and Burgio 2018).
The scenario is no different when it comes to human beings. When infants can recognize
the voice of their parents, or when students are required to pay attention to particular aspects in
class, the environment in which they are exposed to, is the determining factors that define their
capabilities. The older generation thrived in these aspects as they were required to spend a
considerable amount of time in reading; an activity that requires an intense amount of sustained
attention, along with imagination, and memory, while the distractions needed to be least (Sage
and Burgio 2018). However, with the advent of television, this scenario underwent a significant
amount of change. The attention span of children was now being manipulated by visual stimuli,
that needed attention in the form of fragments, and with little or no use of imagination. Further
changes were brought about by the internet as children were pushed in an extremely different
environment where distraction is normative, paying consistent attention is impossible, and
memory remains uninhibited. With the advent of technology, the brain is required to pay lesser
attention to the information in comparison to that of reading. The best metaphor to explain this
scenario has been provided by Nicholas Carr, who has used scuba diving and jet skiing as the
two methods of gathering information (Sage and Burgio 2018). For scuba diving, the diver is
essentially required to pay attention to every specific detail around him, as well as monitor his
own activities and look out for any signs of discomfort. Whereas a jet skier only glides on the
surface of the water body at an extremely high speed and exposes himself or herself to a very
broad vista. It is also strewn with numerous distractions and the focus on any object is only for a

6ESSAY ON HOW DOES TECHNOLOGY AFFECT CHILDREN’S LEARNING
fleeting moment. Thus, scuba diving is similar to the activity of reading, whereas using the
internet is same as jet skiing. Studies have also concluded that when one engages oneself in
uninterrupted readings of various texts, they are capable of having a better understanding, recall,
and learning than those who have reportedly resorted to a text that is full of numerous hyperlinks
and advertisement (McCracken 2019). Even the use of presentation as a mode of teaching has
been found to be more effective instead of a video as the students have reportedly found the
presentation to be more informative, as well as entertaining. Furthermore, students who were not
engaged with any electronic device were reported to have better skills of withholding
information and recalling ability in comparison to the wired students in a class who were not able
to recall any lecture. Thus, it is very clear that the use of technology is not a very smart move
when it comes to the development of children as reading books and various texts are still better
as it effectively contributes to the development of skills that involve reflection, critical thinking,
problem-solving, and development of vocabulary (McCracken 2019).
Social media and children of the 21st century
There have been significant changes in the methods of interaction with each other in a
community of adults. Similarly, the manners in which children interact and communicate with
their peers have also changed significantly. As mentioned earlier, with the advent of social
media, more than 90% of the younger generation is involved in the use of it in their everyday
lives (Third et al. 2017). Hence, it has also caused for immense research from the various fields
of psychology, biology, and sociology, as well as economics in order to determine the various
effects of social media in the lives of the children and younger generation. Texting is now a day
considered the most basic mode of communication when it comes to adolescents. The mediums
are involved in instant messages, video chatting etc. With these facts being stated, it is also

7ESSAY ON HOW DOES TECHNOLOGY AFFECT CHILDREN’S LEARNING
important to mention that with the excessive use of social media comes the problem of being
addicted to it. The danger is also not just limited to social media (Third et al. 2017). With the
pace at which video games are being developed in the recent times, it is very easy to fall into the
abyss of indefinite screen time of being exposed to the various social media platforms and video
gaming. It has been reportedly found that those who are extreme users of the internet have been
documented to use the platforms for more than six hours on an everyday basis. They are also
related to the lower levels of wellbeing, that being self-reported. Research also shows that
impulsive outcomes and the inhibitory process are directly involved with longer exposure of the
regions of the brain to the various social media platforms along with the online presence
(Troseth, Russo and Strouse 2016). Constant use of photo sharing sites also show differences in
the area of activation that is responsible for cognitive control. However, detailed and extensive
research on the normative behaviour that involves the ill effects of social media on children is
still top scarce. Moreover, the term “Facebook Addiction” should be used carefully and sparingly
as that involves a differentiation that is based on the behaviour being addictive and the behaviour
showing addictive qualities. By pathologising the behaviour of children, there lies a greater risk
of having a negative impact on them. Parents and teachers are required to take up the
responsibility of monitoring the use of the various social media platforms as there should a point
to which it does not hamper any of the normal daily activities (Troseth, Russo and Strouse 2016).
Conclusion
Despite significant researches being conducted in the particular field of how technology
has its ill effects on the learning abilities of children, the policymakers should reconsider the
guidelines for the various technologies that are being used by children. Proper research also
needs to be conducted on brain development and its functioning that is reportedly seen to be

8ESSAY ON HOW DOES TECHNOLOGY AFFECT CHILDREN’S LEARNING
altered with the use of technology during the years of development. Debates have also aroused
when it comes to the other manners in which the technology can alter the development and
growth of children. While an increase in the amount of stress, insomnia, obesity, have been
related to the use of technology, there have been instances where the use of technology has led to
the development of the children being increasingly active, energetic, as well as properly
coordinated. The key factor that is present as an undercurrent is perhaps the ‘wh’ factors that
were addressed at the very beginning of the essay. The use of various modes of technology and
media is largely dependent on how we use it when we use and the manner in which we use it.
There is also a dire need for the adults to understand the evolving generation and their needs of
using technology and act accordingly.

9ESSAY ON HOW DOES TECHNOLOGY AFFECT CHILDREN’S LEARNING
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10ESSAY ON HOW DOES TECHNOLOGY AFFECT CHILDREN’S LEARNING
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