There has always been an obsession with growing up when you’re younger, but does social media and exposure to technology from an early age influence early childhood development? There has been a constant argument for how children should behave or what is appropriate for them to take in because of how it could negatively impact their social lives and behavior as functional individuals in the real world.
The US department of child health and human development has been monitoring and studying the effects that technology has on early development. From their research I found that most parents could be to blame with an addiction to the screen because of how easy it could be used to distract a child from tantrums; it was also found that children who are distracted this way are more likely to have more tantrums than those who have less access. The parents unknowingly cause dependence on this and easier access to the internet.
The internet could be a dangerous thing for young children if not supervised or limited in any way. One Thing about the internet is that anyone has access to it, which means that there could be dangerous people could spread all kinds of information or misinformation to lure children in. Cyberbullying can strongly affect young minds and cause early mental illness. Using social media is a big responsibility and requires a certain level of media literacy in order to be safe and understand what is real, fake, and interpret online media in a dependable way.
Of course if used responsibly, technology and social media could be a significant help to young minds. An article posted by Maryville University says technology has been seen in helping children become more independent and grow interests that could help them connect with others. Social media can also keep children in the loop of what is “the next big thing” or what is happening in the city around them. (ex. Live events, foods to try or hang out ideas). Early use of tech could also help them create digital literacy skills that could help in the future in schools and careers.
So, although technology and social media could have a positive effect on children in early development, it is also important for the parents to help guide these new minds into practicing skills and responsible habits for safe use of the open world of the internet. Because technology is always evolving, it is important to learn how to use these resources to prevent misinformation and steer away from dangerous people while also staying up to date and connecting with others.
