Technology and Child Development

The effects of technology on children have always been open to debate. Whether technology helps or hurts in a child’s development and ability to communicate, I think, depends on what specific technology is used and how and with what frequency it’s used. Certainly early in their lives, the power to control children’s involvement with technology lies with the parents. Some parents feel it’s better to limit a young child’s interaction with technology while others may worry that without early exposure to it their child will be left behind, but what seems to be true is that the ability to learn to use computers and other devices comes as naturally for today’s children as it was for me to learn how to turn the dial on a TV.

Television, of course, was still the new technology when I was young and many of the same arguments were used then concerning how children interacted with it. Did sitting on the floor in front of the television set for all those hours as a child have an effect on me? Sure it did. It certainly made my generation much more consumer oriented then that of my parents for one thing. But you could also still have your alone or daydreaming time while watching it. Television watching, unlike say texting or video game playing, is a passive activity. It requires no effort or input from the viewer. It still left plenty of time for daydreaming and introspection. Did it affect my ability to communicate with others? Yes, but only in a positive way. The exposure to other people and awareness of other places, situations and ways of live that television provided only enhanced my ability to relate to, understand and communicate with other people. As an adult, current technology only enhances my ability to interact and communicate with others.

Today, technology may just be teaching communication skills to young people in a