Introduction
Modern children can hardly imagine the world without computer technology and often do not believe that phones were tied with cords to one place a few decades ago. Many infants learn to find favorite cartoons on their parents’ smartphones even before they can speak well. Children study, play educational games, interact with peers, watch movies, read books, and listen to music using a variety of gadgets. However, despite the many positive effects of digital space, many parents, teachers, and pediatricians are concerned about the increasing screen time and wonder if children will become over-dependent on technology.
The Availability of Digital Technologies in the Life of a Child
Such gadgets as computers, laptops, tablets, smartphones, and e-books surround many children at home. The young generation watches their parents use tools and does so too, learning digital space incredibly quickly. Having collected data from 537 kindergarten babies and their parents, Konca concluded that televisions, smartphones, and tablets were the most available devices for 3-6-year-olds (4). It was found that 93.1% of the participants had access to a television, 68% could use at least one smartphone of their parents, and 56.3% could take a tablet (Konca 6). The favorite tool of most young users is the tablet due to its versatility and ease to use (Chaudron et al. 17). Thus, many gadgets allow children to be involved in the digital space from the first years.
The number of families who have a computer with Internet access is increasing every year. According to the National Statistical Institute data, families with children are more likely to have the Internet at home than families without kids (Chaudron et al. 100). A lot of parents taking into account the digitalization of the modern world are confident that their kids need to be aware of the Internet space. Moreover, in the pandemic period, when many schools are forced to choose distance studying, pupils use computers to do homework and attend online lessons. Konca also revealed that 49.66% of participants used digital devices alone, 34.58% used the devices under the supervision of an adult, and 15.76% used them with another kid (6). Hence, most children have access to online technology, considering media a natural part of their lives.
Screen Time: Doctor’s Recommendations and Reality
Not all parents keep track of the amount of time their children spend on the Internet. Many boys choose to play online games instead of playing football outside, while girls prefer to wear virtual dolls instead of real ones. About 75% of parents say that “they are satisfied with the amount and quality of the educational media available to their children” (Rideout and Robb 6). However, 40% find it challenging to make the kids turn off the computer or laptop, which can be evidence of dependence (Rideout and Robb 6). The amount of time spent with various gadgets grows with an infant. While children under five years old spend 25.9 hours per week with gadgets, teenagers use 43.6 hours (Rhodes 2). Hence, a lot of children spend a significant part of their life using different devices.
There are specific recommendations regarding the amount of time in the virtual world for children, which are often ignored. The American Academy of Pediatrics claims that 2-5-year-olds should not have more screen time than one hour a day (Rhodes 3). In fact, on average, 2-4-year-olds spend two hours and a half using various devices (Rideout and Robb 3). Moreover, boys usually “use 35 minutes more screen media than girls do per day, including 17 minutes more watching television and videos, and 17 minutes more playing video games” (Rideout and Robb 3). As for elder children, Rhodes concluded that 72% neglect the recommendations of the American Academy of Pediatrics (3). At the same time, reading, seeking material for homework, and chatting occupy only 5% of overall screen time, yielding to watching various videos and playing games (Rideout and Robb 3). Sitting in front of a screen for a long time can lead to breakdowns in the back and eyesight, as well as to mental disorders. Thus, the negative consequences of increased screen time for children are vital for modern pediatrics.
Level of Children’s Technology Addiction
Dependence on technology is a relatively new and not yet fully understood phenomenon; therefore, it is rather difficult to answer whether most young users are addicted. The children’s dependence means “the compulsive urge to use the tablet and a perception of this technology as being an important aspect in the life” (Hadlington et al. 21). The main signs of addiction are feeling attached to the tablet, having difficulty turning it off, and being overly anxious about charging (Hadlington et al. 21-22). Anger when parents force them to turn off the computer, the desire to hide in the virtual world, frustration when the tablet runs out of power are emotions what many children experience. However, it would probably be wrong to claim that they all are over-dependent. Technology discovers a big world for young users, and it is challenging for them to give up this universe of their own accord. Therefore, many children are addicted to technology to some extent, but this addiction is not a disease that urgently needs to be treaded.
Sometimes, children hide in the world created by gadgets just because it is more interesting. When parents blame their kids for exchanging reality for smartphones and tablets, they often forget that young people cannot imagine their life without devices because they have never seen the world without them. If children see that real life is as exciting as the virtual, then perhaps the problem of technology addiction will lose its relevance. Moreover, psychologists claim that there is no such concept as the Internet or phone addiction (Miller). The researchers introduced the Internet gaming disorder, but the patient should behave extremely to get such a diagnosis (Miller). Thus, though it would be wrong to completely deny the existence of children’s technology addiction, most likely, kids will not become over-dependent on technologies.
Conclusion
Despite the general unrest and the increasing screen time, children can hardly be called over-dependent on technology. However, they spend much more time in virtual space than is recommended by specialists. Moreover, children often become attached to their gadgets, feel depressed when they run down, and cannot turn them off. It is pretty logical because young users live surrounded by various devices, and many parents do not limit the children’s screen time. Hence, although most children show signs of technological dependence, according to psychologists’ opinions, the compulsive urge to pick up a tablet is not the same as addiction.
Works Cited
Chaudron, Stephane, et al. Young Children (0-8) and Digital Technology: A Qualitative Study across Europe. European Union, 2018.
Hadlington, Lee, et al. “I Cannot Live Without My [Tablet]: Children’s Experiences of Using Tablet Technology Within the Home.”Computers in Human Behavior, vol. 94, 2019, pp. 19-24.
Konca, Ahmet. “Digital Technology Usage of Young Children: Screen Time and Families.”Early Childhood Education Journal, 2021.
Miller, Carolina. “Is Internet Addiction Real?”Child Mind Institute.
Rhodes, Anthea. “Screen Time and Kids: What’s Happening in our Homes?”The Royal Children’s Hospital Melbourne, 2017.
Rideout, Victoria, and Michael Robb. The Common Sense Census: Media Use by Kids Age Zero to Eight. Common Sense Media, 2020.