OK, the internet won't give you cancer (or will it?), but one huge concern about the world wide web many experts and parents have is how much time kids are spending online. This has been an issue for developmental psychologists, doctors, parents, teachers and educators.
"Staring at the screen damages your eyes." "Online games will stunt your brain development." "It'll make you stupid." "It's a waste of time." "It's making our children fat and lazy." "Social networking decreases face to face social skills." "Tweeting and texting ruins language skills."
Some of these arguments sound a little ridiculous. Some are right on the money.
There are many concerns about children spending too much time online. Whether its 15-year-olds thinking they can insert "LOL's" into their English papers and receive full credit, or a decrease in how much face time parents and children have, experts are attributing these problems partly to time spent online.
In this article taken from Fox News, http://www.foxnews.com/scitech/2011/03/29/does-online-time-hurt-kids-face-time/ , the concern that parents have with this issue is expressed as well as a popular method used to mediate this possible problem: monitoring internet use. Some however, as shown in this article also, feel that children need to be exposed to the technology of their time, fearing that by withholding social networking from them, we are holding kids back.
This site names this trend we are seeing in children: internet addiction http://childrenshospitalblog.org/internet-overload-are-we-spending-too-much-time-online/. The amount children spend online is revealed here, as well as links to the view points of a neurologist, a media expert, and a psychologist for their thoughts on the matter.
This is not a new issue, as shown here in an article from 2007, http://www.usatoday.com/tech/news/2007-09-27-parents-kids-online_N.htm; parents and experts have been struggling with this for years and as the problem increases, there seems to be less and less parents can do to monitor their child's online activity. With the innovations of smartphones and online game consoles, kids don't even have to be on a computer to be online anymore. Whether or not this is a good or bad thing, is something I can't answer. There are benefits to the internet, as well as negative effects. All of this is subjective, however.
I would like to answer your "question" with another question: "Where is the line?" Isn’t' that what the whole debate is about? At what point do children spend too much time online and not enough doing what kids are supposed to be doing. In our generation, when we got bored, we would get on our bike and have grand adventures going to-and-from fantasy and reality (or was that just me?). Nowadays, children merely have to get out their Wii remote and they can bike across the Andes Mountains or against Tony Hawk. I know, not the same sport, but the point is valid. Yes, children need to become acquainted with the technology of their time, but they cannot rely on technology for everything.
ReplyDeleteI know my wife and I have already discussed if our 2 and half year old spends too much time watching tv. He has his favorite shows and it seems as though he eats better when he has something to keep him occupied while he chews his food.
ReplyDeleteThis is only going to be a small problem as he gets older. How much time should he spend on the computer? Should we buy him the latest gaming device? How old should he be when he gets his first cellphone? The joys of parenthood and it seems like when it comes to technology its only getting worse.... a lot worse! I am not looking forward to it and your blog only makes me think more about all this happening.
Anna, you are exactly right! The internet has pros and cons. It is a useful tool that we can utilize in our everyday lives. However, it can be detrimental because it can distract us from our everyday lives as well. This can be extremely detrimental to children because they may not be getting a chance to develop their bodies. It can turn into an addiction that makes them never want to participate in physical activity, which can be harmful to their health. Great blog Anna!
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