Technology Use and Effects on Toddlers

The issue of the wide-spread use of technology among youngsters has never been so important as it is now. The majority of children in the upcoming generations have not yet learned how to develop their minds, without the aid of technology, and, later in life social media. So, what used to be bustling community parks where children ran around and playing has now turned into empty playgrounds with just some visitors. One could speculate that children do not have a social life due to technology, and are overweight due to having to spend too much time in sedentary positions, and parents aren't able to find enough time to take care of their children, and therefore resort to electronic devices. There are a variety of mental and physical issues which arise from the frequent use of technology. This is why examining the issue is vital. From a personal point of view the issue is related to my own experiences of interacting with parents and children who have displayed an unhealthy dependence on technology.

Social skills development is one of the most essential aspects for the development of children's health in social settings. Since the actual conversation is becoming outdated due to technology, children who utilize gadgets at a very young age do not have positive experiences with communications. Although it is essential to realize that technology provides numerous opportunities for learning or entertainment frequent use can hinder the social acclimatization of children. With smartphones and other gadgets to communicate with their peers, children can escape being rude to each other and not have to confront the direct negative consequences that might have occurred in live interactions. One of my acquaintances who has a 6-year-old daughter once said that her daughter had called another girl fat on the Internet.

A group of kids set up a chat that allowed them to communicate, allowing them to text more and less time with each other in real life. My friend also stated that children would stay in their homes and watch online movies while texting their thoughts about the film , rather than having a conversation in real-life. In the group chat two girls began arguing and one being called fat. This led to a heated argument between the parents as her feelings had been wounded and my friend was forced to explain her daughter that insulting other people is not a good idea. In an actual situation, a child might have observed how insults could be hurtful and they could have thought about whether they should do it or not. However, with texts, this personal interaction is lost. This lets children develop an unease that comes with the lack of face-to-face communication.

The issue of excessive technology usage has also been proven to contribute to the increase in obesity and overweight among children. Rosen et al. (2014) in which they "examined the effects that technology has on 4 aspects of child well-being, which included the psychological aspects, behavioral issues," attention complications, and physical health (p. 364). For pre-teens and children who consume a lot of media, it was linked to poor health in general and poor physical health. In particular, the lack of exercise and poor food choices are linked to the dependence of children on gaming on video games and communicating via social media. The most common factors that contribute to the weight gain of children who are spending too much time in front of screens and spend less time burning off calories engaging in physical activity or playing outside all over. In time, when coupled with an increase in eating junk food and snacks and a rise in the risk of children getting overweight is increased. To give an example of my own experience my friend who has six-year-old daughter said that she had to remove snacks from her daughter as she would consume snacks all day long while watching TV , and then choose not to eat healthy meals for dinner.

It is a fact that children tend to make unhealthy diets and lifestyles and also use technology too much due to lack of supervision from parents. Parents are juggling multiple obligations aside from caring for their children, which is the reason parents often purchase the latest gadgets for their children to keep them busy. My friend bought a couple of gadgets for her daughter with the same reason, which is to give children with an option of entertainment that doesn't require constant attention from parents. This is an issue to many parents who aren't able to find enough time to ensure their children are well fed throughout the day and spend sufficient time moving around.

In conclusion of the discussion about children and technology, it is important to note how the usage of devices is inexpensible. However, they can increase the risk of children becoming overweight and not acquiring the social skills in order to function effectively in the society. This problem is becoming more frequent in families which parents lack the time and energy to engage their children constantly. This is why parents purchase new toys and gadgets for children, and thus unintentionally promoting the growing exposure of children to technology. The policy makers in the field of health should pay close focus on this issue and support parents to make their children more active by providing interactive and educative programs.