Vaughn Smith

J.Rodrick
English 115
10/3/2017

How Technology and Social Media Are Ruining Childhood

Do you remember your childhood? Maybe you remember playing tag and hide n seek

outside with your friends, or playing with toys like Legos and Hotwheels. Most people

remember, and say that experiences from their childhood make up a portion of their identity

today. Nowadays, children have technology that we could only imagine of having when we were

young. Today, kids have smartphones and tablets with countless apps, advanced gaming

consoles, and surprisingly, many children and adolescents have social media accounts. Over the

past ten years childhood in America has changed drastically. Some state that advancements in

technology are preparing todays children for the future, others argue that the technological

advancements are not only diminishing the quality of childhood, but that it is also causing

children to have underdeveloped critical thinking skills, and that theyre unable to form real

social connections, or even a real identity. I believe that the advances in technology are

damaging the development of todays children.

In the article The Technologisation of Childhood? Young Children and Technology in

the Home, Lydia Plowman claims that the technology we have today is changing how children

are developing. Plowman states, Since childrens brains are still developing, they cannot adjust

as full grown adults can to the effects of ever more rapid technological and cultural change.

They still need what developing human beings have always needed, including real play (as

opposed to sedentary, screen based entertainment), and firsthand experiences of the world they

live in and regular interaction... In other words, Plowman is stating that childrens brains are
still developing, and instead of having real interaction with peers, theyre bombarded by

technology, causing them to have a hard time adjusting between the real world and technology.

Plowman also states, The damage being done by immersing children in electronic technologies

is becoming clearer. Increasing numbers of them spend hours each day sitting in front of screens

instead of playing outdoors, reading, and getting much physical exercise and face-to-face social

interaction all of which, it turns out, provide essential stimulation to the growing minds and

intellect. Plowmans point is that children are spending a large amount of their time in front of

TV, smartphone, and tablet screens. I can agree with Plowmans statements, before, children had

to be creative and use their imagination to create games they could play with friends to combat

boredom, but todays children have access to endless entertainment right in the palms of their

hands. Apps and games may provide entertainment to children, but they dont require any face-

to-face interaction, and they require very little cognitive skills. By not having to physically

interact with friends and use critical or imaginative thinking, children are becoming

underdeveloped in multiple areas, which could negatively affect them later in life.

Today technology and social media are synonymous with one another. Although social

media is relatively new, society has become so adapted to using social media that its hard to

imagine what life would be like if it didnt exist. Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram are major

social media platforms where users can post photos, videos, and share their thoughts for the

world to see. Social media can be used to show anything, and that means anything. Children and

adolescents who use social media are at risks to being exposed to inappropriate content, such as

sexual photos or violent and gory videos. Children and adolescents who see these things can be

easily influenced by the inappropriate content, unlike adults and older teens who know how to

navigate through the content.

 Another con to children and adolescents using social media is that users often have

regrets about posts or things theyve said on social media. Adolescence is a very crucial period

of self-discovery, changing hormones and conflicting emotions, which when combined can lead

to adolescents saying whatever is on their mind. In Children, Technology, Problems, and

Preferences, an article written by Barry Farber, he states it is hard for young people, in fact for

everyone, to backtrack when an electronic social communication goes awry and someones

feelings get hurt at times, terribly hurt. Ruptures in the relationship may be more difficult to

repair in many forms of e-communication. Farber is basically stating that it can be hard to take

back a comment when its said online. When communicating in person its easier to read

someones emotions, you can tell when someone doesnt really mean what they say or when

something is said by accident. When people communicate through social media you cant read a

persons body language and emotions, so when something is said it is often taken for face value.

Social media addiction is one of the serious problems which is affecting children and

adolescents. Children and adolescents who began using social media at such a young age may

not even realize that they are addicted because its become the norm. In the same study

conducted by Farber, he found that more than 50% of adolescents view their favorite social

media apps at least once a day, and that 22% check their social media accounts an upwards of 10

times a day. Later in the article Farber claims excessive use of online technology results in in

negative offline consequences, he also uses research from a report by the American Pediatric

Association which states Depression, sleep deprivation, social anxiety, aggression, internet

addiction, social isolation, and susceptibility to the influence of the online advertising have all

been noted as potential consequences of adolescent social media usage. Adolescents who spend

so much of their time on social media can develop feelings of jealousy and inferiority all because
of posts they view online. Imagine being an adolescent girl who is bombarded with

photoshopped images of women and teenage girls who all have skinny waist, long beautiful hair,

and glowing tan skin. Eventually you may start feeling insecure and unhappy with yourself

because youve developed unrealistic expectations of beauty from social media.

Although technology and social media can be used to enhance education or create new

social connections, there isnt a universal way to protect children and adolescents from the

numerous online dangers. Authors Chelsea Clinton and James P. Steyer, claim in their article Is

the Internet Hurting Children?, We need legislation, educational efforts and norms that reflect

21st-century realities to maximize the opportunities and minimize the risks for our kids. They

even refer to the Childrens Television Act which was passed in 1990 by congress as a reaction

to an explosion of television programming of increasingly questionable quality for kids.

Without a way to protect children and adolescents from dangerous online content they shouldnt

be allowed unregulated access to technology and social media.

I believe that it isnt good for children to have unlimited access to so much technology,

during childhood children are supposed to be carefree and make friends, they cant do any of that

if theyre spending all their time in front of a screen. In terms of children and adolescents using

social media I believe that there are too many risks. Childhood, and adolescence especially are

when people learn about themselves. Its so easy to be negatively influenced by peers and people

they look up to. Using social media during such a sensitive time could potentially hinder a

person from discovering who they really are.

 Works Cited

Addiction to Technology Is Ruining Lives - Simon Sinek on Inside Quest. Performance

by Simon Sinek, YouTube.com, Inside Quest, Dec. 2016, Date Accessed 26, Sept. 2017,

www.youtube.com/watch?v=sL8AsaEJDdo.

Clinton, Chelsea, and James P. Steyer. Is the Internet Hurting Children? CNN, Cable

News Network, 21 May 2012, Date Accessed 24, Sept. 2017,

www.cnn.com/2012/05/21/opinion/clinton-steyer-internet-kids/index.html.

Farber, Barry A., et al. Children, Technology, Problems, and Preferences. Wiley

Online Library, Wiley Library, 7 Sept. 2012, Date Accessed 24, Sept. 2017,

onlinelibrary.wiley.com.libproxy.csun.edu/doi/10.1002/jclp.21922/full.

Plowman, Lydia, et al. The Technologisation of Childhood? Young Children and

Technology in the Home. Wiley Online Library, Wiley Library, 22 Aug. 2008, Date Accessed

24, Sept. 2017, onlinelibrary.wiley.com.libproxy.csun.edu/doi/10.1111/j.1099-

0860.2008.00180.x/full.