Technology's Negative Effects on Attention in Children

Technology also has negative effects on children’s attention development. This is crucial to have for the development of each and every child. Some aspects that will affect children’s attention development is…

1. Many children who are constantly in front of a screen will experience many issues relating to their attention development as “Previous studies of children’s digital media usage indicate that infants and toddlers who are excessively exposed to television are more likely to have attention-related problems in the elementary-school stage” (Jin & Lin, 2022). The shows that are now on television showcase lots of videos that are constantly changing which leads to children not being able to focus on one thing at once. They become so accustomed to the movement of these screens changing so fastly, that they do not develop the ability to be able to focus on one thing.

2. These children who are using digital devices will have negative effects on their attention skills as “more screen time was associated with decreased functional connectivity between regions related to language, visual perception, and visual-attention abilities’” (Jin & Lin, 2022). These skills are crucial for cognitive development, and without these, a child will have a difficult time learning in school and getting the right education they need to succeed. They will be held back in many areas of development and will have difficulty focusing in school and will need extra assistance.

3. It is crucial to understand that when a child is constantly in front of a screen and are “exposed to technology at high rates, their brain may adopt an internet approach to thinking – quickly scanning and processing multiple sources of information. Developing brains are particularly vulnerable to this” (How does technology affect children, 2022). Since these children are looking at multiple different websites, videos, screens and links all at once, they are unable to gain that skill that helps them develop their attention skills as they are quick to be able to change their screen to quickly find new information. They are unable to pay attention as technology moves very quickly and so does a young child’s life. At this age, they are still developing and so it is necessary that they have the ability to be attentive when reading, watching videos or scanning the internet for things.

What does the research say about Technology's influence on Memory and Attention Development?

The research talks about how technology affects children in many ways, both positive and negative. Many children have the opportunity to go on their devices since “almost all families with children under the age of eight have digital media devices; 42% of children have their own tablets, and the average usage time is 2 hours and 19 minutes per day” (Jin & Lin, 2022). The average number of children who now own or have access to technology has rapidly increased over the past couple of years and now it is more accessible than ever. Technology is now introduced to many children at home with families as well as in daycares and school. Key information to know is that attention is important for children in these early years as these stages are when they grow and develop at a fast rate. In addition to this, research has stated that “attention development is the foundation of all the mental functions and pre-academic skills of preschool children. The development of attention ability, and of networks that form attention in the brain, will afterwards impact the child’s cognitive development and the interest enlightenment. Thus, the development and maturation of attentional networks and attention ability is essential for young children” (Jin & Lin, 2022). In order for a child to succeed academically, children should be developing their attention skills as this is a crucial skill needed for school. They will be working on many tasks given by the educator and will have to focus to complete the work on time. Preschool children still need to develop this ability as they will be facing many challenges for the first time in which they will need to carefully listen to the teacher, understand and focus on what they are saying as well as use this skill to communicate with their peers. A young child starts learning to develop a skill called orienting attention within the first six months of life which is when they have the capacity to choose and concentrate on a single piece of information in the presence of many sensory inputs (Jin & Lin, 2022). This is important for these children to develop as they continue to grow older since there will always be times when a distraction is present and so they have to gain the ability to focus on a specific task or object. The amount of knowledge a developing preschooler can retain and subsequently use directly depends on their capacity to focus on a certain job, project, or instruction. A child's ability to shut out unimportant distractions and focus on a specific task also aids in the development of self-control. Research also talks about how memory development is an essential aspect in life to have as complex cognitive skill is necessary for many elements of thinking and learning, including language and reading, organizing, following instructions, problem-solving, thinking, and the capacity to develop a positive perception of oneself (Developing memory, n.d.). Technology can help develop these skills with many different games, videos, website and links. It has been researched and stated that “Gaming is also linked to better working memory, as well as better spatial skills. Playing active video games may enhance spatial skills, which are malleable and related to performance in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) performance” (Gottschalk, 2019). Although it can seem like playing games has no effect on memory, Children who play video games had more activation in the parts of the brain linked to attention and memory than did kids who have never played. Educational games are widely available online for many children to play with and develop their skills. Ensuring that educators are monitoring young children when they are on their devices is important as they will be able to determine if the games the children play will help them improve their attention skills.