Attention and Memory in the Age of Technology
The Effects of Technology on the Attention and Memory of Children 1 - 4 years old
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Why is it Important?
Acknowledging both the positive and negative effects of technology on children between the ages of 1 - 4 years old because it can support educators and parents to be informed adults when it comes to children growing up in a society where technology is heavily relied on. Though the use of technology brings many educational elements that can help children learn (Western Governors University, 2019), the overuse of technology can have direct affects on a young child’d attention and memory (Nature Wellbeing, n.d.).
Objectives
Objectives of technology’s influence on memory and attention development of toddlers and preschoolers would be not only to focus on other positive and negative effects, but to also know what and how we can use it in the classroom in a way that is not distracting. For positive aspects children focus on their attention and being able to touch the device and know where to touch, is important because allowing children to know and understand how to do it is important while also knowing what has their attention. Also as for their executive functions, cognitive, attention and memory, having limits to how long children stay on devices is very crucial because not only will it support their development, but it will also help to improve on their working memory. On the other hand, the negative aspects of children’s memory development when using devices, would be that they may not be able to learn from the mistakes when playing games. Also, when using the devices, children can become reliant on them. For instance, when using technology, children may tend to have difficulty to develop their memory skills if they are on devices and would try and find an answer, rather than actually thinking as to what they would already know about the topic and only researching when they would want more information to add on. As for children’s development, there are concerns if they are on the devices for a long period of time and that it would affect their attention development. This being said, children would not be able to just focus on one thing at a time, since they are accustomed to screens on devices constantly changing, which would then show that their attention span to be limited.
Aims and Outcomes
Aims
Aims of technology’s influence on memory and attention development of toddlers/preschoolers would be that when shaping attention and cognitive development with the influence of technology, in regards to toddlers and preschoolers, it aims to “identify key lessons for the current generation of digital users” (Vedechkina & Borgonovi, 2021, paragraph 6). The evidence would be research that would focus on “across developmental and educational psychology, and neuroscience to uncover the diverse theoretical camps, nuances, and contradictions within the existing scientific literature” (Vedechkina & Borgonovi, 2021, paragraph 6). The existing research would be to “propose an organizing framework which accounts for the role of content, context, purpose, individual and social factors in shaping observed outcomes in a way that is relevant to present-day digital users” (Vedechkina & Borgonovi, 2021, paragraph 6) When it comes to literature, the interaction “between technology and human cognition is complex and multidimensional. We end with a discussion of some of the challenges and unaddressed issues in the literature and propose directions for future research to improve how technology-cognition interactions are studied, interpreted, and translated from research to practice.” (Vedechkina & Borgonovi, 2021, paragraph 6) Also, there are examples as to what to do to help young children with“new portable devices support applications that limit the amount of time individuals engage with them, that can be set up either by children themselves or by their parents and carers” (Vedechkina & Borgonovi, 2021, paragraph 86).
Outcomes:
Outcomes of technology’s influence on memory and attention development of toddlers and preschoolers would be focusing on the learning outcomes. However, the “specific aspects of the digital media that are most likely to affect learning outcomes are those that elicit and maintain the child's attentional and motivational engagement”(Blumberg et al, 2019, paragraph 15). These learning outcomes do not only affect in the classroom, but at home as well. Parents would have to focus on the parent-child relationship when it comes to their children using technology, since it can affect their cognitive development, memory and attention development. So, “parent–child co-play varies widely between families (just like co-viewing of television programming), and this variation intersects in predictable ways with broader patterns of parent–child closeness, communication, and parental involvement in child learning.” (Blumberg et al, 2019, paragraph 15). While also promoting STEM learning, which emphasizes “indirect learning outcomes such as students’ attitudes toward the learning of STEM content and the digital medium in which the content is based, rather than more direct outcomes such as academic achievement. Not surprisingly, this body of work is infrequently found within the developmental psychology journals and seldom focused on how digital media exposure may impact cognitive development” (Blumberg et al, 2019, paragraph 25). Although, between “social-emotional development during middle childhood and cognitive outcomes, particularly in relation to children's parasocial relationships with characters and particularly during interactive game use, is another promising and unexplored venue for transferring information from 2D to 3D contexts” (Blumberg et al, 2019, paragraph 47). With that, children’s cognitive outcomes relate to their learning outcomes because when they are interacting with technology, it will focus on their cognitive, as well as their learning.