Negative Effect of the IPad on Our Youth

806 Words2 Pages

Recently, many schools have initiated a blended learning programme. These programmes provide a one-on-one student to device ratio and have caused much controversy. This scrutiny is only intensified when discussing the effect of such environments on children as young as the age of six, and many experts disagree with this practice. This essay will discuss the negative effects of younger children using devices (predominately iPads). Some of these reasons include: the negative effect iPads have on a developing child's social skills; the way these devices hinder muscle development, especially in the region of the hand and wrist; the possibility of becoming addicted; and the detrimental repercussions on the brains ability to process words and sounds quickly. Ipads are also proven to reduce young children's vocabulary.

Firstly, excessive exposure to screens and electrical devices is shown to drastically effect a growing child's social skills. These skills are invaluable and without them children are incapable of making and keeping loyal friends; more likely to suffer from behavioural issues and more likely to be uncomfortable speaking to people: especially their elders and people unbeknown to them. A long term research team, The Millennium Cohort Study Group, has conducted a study consisting of nineteen thousand children born in 2000 and 2001. In following this group of children, the study group has discovered that children who are prone to watching or interacting with electrical devices for more than three hours a day are more likely to suffer from behavioural and relationship-orientated problems by the time they were seven than those who spent less time on their devices. This study demonstrates the damaging effect these devices have...

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...bulary compared to those who had no or less exposure to iPads. This is yet another solid reason why our country should be disallowing the use of devices in schools for students up to the age of seven.

In conclusion, iPads are detrimental to young children's social skills; cause harm to balance, posture, muscle development and fine motor skills; are liable to cause an addiction in younger children; and slow down the ability to process words and sounds as well as limiting vocabulary. These reasons are concrete proof that children up to the age of seven should not be using devices in a one-on-one environment for the six hours daily that they are at school. As a country, do we want to have our younger generation being dependent on their smartphones, tablets, and internet; or do we want strong leaders who can think for themselves? The choice is yours New Zealand.

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