Screen Technology's Impact on Cognitive Development

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With the innumerable technological leaps, screen technology has permeated all aspects of life including education and entertainment. The effects of which on cognition have and continue to be widely contentious. This essay will outline the positive and negative influences of screen technology on cognitive development and will evaluate the debate proving that the improvement of intelligence is positively related to the use of screen technology by examining the influence of neuroplasticity.
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With the leaps technology has made, people’s reliance on screen technology has become so prevalent that it permeates all aspects of life such as education and entertainment. Some scholars argue that screen technology positively affects cognitive skills whereas …show more content…

McClellan’s (2005) article reports that according to Johnson’s study, computer games are essentially brain exercises that improve the psychological fitness holistically because they require continuous focus, strategic decision-making, and creative thinking. Video games, another form of screen technology, have also been found to improve these aspects which are important as children often find gaming fun and this must be utilised productively to aid the development of cognition / mental acumen. An example of this would be Assassin’s Creed, alternate versions of history role playing game, which develops spatial skills, strategic thinking, and executive …show more content…

As a consequence of the pervasive usage of screen technology, cognition has been affected because of the influence of neuroplasticity. Abbott (2013) and McClellan (2005) found that screen technology improved the holistic intellectual capacity through the advancement of cognitive skills such as multitasking, spatial ability, strategic decisiveness, and many others whereas Swing et al. (2010) Carr and (2010) observes that it degenerates attention spans and in-depth thinking. Overall, although some scholars argue that deterioration of cognitive function is due to screen technology exposure, it must be acknowledged that the positive correlation between screen technology exposure and the progression of cognizance outweighs the negatives because with the appropriate and sufficient utilisation of screen technology for cognitive development, the advantages will eclipse any disadvantages that could

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