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With the leaps that 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 others disagree. Neuroplasticity is the theory that the brain is malleable and therefore adapts to its environments and experiences in spite of disabilities, injuries, or old age (Doidge 2010). This essay will outline the debate of the positive and negative effects of screen technology on cognitive development. It will also evaluate the debate, verifying that the improvement of intelligence is positively related to the use of screen technology through the influence of neuroplasticity. …show more content…
Abbott (2013) and McClellan (2005) report 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) and Carr (2010) observes that it degenerates attention spans and in-depth thinking which reflects unfavourably on intellectual civilisations. The problem with this notion is that it completely disregards the potential advantages it could bring such as the increase in the observation of patterns and multitasking capacity. On the other hand, screen technology does overburden the mind. Overall, although some scholars argue that the deterioration of cognitive function is due to screen technology exposure, the positive correlation between screen technology exposure and the progression of cognizance must be acknowledged. Screen technology improves the overall intellectual capacity of individuals through multitasking, logic, coordination, and many others. With the appropriate and sufficient utilisation of screen technology for cognitive development, the advantages will eclipse any disadvantages that could arise. Additionally, more longitudinal research on how screen technology through the influence of neuroplasticity must be conducted. For example, the use of screen technology could be harnessed for the recovery of cognitive function in those with disabilities, diseases or
The growing presence of technology is going to become more and more prevalent in the future as technology continues to evolve. If Carr is right, then we are going to see the continuous deterioration of critical thinking skills in future generations. However, we may also see a rise in more technological advances that will help society function better. Overall, this book was mainly concerned with the effects that new information and communication technologies will have on the brain.
Atlantic journalist Nicholas Carr confesses that he feels something has been “tinkering with his brain.” The internet, he fears, may be messing with our minds. We have lost the ability to focus on a simple task, and memory retention is steadily declining. He is worried about the effect the internet has on the human brain, and where it may take us in the future. In response to this article, Jamais Cascio, also a journalist for the Atlantic, provides his stance on the issue. He argues that this different way of thinking is an adaptation derived from our environment. Ultimately, he thinks that this staccato way of thinking is simply a natural evolution, one that will help to advance the human race.
Most people believe that the web will increase their intelligence and with a smartphone knowledge is at the tips of their fingers; however, this is not exactly true. Research suggests that easier access to information reduces mental
Due to this argument, parents and children now heavily rely on technology for a main source of play, limiting the challenges of all creativity and imagination (Rowan 3). Although technology can provide some games and tools that can help children learn, it does not provide the same benefits as actual play and actually causes more harm than good. One of the main problems with play through technology is the fact that children are seeing a “symbolic representation of the real world” and are not receiving a direct experience of the real world with real people and materials (Rice 3). The more time children spend looking at a screen, the more they are isolating themselves and not spending time with other children and adults (Rice 3). This is not only damaging to the learning development of a child, but also the healthy development of forming relationships and social skills (Rice 3). According to a 2010 Kaiser Foundation study, children who are in elementary school use on average 7.5 hours per day of entertainment technology and spending this much “screen time” is damaging to the development of children because their “sensory, motor, and attachment systems have biologically not evolved to accommodate this
Technology and the Brain As a college student, using the internet and technology is a daily task. Everything you need for your classes: schedules, homework, quizzes, and even tests are all online. The debate on technology and the brain suggests that technology may have an effect on the brain, effect multi-tasking, and cause addiction. Brain Activity
Throughout our everyday lives whether we think about it or not. Computers and technology are and have been an integral part of our lives. Computers and technology assist us with so much, such as the way we drive and the way we learn. We no longer have to deal with the hassle of driving stick and we no longer have to be in a physical classroom with the advent of online education. In Clive Thompsons’ essay “Smarter than you think how technology is changing our minds for the better,” he discusses how the ever changing capacity of technology improves the mental cognition of human beings.
In a culture where families tend to leave their children alone with technological devices, screen time is bound to play a role in a child’s happiness, psychological development, and academic progress. In The Village Effect, Susan Pinker (2014) discusses the research that has been done in regards to technology and the potential consequences it has on our overall well-being. Pinker (2014) asserts that, while many have made attempts - using technology - to close the academic achievement gap between the opposite ends of the economic classes, the effects of this effort have been either inert or adverse. It is essential to understand the possible damaging effects of screen use on developing children; if we can grasp the ways in which children develop cognitive skills most optimally, it becomes easy to see that technology isn’t the forerunner in tools that is able to deliver success. Rather, face-to-face contact is shown to be the ultimate mechanism that help children to succeed, not only in school, but many other areas of welfare as well (Pinker, 2014).
Electronics can cause us to be distracted, and the results of these distractions cause many problems toward our lives. The author of “Is Google Making us Stupid”, Nicholas Carr, acknowledges the fact that we can’t do any deep thinking with the distractions that technology provides. He explains, “Deep thinking, scientists have discovered, happens only when our minds are calm and attentive.” On technology our minds aren’t calm and attentive. Therefore, we can’t do deep thinking. The author also addresses the fact that when we are distracted, we don’t understand as much, we learn less, and we remember less things. The text “Attached to Technology and Paying a Price, “ by Matt Richtel offers another reason we should shut down our screens, and
These two articles are similar in the sense that they agree that the internet and computational objects are reshaping our brain’s structure by changing our neural circuit. By using examples from their personal experiences to identify a trend in technology use, the authors illustrate that the more we bury ourselves in technology the more we are unable to understand material which leads to loss of concentration and the ability to think for ourselves. As an author, Carr finds the internet a beneficial tool, but it’s having a bad effect on his concentration span. Carr points this out by stating “Immersing myself in a book or lengthy article used to be easy, now I get fidgety, lose the thread and begin looking for something else to do” (39). He is no
A 2010 Kaiser Foundation study showed that elementary aged children use on average 7.5 hours per day of entertainment technology (Rowan).Various studies have been conducted based on the controversial topic of the impact of technology on a child’s development. Many people believe that by handing their three year old an Ipad or Kindle it’s helping their brain development and enhancing their learning skills. There are some benefits but parents may be holding their children back from fully developing skills that are essential later in life. Parents should limit the use of technology by their children in order for that child’s creativity, deep thinking skills, and ability to focus to develop properly.
Technologies such as television and computer games have long been a controversial point in regards to young children’s learning and education. Mental stimulation for children aged three to seven using technology during the brains developmental stage can be used as somewhat of a benefit, as there are now educational television programmes and computer games. Technology can be of benefit for children’s brain health by educational television shows, such as Dora the Explorer and Little Einstein’s. These television shows are recommended for children aged 3 and over. The shows teach children from counting and spelling skills to simple scientific facts. Learning these skills can benefit children by increasing their mental capacity, vocabulary and memory as their brains are growing. Several computer games ca...
Using technology can change a child's brain. The use of technology can alter the actual wiring of the brain. More than a third of children under the age of two use mobile media. That number only increases as children age, with 95% of teens 12-17 spending time online. The time spent with technology doesn't just give kids newfangled ways of doing things, it changes the way their brains work. Technology can also be a significant thing. Technology has many benefits to the individual and to an organization including optimizing speed and time, providing a better way to store information, enhancing the sharing of information and providing automation to tasks that otherwise require extensive human work and calculation. Technology serves as an advancement in science that allows for a better solution to everyday tasks.
In today’s society we are overwhelmed with technology. Technology is changing everyday, and will forever be a staple in our lives. The effect that technology has on our children has brought on some concerns and some praises. Children these days have no choice but to some how be influenced by the ever growing technology in our societies. Our common concern has been that although digital technology has boosted children’s talent for multitasking, their ability to process information deeply may be deteriorating (Carpenter, 2010). Many people have a wide range of opinions on if technology is having a positive influence on our children or a negative, there is a vast amount of evidence to support both of these arguments. Technology can refer to so many things, but there are three main parts of technology that are having the greatest effects on our children: video games, television/media, and computers. The modern technologies we have today are so powerful because they attract our genetic biases, that the human brain has a tremendous love for visually presented information. Video games, television, movies and computer programs are all very visually oriented and therefore they attract and keep the attention of children easily.
There has been a long lasting debate in the resent years on whether or not technology has a positive or negative impact on today’s kids. As the years move on, the negative effects have begun to outnumber the positive. The generations previous spent their childhood making forts, fishing, and using their imaginations, contrary to today’s generations who spend their free time texting, playing video games, and watching videos. Damaging effects such as decreases in school performances, addiction to electronics, and lack of brain development have all been linked to the electronic media stimulation. In order to prevent the future generation from following in the current generations footsteps, one must full comprehend just how much technology impacts
Almost every child between the ages of eight and twelve are getting cell phones. The average home in America has as many televisions as they do people. Only 20% of American homes do not have a computer. Technology is quickly becoming a new way of life. The amount of time people are on their devices is growing rapidly. According to The Huffington Post, people are on their devices for on average about eleven hours and fifty-two minutes a day. That is almost half a day and a lot longer than most people sleep or work. People have not realized yet how they or their families are being affected by this constant use of technology. As a result of technology increasing, children are experiencing health problems, school issues, and social problems.