Tablets and Their Effect on Children

1045 Words3 Pages

As we already know, the rate of technological advancement has increased substantially in the last ten years. The iPhone 5S and iPhone 5C were released in mid-October. The PS4 and Xbox One game systems are to be released within a week of each other this fall. We no longer have to wait very long for new versions of popular companies’ devices. In fact, we have almost become expectant and impatient of these new installments. This generation operates devices that elder generations would have never thought possible. Therefore, it is important to notice the effect technology has on the development of this generation of children’s academic and social skills: specifically the effect that tablets have on children. Tablets are positive innovations that are an advantage to children’s learning processes if monitored to avoid negative side effects.
In a recent commercial for Dish Network, a well-known satellite TV provider, there were three men shown hovering around a tablet watching live news coverage of a robbery ring while the actual robberies on the news were taking place around them. Eventually, one of the robbers snatched the tablet from the men as they continued to stare down at the area where the tablet had been. This is an example of what many parents wish to avoid in weaning their children into the world of technology use. The men did not realize the events happening around them because they were so absorbed in the media they were watching on their tablet. It is a possibility that children without regulated tablet use could become less sensitive to stimuli, such as a calling voice. Children can develop the ability to “tune out” parents when asked to do something if always attached closely to the screen. Much like teenagers who exhibit...

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..., so it is important to regulate what fills their growing minds.

Works Cited

Bilton, Nick. “The Child, the Tablet, and the Developing Mind.” NYTimes. NYTimes, 31 March 2013. Web. 19 November 2013.
Dervin, Dan. "Writing Childhood Today: The Impossible Task?." Journal Of Psychohistory 40.4 (2013): 283-292. Academic Search Complete. Web. 19 Nov. 2013.
Hennick, Calvin. "Does Screen Time Make You Crazy?." Scholastic Parent & Child 21.1 (2013): 147-153. Academic Search Complete. Web. 19 Nov. 2013.
Innes, Emma. “Toddlers who use tablets or smart phones may develop long-term problems with their hands and fingers, experts warn.” Daily Mail. Associated Newspapers Ltd. 18 November 2013. Web. 25 November 2013.
Rosin, Hanna. "The Touch-Screen Generation. (Cover Story)." Atlantic Monthly (10727825) 311.3 (2013): 56-65. OmniFile Full Text Mega (H.W. Wilson). Web. 19 Nov. 2013.

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