Effect of Technology on Children
AProject ReportONDETERMINING THE EFFECT OF TECHNOLOGY ON
CHILDRENFor the partial fulfillment of the degree course of masters
of Business AdministrationSESSION: 2013-2015
Under Guidance of: Submitted By:
Ms. MEENAKSHI KATYAL SEEMA MISHRA(ASSISTANT PROFESSOR
MANAGEMENT) MBA 2NDyear13020115
BHAGAT PHOOL SINHG MAHILA VISHWAVIDYALAYA KHANPUR KALAN,
SONEPAT, HARYANA
DECLARATIONI Seema Mishra Student of MBA 4th semester (session
2013-2015) in BHAGAT OHOOL SINGH MAHILA VISHWAVIDYALAYA ,KHANPUR
KALAN SONEPAT,HARYANA, has completed this Project Report title .
DETERMINING THE EFFECT OF TECHNOLOGY ON CHILDREN is an original
piece of work toward partial fulfillment of MBA programme. I Seema
Mishra under the guidance of MeenakshiKatyal (ASSISTANT PROFESSOR),
BhagatPhool SinghMahilaVishwavidyalaya
Dated:Place
SEEMA
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTI acknowledge here the names of those people who
have been instrumental in preparation of my project. I acknowledge
my in deftness to my parents whose support, dedication and honest
efforts have given me an immense help in doing this project. I am
thankful to my faculty Guide MEENAKSHI KATYAL (ASSISTANT
PROFESSOR), for helping me in many ways .Finally I would express my
gratitude toward Management Department faculty and those who helped
me directly or indirectly in many ways and made my path more
interesting and easier. I am grateful to all the respondents who
helped me in gather the relevant information for this research
project.Above all I praise GOD the most beneficial, the most
merciful that I have been able to complete my training project
successfully. Seema
Table of ContentsExecutive Summary6Introduction8Obesity and
Physical Fitness20Knowledge and Learning20Social Media20Media
Images21Changing Social Norms22Review of
Literature24Objective32Research
Methodology34Reliability38Validity38Data Analysis and
Reporting38Conclusion48Limitation of Study48Reference49week (D.A.
Gentile, 2004). Keep Track of Your Kids49
Executive Summary
This study focused on the impact of e-learning on academic
performance. The study relates to a level one undergraduate module
delivered using traditional lectures and e-learning based methods.
E-learning has been revealed in this study not to have a positive
impact on academic achievement contrary to the expectations of this
study.
The paper also examines the data for the presence of interaction
effects between e-learning study hours and socio-demographic
characteristics. This is undertaken to identify whether or not
personal-characteristic-related learning style differences
influence the extent to which students benefit from e-learning. It
is found that, after controlling for other factors, female students
benefited less from e-leaning material than their male
counterparts.
The methodology that was employed in this study was systematic
random sampling for students under traditional study mode and
purposive sampling in identification of students under the
e-learning study mode.
It is concluded that in order to improve teaching effectiveness
and academic achievement, higher education should consider aiming
to develop e-learning teaching strategies that encourage greater
engagement and also take into consideration the different learning
styles found within the student body.
The study recommends that critical factors such as institutional
issue, management issue, pedagogical factors, technological issue,
interface design issue, evaluation issue, and resource support
issue and the factors within each issue have not yet been
investigated with detail coverage. It further suggests that there
is need to carry out detail research involving case studies based
on survey questionnaires involving various learning institutions
which will ultimately give a better understanding of impact of
e-learning aspects within implementation process.
IntroductionTechnology is one of the principal driving forces of
the future; it is transforming our lives and shaping our future at
rates surprising in history, with profound implication which we
can't even begin to see or understand. In today's world we are
plagued with technology. The technology which surrounds almost
everyone in the modern society, is changing every day, and will
forever be a staple in our lives. Kids in the current generation
are enamored with technology. Although perhaps it is not that they
adore technology so much but the simple fact they have never lived
without. Technology has had a significant effect on children that
has brought on some concerns. 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, 2000). There is vast amount of technology
in today's world, but there are three main component of technology
that is having the greatest impact on children: video games,
television/media, and computers. The modern technologies we have
today are tremendously powerful; they attract our genetic biases.
The human brain is attracted to visually presented information.
Video games, television, movies and computer programs are all very
visually oriented and therefore they magnetize and keep the
attention of children.Technology can be used for many things, some
positive, some negative. The effects that are now being documented
on children whom are left unattended for hours on end are nothing
but negative. Long term damage is more prevalent in the recent
studies than ever before. Researchers are finding that many parents
are using the internet and other forms of technology to raise their
children. Thus leaving small children to have free reign, and
spending hours plugged in to any form of technology is detrimental
to many areas of the childs life.Children are suffering
academically in many ways. Technology is taking away from learning
skills that are necessary to survive in society. Many enter school
without the ability to pay attention for long periods of time, due
to fast pace of the internet. Many other effects are being seen, we
are used to the instant gratification of the internet more now than
ever before, and do not have the patience to see projects thru to
completion. Teachers are seeing more and more kids, without the
ability to control themselves. If they do not receive the answer
that they want, they have a meltdown, or a temper tantrum. A large
number of children are unable to have a normal conversation, they
have logged so many hours online, having chat conversations that
they are unable to converse in a normal setting. (Martin 1)Teachers
and other administrators are also finding that middle school kids
are carrying attitudes of invincibility. The way that some talk
online is completely different from reality, they are tough behind
a keyboard, but without being taught respect, and the skills to
have an educated conversation, we are doing nothing but a
disservice to our children. If a child has been trained to occupy
their time on the internet when mom or dad is busy instead of going
outside and making friends, or riding bikes how are they to handle
going to school with playground time, and activities with other
children which do not involve technology? Parents need to realize
these harmful effects of technology and make it a priority that
their children learn proper socialization skills(Clinton, and
Steyer). We used to occupy our time and attention with activities
like reading (this is an activity that requires imagination, and
memory), and writing. Both reading and writing develops academic
skills such as problem solving, critical thinking, and better
vocabulary. This is showing in testing scores, and school work.Many
teachers are seeing a decline in childrens writing skills. With so
much of their education now being online, the use of handwriting
and general writing skills is being ignored. Cursive handwriting
has become a pastime; most children cannot write their names in
cursive let alone read it. As children emerge into adulthood there
is going to be a need to be able to read cursive, not as much as in
the past, but children still need to know how to read and write
it.Most of todays children would be lost if you were to drop them
in a library and tell them to find information for a research
paper, without using technology. For them the answer is to look it
up on the internet, but what about how to find information in an
Encyclopedia, or in a Reference section of the library? The use of
the library is another part of education that is being forgotten
due to the growth of technology. Findings show that they are not
actually retaining information, but where to find the information.
Research is showing that children are teacher taught in class are
retaining more information than those students who are plugged in
for class, learning information from an internet based program.It
has been determined that children who are using technology
excessively are actually different internally; the changes are
coming from the waves emitted. Doctors are finding that the
overload of technology is hindering our short term memory. The
radio waves are also causing us to be wired differently; the veins
of the developing eyes are shrinking, and causing a rise in vision
problems in children and adults alike. The pituitary gland is
over-releasing dopamine more than ever before. If you get excited
by something your gland will release dopamine. For many people
instead of it releasing when you get excited about something like a
new job or a workout at the gym, they are getting releases when
they get an email. The problem with the release from something like
an email is most people receive emails on a minute to minute basis,
and this high frequency of small exciting moments is causing the
pituitary gland to be overworked, thus the rise in depression. If
the gland is overworked it will not produce as much as it should
when necessary.Some doctors say the overwhelming rise in diagnoses
such as ADD and ADHD can be directly linked to the overuse of
things like cell phones, tablets, computers, and televisions. The
stress caused on the body during use of things such as video games
causes a persistent hypervigalent sensory system, the long term
effects of the body being on alert for long periods of time is the
rise we see in weakened immune system, serious diseases, and
disorders. Other auditory processing disorders that were mostly
unheard of have become more common than ever before. Things such as
CAPD (central auditory processing disorder), Depression, Anxiety,
and Sleep Deprivation have become so common it is not odd, or
awkward to see/hear of someone being diagnosed. Sleep Deprivation
comes from the brain not knowing how to turn off. After hours on a
technology based item the brain is moving on to the next level, or
chapter instead of turning off and getting good rest. It takes over
30 minutes for your eyes to relax after you turn something with a
backlight off (such as a cell phone or tablet). Anxiety can be
caused due to the rise in blood pressure and heart rate for an
extended period of time when using gaming technology.Doctors and
researchers are linking obesity to the rise in technology as well.
Young children require 2-3 hours per day of active rough and tumble
play to achieve adequate sensory stimulation to their vestibular,
proprioceptive and tactile systems. Tactile stimulation received
through touching, hugging and play is critical for the development
of praxis, or planned movement patterns. Touch also activates the
parasympathetic system lowering cortisol, adrenalin and
anxiety(Rowan). Cortisol causes belly fat in humans. When children
are sitting in front of a monitor instead of running and playing
outside they are storing fat not burning it. This coupled with the
decline in the purity of the food that we consume is a recipe for
destruction, or obesity.Many family units have been damaged due to
technology use and although there are some small positive effects
of technology on the majority the damage that it is causing to the
brains of our children severely outweighs any positive.Technology
has become an essential part of Americans daily lives, affecting
our communications, mail, relationships, the management of our
bills and finances. As we have become more immersed in the benefits
and capabilities of these constantly developing technologies,
children as well as adults have become avid users. Laptops and cell
phones are specially developed for preteens. Software and game
companies have been targeting children in their game development.
Video games have become common entertainment for children as young
as four. Children today can pick up a smart phone and quickly learn
how to use all of its features, as if it were inherent to
them.Todays American children have a higher exposure to technology
than any previous generation. Doctors, experts, and parents alike
have begun to worry about the effects of this exposure as these
children get older. Some believe that technology has provided a
wide variety of benefits to children, and aided with their
development. For example, technology allows for the classroom to be
updated and education to be modernized to keep up with the
ever-changing and high paced world. However, on the opposing side,
some believe that technology is stunting childrens development, and
making them more prone to violence.In order to determine how
technology should be integrated into childrens lives, if at all, we
must analyze the different effects technology has been having on
the youth of this generation. I have researched several benefits
and detriments to technology in the hands of children and taken a
look at how they influence childrens mental and physical
development. Along with extensive research on the topic, I have
also interviewed a senior research scientist at the Center for
Children and Technology, Cornelia Brunner, spoken to a class of
fourth grade students about their technology usage, and surveyed
high school students and adults about their thoughts on technology
trends and ideals in childrens lives. Through these experiences and
research I have been able to see what the trends are in technology
for children and how different age groups feel about the topics.
Through my project I aim to educate people about not only how
technology affects children, but also how it can be properly
incorporated into their lives.
Advantage: The Positive Side for Technology Children Updating
the ClassroomThere have been several studies on the positive
educational impact that technology has on students as young as
kindergarteners. In 1999, Cheryl Lemke, executive director of the
Milken Exchange on Education technology, conducted an interview
with Technology and Learning Magazine to outline specifically why
technology in the classroom is truly a benefit for students
(cosmopolisschool.com). In her interview, Lemke outlines these four
distinct reasons as: Technology accelerates and enriches basic
skills. Students who have access to technology become more quickly
engrossed in the material, and as such are able to absorb the
information more quickly. Electronic material can be more
stimulating and interactive for children. Technology is incredibly
motivational since it provides ease to students. In a study
conducted by David Dwyer, vice president of advanced learning
technology for Computer Curriculum Corporation, students were found
to produce more writing because it was easier to type than write,
which kept them more interested. Technology facilitates new fields
through simulations and three-dimensional models that would not
have been accessible beforehand. Technology prepares students for
the workforce at a young age, which is becoming more and more of a
vital skill as technology in our society becomes more relevant.
According to the US Department of Commerce, sixty percent of jobs
today require technological skills, and this is expected to
increase to ninety percent in the next fifty years.The U.S.
Department of Education has also released their own information on
educational technology that mirrors Lemkes opinions and ideas. The
point that echoes between both of these sources is that we are
living in modern times with more options available to children, and
educational models that would not have been accessible beforehand
must be modernized to keep up. It cannot be expected for children
to learn the same way as previous generations if they are expected
to stay ahead in this fast paced world (U.S. Department of
Education). While putting technology in early education may seem
alarming, it is shown that the presence of technology for kids has
several benefits. Along with the preparation for the work force,
technology allows children to learn in a whole new way. Children
can view animations of the solar system, look at three-dimensional
models of the human body, and learn through interactive games.
Senior Research Scientist at the Center for Children and Media,
Cornelia Brunner, has been an active participant in projects that
bring educational technology to children. In project Ready to
Learn, for example, Ms Brunner worked to develop educational videos
and curricula for children between the ages of two and eight
(Center for Children and Technology). She found that children used
the technology well and seemed to work with it naturally. They have
no way to compare it with anything. But we did find that they liked
it a lot and that it didnt stop them from being just as interested
in playing with sand and water and dolls ad cars. So it provided
them with another option and it did them no harm.Children today can
use technology as a supplement with traditional education, not as a
replacement. The proper mix of these two elements can give children
all the benefits of a modern education without requiring much
training for children. When using modern technology, children pick
it up at amazing speeds. A Cape Cod father of three said,When my
five year old daughter uses my computer, she doesnt even need me to
help her. She just figures it out on her own, and can quickly use
it just as well as the next person. Thats not to say she suddenly
understands all the content, but she knows how to make it function,
and to navigate it. Its as if technology is becoming innate to
todays children. Assistive technology to help students with
disabilities has also become vastly popular in the classroom.
Assistive technologys purpose is to augment abilities and bypass or
compensate for a disability (Lewis). Computers have been
specifically useful, for they allow us to manipulate items such as
text to meet the needs of individual students. For example, text
can be made larger so it can be seen easier, and also read aloud
for deaf students. More recently, specific devices have been
engineered to cater to students with specific disabilities.
DynaMyte, for instance, is a portable communication device that
facilitates students with communicative disabilities to speak and
converse with others through a keyboard composed of symbols. With
these sorts of innovations, it has been estimated that
approximately 95% of students with disabilities between the ages of
six and eleven are able to receive their education in regular
classrooms (ATTO).
Increasing Visual ReasoningWhen we use the any form of todays
technology, images are shown to us atspeeds higher than ever
before. We can watch high definition videos that make us feellike
were in the picture. We have intricate visualizers that allow us to
see our music.Games have been developed to look more realistic than
ever. Although older generationswho are now just beginning to see
this are not highly affected, children who have beendeveloping
along with these new high speed games are showing an increase in
theirvisual reasoning skills. After examining over fifty studies on
the effects of technology onchildren, UCLA Dr. Patricia Greenfield
confirmed a correlation of higher visualreasoning skills in
children in this generation (International Examiner). One
particularstudy noted that children who were adept at video games
were better at keyhole surgery(infopackets.com). These results have
been facilitated by games that have been developedto become
emotionally, socially, and visually stimulating to children. They
have beencreated to foster attention to detail, hand eye
coordination, as well as survival tactics.Because of all the visual
stimuli that result from modern gaming and electronics,children can
comprehend complex visual images more than ever before. When
looking ata modern gaming system, it can be seen how this is
possible. Games today are made tolook like reality. Characters are
crafted with such detail that they could be mistaken forreal
people. Think of the contrast to what games had to offer twenty
years ago: pixilatedimages of characters no bigger than your thumb.
Now, children are seeing complexstructures, monsters, machines, and
worlds that enter into their vision at an alarminglyquick pace.
Because of this sort of exposure, children today are more used to
theseimages and as such can react to and understand them quicker
than previous generationscould have.
Using technology to get PhysicalWith the introduction of systems
such as the Wii and the Xbox Kinect, gameshave become much more
than a sedentary activity. Exergaming, or playing games thatrequire
a physical movement or reaction, has grown in popularity since its
introduction afew years ago. Game systems are now actively
encouraging that children play morephysical games that require
motion in order to win (USAtoday). Some of the most well-known of
these games are Wii Sports, in which children and adults can play
virtualgames, such as tennis and baseball, and Just Dance! For the
Kinect. A game highlygeared toward exercise is Wii Fit Plus, which
includes activities for yoga, aerobics, andbalance improvement, and
also allows users to chart their progress and see how well theyare
improving.According to a study presented to the American College of
Sports Medicine,participating in exergaming requires at least twice
the amount of energy as traditionalvideo gaming, and can raise
childrens activity levels to meet guidelines for
moderateintensityactivity level (USAToday). Although exergaming
should not be used to replaceexercising, it is a great way to
engage children with higher BMIs to take part in physicalactivity
(MedicineNet). Heavier children who took part in a study in which
they first didtraditional exercise, such as running, and then
exergamed seemed to enjoy exergamingmuch more than children of a
normal weight, who were not as challenged.Using interactive gaming,
video game companies have managed to successfullypush an active
lifestyle on young gamers, as well as promote family time, which
iscrucial for childhood development (teenagers today), and this
movement has been vastlysuccessful. Children have been excited
about these games since their introduction, and afew that I spoke
to, even rank them as their favorite. One fourth grade girl said
her favorite game was Wii Sports resort because theres this thing
called Speed Slice and you get to cut all these like acorns, and
like all these foods and stuff, and it actually givesyou really
good exercise.
Keeping Track of Children Safety has become a major concern for
parents who are trying to keep control oftheir children in an
increasingly busy and distracting world. As our lives get more
chaoticand crowded, parents have been looking for more efficient
and reliable ways of keepingan eye on where their children are at
all times. Allowing children to have a cell phonefulfills this
functionality for connectivity, and is now easier and more
accessible than everbefore. The development of cell phones made
specifically for children helped to ease theconcerns that come
along with childhood connectivity. With smart phones having
morecapabilities than some computers, parents worry that putting
them in the hands ofchildren is detrimental, but risk not knowing
where their son or daughter is after school oron a Saturday
afternoon.
Effect: The Negative Side of Technology on Children
Our childrens digital lives are turning them into much different
creatures from us andNot necessarily for the better. Dalton Conley,
Time MagazineLoss of Privacy: Were always connected, because were
always connecting.As society become more connected through the
internet, cell phones, and social networking, privacy for children
is becoming a major concern, and one that is difficult to find a
solution to. Currently, the Childrens Online Privacy Protection Act
(COPPA) acts to protect children under thirteen from the
distribution of their information. Sites can enforce this by
releasing a privacy statement, or disallowing young children from
using their site at all (coppa.org). However, it can be difficult
to know for sure that the child using your website is being honest
about their age or any of their information at all. Facebook has
been arguably the biggest web phenomena in recent memory, taking in
millions of active users and allowing them to keep in touch with
their friends and family, and also the entire world. Any user can
constantly and publicly broadcast their photos, videos, opinions,
personal information, and even exact location, to whomever they so
choose. While Facebook imposes and does its best to keep up with
the thirteen-year-old age minimum, this can even be difficult to
enforce. Children can easily claim to be thirteen when theyre still
a couple years younger, and sometimes, parents even allow this. A
47-year-old Cape Cod mother said, You know, I feel like a
hypocrite, because Im saying I dont think children should have a
Facebook before theyre sixteen but hes eleven, and he has one. And
we had to lie about his age, and say hews thirteen.While it is
possible for children such as these to have private accounts on the
site, it is often difficult to understand how to become as private
as we might like to be. This can be difficult for even for some
adults, especially when Facebook founder MarkZuckerburg isnt all
too concerned with privacy himself. He was quoted saying that
privacy is no longer a social norm and that People have really
gotten comfortable not only sharing more information and different
kinds, but more openly and with more people (theguardian.com). In
this type of public online environment, adults and children can
attempt to hide their information, but it may be more difficult
than originally thought. Children can hide their information from
those who they are not friends with, but at this point, this might
not even prove to be enough. Facebook has exploded into a widely
used advertising agent, making it even more difficult to keep your
information to yourself. Applications have become a popular feature
of the site. They appeal to children because they serve so many
functions, such as game systems, quizzes, horoscopes, and deal
finders, however, they come with their ownrisks. Applications are
able to take information from their subscribers, even if the
persononly used the application once. Also, buried in Facebooks
privacy controls are settingsthat allow third party companies to
access much of your information if even a single one of your
friends use their application. For example, if a childs friend uses
Farmville, the company can also access the childs information
including their bio, birthday, whether or not theyre online,
photos, status update, or hometown (facebook.com). With this being
unknown to most adults, it is difficult to fathom that a
thirteen-year-old child will be able to understand and keep track
of these settings as well. Facebook is not the only threat to a
childs Internet security. Recently, Google Buzz has become a point
of concern for many parents as well. Technology analyst Charlene Li
spoke in an article from the Los Angeles Times about the issues
rising from her nine-year-old daughter using the very public
website. After she found her daughter publicly posting a
conversation with her friends, she looked deeper into the site and
found some alarming posts. Fortunately, this was her only buzz
posting. But what was most disturbing was looking at her friends
conversations and realizing that some of them were chatting with
complete strangers, and in some cases, sharking personal
information like e-mails. Absolutely terrifying as these are forth
grades who have no clue. These children having no clue is what is
most alarming about childrens Internet usage. Many children do not
realize how public their information is becoming, and how many
potentially threatening people can access it. As children publicly
post their emails, schedules and locations, they are allowing
strangers to know where they are at all times. It is more difficult
to keep yourself private when our world suddenly became the entire
World Wide Web.Lessened ability to multitaskAlthough many avid
technology users believe they have become more able to handle
multitasking, scientific studies have shown that the effects of
using technology may be opposite of these conceptions. Technology
today has become more than just using a computer at work, or
checking your email once you get home. It has become a constant
stream of information flowing into our lives through mobile
notifications, thousands of functional apps, and the easily
accessible wireless Internet. These capabilities have been great,
however as Powers states in Hamlets Blackberry Weve been doing our
best to ignore it, but it wont go away. It comes down to this: Were
all busier. Much, much busier. American society has become used to
distractions and constant business thanks to the new needs to check
our social media and receive instant email updates to our pockets.
Powers writes in many ways they [digital technologies] do make
things easier, reducing the time and trouble it takes to
communicate and perform important tasks. But at the same time, they
link us more tightly to all the sources of our busyness. According
to an article in Time magazine, eight to eighteen year olds spend
seven hours and thirtyeight minutes a day using entertainment
media. As they have become so absorbed into it, that social and
entertainment media become a constant distraction. These
distractions affect the way childrens developing brains absorb new
information, and can lead to continuous partial attention (CPA).
Coined by former Microsoft executive, Linda Stone, CPA is the state
we enter into when we are using technology and are forced to split
our attention between several different tasks. We shift our
priority to what is most important, and are constantly paying some
attention to several things, and yet never giving our full
attention to any one task (Time Magazine). Childrens high ability
to do this leads many to believe that their multitasking skills
have skyrocketed, however, this superficial reasoning is hiding
other findings. Constantly focusing on several tasks at once
changes the way people think and behave. While children who use
technology may be able to split their priority between many tasks,
they have become unable to focus, due to constant bursts of new
information. In an article in the New York Times, scientists
discussed the negative effects of new multi tuskers. According to
their research, multitaskers actually have more trouble focusing
and shutting out irrelevant information... and they experience more
stress. To test these studies, subjects were divided into two
groups, those who were heavy multitaskers and those who werent. The
groups were then shown two brief images of red and blue rectangles,
and told to state whether or not the red rectangles had moved.They
were told to completely disregard the blue rectangles. In this
test, the multitaskers scored significantly lower than the
non-multitaskers, showing that they had a more difficult time
filtering out the irrelevant information in the test (NYTimes.com).
Testssuch as this show that children who heavily use technology and
become accustomed to itsconstant reminders and multiple
functionality will be better at multitasking, but will befar more
sensitive to incoming information, and will not be as good at
focusing entirelyon tasks that may require it. While this
multitasking has its place, it will not movechildren into higher
status jobs. Multitaskers become more skilled in higher
monotonousjobs, where less information will be incoming, such as
factory lines. They will not be aswell suited for deep thinking and
higher paying jobs.Obesity and Physical FitnessThe American Academy
of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry notes that obesity -- or having
a body weight that is at least 10 percent more than the recommended
number of pounds for the child's age and height -- has multiple
causes, one of which is a lack of exercise. Spending hours in front
of screen, whether it is a television or computer, can quickly
contribute to a serious decrease in the amount of physical activity
that a child gets during the day. Children need at least 60 minutes
of physical activity each day to maintain a healthy weight and
level of fitness, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention. The more tech-time that a child engages in, the
less likely it is that he will get in his daily dose of physical
activity. This can, in turn, contribute to negative effects such as
weight gain.Knowledge and LearningAlong with advances in technology
comes an ever-growing ability for kids to get in touch with
information and educational resources. Although this seems, on the
surface, a positive when it comes to a child's learning and
development, there are times when it actually has negative
consequences. While trusted sources such as universities or major
educational organizations have websites that contain real,
verifiable information, other websites may not have the same
authority. Technology and the Internet allow almost anyone to post
information and call it an authoritative source. As an adult, you
may know that Mr. Bob's bio facts are far from true, but that
doesn't mean that your child has the same understanding. She may
take everything that she reads online as fact, leading to
misinformation or even a slightly skewed way of thinking.Social
MediaSocial media can help your child to connect to his friends,
develop interpersonal skills and come out of his shy shell, but it
also has a much more destructive side. Adolescents who use social
networking sites regularly demonstrate narcissistic tendencies more
often than those who don't use this type of technology, according
to the American Psychological Association. Additionally, children
who use social media may not fully understand how the anonymity of
the Internet allows predators to pose as kids, putting them at risk
in the event that they give out personal information or plan an
in-person meeting.Media ImagesBetween the TV, laptops, tablets,
cell phones, iPods and all of the other technological devices that
your child uses, he is constantly inundated with an array of media
images. These often include, and glorify, negative behaviors such
as underage drinking, drug use or risky sexual situations.
Additionally, the media may portray an idealized image of the child
or teenager when it comes to weight and appearance. Your child can
develop a warped sense of reality and what is, and isn't,
acceptable when it comes to his actions. The American Academy of
Pediatrics, on its Healthy Children website, recommends that
parents screen what their kids are watching and discuss negative
media images.
Changing Social Norms
While this generation may be the most connected generation ever,
this ability to instantly contact anyone may pose a great risk to
young children. When people interact with one another through the
Internet or cell phones, it is a far different social experience
than speaking with someone one-on-one. When we communicate in these
ways, we are hidden behind the digital wall, which can allow us to
have conversations we might not have in person. For instance, users
of dating websites will be more likely to ask someone to chat on
the site than they would be if it were a face-to-face interaction.
Hiding behind the digital veil for media based conversations has
caused children to develop a disconnect from others, and even from
themselves. Technology has completely changed the way Americans
communicate, including children. According to a recent study
released by Pew, electronic media does not cause social isolation,
however, it has completely changed the way Americans define their
social circles and friends. Those who use social networking are 30%
less likely to know their neighbors, and 26% less likely to provide
them with companionship. As children have more of their
communication through electronic media, and less of it face-to-face
they begin to feel more lonely and depressed. According to a Cape
Cod physician, this has stemmed further than just within the home.
He said You know, more physicians areusing computers and
electronics to view records and patient information. Ive heard from
patients, that theyre wondering is he talking to me, or is he
talking to the screen? They feel more isolated and feel like theyre
talking through a screen. Children especially have been using
technology to cope with situations that may be more emotionally
stressful. Hiding behind the digital wall, such as texting or
Internet communications, allows children to deal with situations
that they wouldnt want to face-to-face, such as ending
relationships or dealing with bullies (Campbell). Children who are
more meek and shy will be able to have a conversation with someone
without worrying about awkward silences and lack of conversational
topics. However, it seems that using electronic media to hide from
stressful situations may actually begin to impact their capacity to
interact with each other.
Review of LiteratureThe technology which is just now beginning
to be manipulated and harnessed is affecting the minds of small
children and adolescents in ways that could be harmful.By far the
largest concern of technology today is video games. There have been
so many experiments and studies to try and figure out if video
games have a negative or positive effect on our children. A growing
body of research is linking violent video game play to aggressive
cognitive, attitudes and behaviors (D.A. Gentile, 2004). Video
games can obviously be dangerous for our children causing
aggression, bad performances in school and obesity. Although we
cant blame all of these problems on the use of video games, there
have been many studies to prove so. Boys do seem to be more
attracted to video games than girls are, Adolescent girls played
video games for an average of 5 hours a week whereas boys averaged
13 hours a week (D.A. Gentile, 2004).The effects of both violent
and non-violent video game playing can be determined by the amount
of time playing the video game and by the content of the games
being played. The content of the games being played could
definitely have a factor in how a child performs in school, and how
aggressive they are towards peers and teachers. Obviously if a
child is playing hours upon hours of violent video games, this can
lead to them acting out violence and having no consequences for it.
If a child took the time that they played video games a week and
used that time to be engaged in reading, homework or even a
creative activity we'd have less issues with our children's school
performances. Parents should really be monitoring how long their
child is playing video games, but this doesn't always happen. A
child who plays video games for long periods of time could also
build up a social wall, become a loner. It is important for
children to interact with other children in order to help develop
their social skills, which without will make it very difficult to
make it in this world. At the age children start playing video
games, it is hard for them to distinguish what is reality and what
is not. So in some cases the violent acts in video games could make
the child believe the world is a scary place.More than a thousand
scientific studies and reviews conclude that significant exposure
to media, and video games of violence increases the risk of
aggressive behavior in certain children, desensitizes them to
violence and makes them believe the world is a 'meaner and scarier'
place than it is (Tompkins, 2003). Children who are playing endless
hours of video games are also said to have less hobbies and
activities, which may lead to obesity. Obesity in young children
has become an overwhelming problem these days. They are now making
"fit" video games such a Wii Fit, which involves actual movement
and exercise. Video games like these are excellent especially if
your child just needs to play a video game. There are educational
video games out now, more and more are surfacing. The amount of
time children play these is completely different than the amount of
time children are playing violent video games. Educational video
games obviously can do a lot for your child, they can improve
vocabulary, mathematics, and some fitness. So increasing the time
they are interacting with educational video games is said to have a
very positive effect on them.Even though they make video games with
the intent to be entertaining, challenging and sometimes
educational, most of them do include some form of violence. Recent
content analysis of video games show that as many as 89% of games
contain some violent content and that about half of the games
include serious violent content towards other game characters (D.A.
Gentile, 2004). It is now a known fact that playing violent video
games increases aggressive behaviors, increases aggressive
cognitive, increases aggressive emotions, decreases pro social
behaviors and increases physiological arousal. So people do say
that children who already have aggressive tendencies get therapy
from playing violent video games. By releasing their aggression on
playing a video game, they are less likely to be aggressive towards
others. Then others believe that violent video games maybe even
more harmful to the children who were characteristically aggressive
already. Because violence is such an attractive part to a video
game, companies will continue to keep selling violent video games,
to make more money. Although now they do usually list the rating on
the game, but who's to say that parents will take any interest in
the rating. Most parents are to blame for their children playing
violent video games, how else would they get the game? Parents need
to be held responsible for the effects that violent video games
have on our children, they need to be monitoring them more
closely.Recent research has shown that connections between children
playing violent video games can cause later aggressive behavioral
problems. In retrospect studies have also shown a twelve percent
increase in aggressive behavior after watching violent television
as well (Tompkins, 2003). For many years it has been a part of the
repercussions that television has on children. Now we have those
special chips called V-chips to put in the TVs to block certain
programs or channels. But who knows what your children are watching
when they go to a friends house, or even at school. Exposing your
children to some violence almost seems inevitable, everywhere we
turn there is some kind of violence on some kind of new piece of
technology. Endless hours of watching television may be thought of
as somewhat entertaining to a child, but it has such negative
effects on them. TV is consistently reinforcing gender-roles and
stereotypes which isn't always a good thing to show our children. A
child should be out running around, exploring their environment,
participating in activities and sports. Children who view media
violence are more likely to have increased feelings of hostility,
decreased emotional response to the portrayal of violence and
injury that lead to violent behavior through imitation (Tompkins,
2003).During the first 2 years of a child's life, the brain is at a
critical developing period. Television can get in the way of a
child exploring, learning and spending time interacting with their
parents and other children. Having time to play with others helps
kids develop the skills they need to grow cognitively, physically,
socially and emotionally. If parents limit the television that
their pre-school age child is watching it can be a good thing as
long as what they are watching is educational or age appropriate.
If you allow your children particularly ages 2-7 to watch shows or
movies with scary monsters, they will remember those scary faces.
Children this age have a hard time distinguishing between real and
fantasy, so to tell them that monsters don't exist, wouldn't really
console them. While kids 8-12 are usually scared by natural
disasters, the threat of violence and victimization of kids. Many
shows or movies now a days depict risky behaviors, such as sex and
substance abuse. They portray these things as cool, fun and
exciting, and there is often no discussion about the consequences
of these actions. More and more now we are seeing alcohol ads on
television, and more underage children are being exposed to them.
Over sixty percent of television shows being shown in prime time
contain some form of violence (Tompkins, 2003). They are now
linking child obesity to over watching of television which includes
four or more hours a day. While watching television kids are
usually inactive and usually snacking. Kids are getting overwhelmed
with the many ads on television encouraging them to eat unhealthy
foods. The ads are meant to target children, by showing sugary
cereal, or sugar filled soft drinks. Children are being manipulated
by advertising companies, so then they beg and plead with their
parents to buy them exactly what they have seen on television. In
another study of preschoolers (ages 1-4), a child's risk of being
overweight increased by 6% for every hour of television watched per
day. If that child had a TV in his or her bedroom, the odds of
being overweight jumped an additional 31% for every hour watched.
Preschool children with TVs in their bedroom watched an additional
4.8 hours of TV or videos every week(Dennison, 2002). Parents
should treat watching television as a privilege, maybe not allowing
television in their child's room will help reduce the percentage of
overweight children. Its simple, reduce the amount of time your
children are doing nothing with their minds or body, and increase
the amount of time they are exploring things and participating in
physical activities. So over all its apparent that watching too
much television isn't healthy for any child of any age, or even any
adult.While boys tend to be more attracted to violence on
television, girls tend to be more attracted to the teeny bopper
shows. Some of these shows include situations that are not likely
to ever happen, or that are too mature for the child whos watching
them. The image that most female television/movie stars, and models
are giving to young girls is that the skinner you are the better.
We are in a vein world, where somehow everyone got the impression
that its not alright to look healthy, better to be overly skinny.
Eating disorder experts say prepubescent girls are developing
eating disorders as young as 5 and 6 years old. They may be getting
their obsession from parents who are preoccupied with their own
body images, and media images of skinny stars like the Olsen twins,
or even Kiera Knightly, whom stars in a very popular movie series
Pirates of the Caribbean. Which is a movie directed towards the
younger crowd, considering it is a Disney movie. If we take a look
at the figure of Barbie, whose body is considered to be perfect,
yet no girl or woman could achieve a body like this, this figure is
a definition of beautiful. Unfortunately the only way to help
change the outlook of body images is to help our children know its
ok to be a different shape than someone else, to teach them its not
okay to poke or make fun of children who are bigger sizes. This is
not something we need to change just for our children but also for
ourselves and our world.
Some programs that may seem age appropriate for our children,
are still showing some sort of sexual activity. Young girls are
getting the image that it is okay to engage in some sort of sexual
activity, even if that is just kissing. Some of these shows are
saying that having a relationship at a young age is okay, kids need
to be kids and not worry about relationships until they have at
least approached puberty. Blaming only television and technology
for these acts is unfair, because parents have a lot of effect on
their children as well. Children are just getting the wrong message
from a lot of these shows, that premarital sex is the thing to do,
that even something as simple as kissing is okay. This all depends
on the age of the child, some parents need to make sure that the
shows their child is watching is age appropriate. Maybe some
parents need to watch a couple of minutes of the show their child
wants to watch and get the feeling, and voice of the show to
determine whether its appropriate for their child.Children are
natural 'manipulators' of the world-they learn through controlling
the movement of and interaction between objects in their world:
dolls, blocks, toy cars, and their own bodies. With television,
they watch and do not control anything, computers allow
interaction. Children can control the pace and activity and make
things happen on computers (Perry, 1999). Computers are becoming a
part of everyone's daily lives. We have them at work, home and even
at school in children's class rooms. Computers like all technology
have their pros and cons. obviously the computer can open up a
world of intelligence for children, you can look up and explore
anything you want on the internet. Studies indicate that the media
can promote pro-social behavior that some computer games can hone
visual intelligence and that classroom use of the internet links
children with distant mentors and resources, enriching the way kids
learn (Carpenter, 2000). Computers are now being used as a learning
tool, we have access to them, and we might as well try and use them
for good. Technology offers children a sense of empowerment and
provides kids with the tools needed to solve problems (Goessel,
2002-2008). Educational websites, and games are at the reach of our
children's hands, not to mention if they want to know everything to
know about Alaska, or who holds the record for chewing gum the
longest, they can. Computers can have a great influence on
developing hand- eye coordination, since it does take this skill to
type and use a mouse. But still the time they spend on the computer
should be limited, because kids still need social interaction, and
physical activity. We must encourage our children to develop the
ability to think first and then give them a computer (Fanning,
2007).Even though we can see many positive outcomes from children
using computers, there are also many negative views. Computers are
being introduced to children younger and younger these days. Which
is making our children lazy, they can now type papers that
automatically spell check for them, they don't even have to go to
the library to do a research paper, and the computer puts all
information at a click of the mouse. While it is a nice way for
children to communicate with their friends, whatever happen to hand
writing a note? Our kids are talking in chat rooms, to who knows,
they could be talking to a sexual predator. We have seen this in
many cases, the world is such a crazy place and we have to do the
best to protect our children from it. Hours and hours of computer
use can also be physically damaging to children causing bad
posture, hand problems and can affect their eye sight. A child who
is always on the computer can cause a lack of social skills.
Children need interactive time with peers and adults to really
develop correctly. On the computer our children can come across
things that aren't age appropriate for them such as violence, and
sex. All they have to do is type in a word and somehow it can be
referenced to sex, and link them to a pornography site.Computers
are now being linked to as a factor to anti-social behaviors,
primarily because computers are replacing normal social activities.
Anti-social personality disorder is characterized as a gross
disparity between behavior and the prevailing social norms.
Children who constantly use the internet as a form of socializing
can develop social anxiety disorder or an internet addiction. You
may think that young children cant have an internet addiction, but
today it is becoming more common. Some children would rather rush
home and get onto the internet rather than go play outside with
friends or do a creative activity with their parents. Children are
isolating themselves from the 'real' world with the excessive use
of computers. They are only knowing the web world.Some may not
realize it but cell phones do have an effect on our children. In
fact they say that children under the age of 8 shouldn't even use
one. Cell phones can not only cause brain tumors, but also impaired
cognitive functions. Scientist have now discovered that even a
two-minute cell phone call can alter the electrical activity of a
child's brain for up to an hour after the phone call. This finding
has led many doctors to believe that the disruption in brain
activity can lead to psychiatric and behavior problems and can
impair learning ability. The alteration in brain waves can lead to
aggressive behaviors, lack of ability to learn and memory loss. A
study found that children who used cell phones, and whose mothers
used cell phones during pregnancy were 80 percent more likely to
have behavioral problems such as emotional symptoms, inattention,
hyperactivity and problems with peers compared with children who
had no cell phone exposure as fetuses or in early childhood.
Children whose mothers used cell phones during pregnancy but who
had no other cell phone exposure were 54 percent more likely to
have behavioral problems (Roan, 2008).
Objective
To study the various effect of technology on children To study
about types of technology To study about which technology is most
effective for children To study about new technology and how would
effect on children To study New technology causes concern about
effect on children To Study about theimpactof moderntechnology on
children'sability to learn at school. To Study the effectsof
technology on child'sbrain?
Scope of the Study
i.
Research Methodology
Research is a process of collecting, analyzing and interpreting
information to answer questions.But to qualify as research, the
process must have certain characteristics: it must, as far as
possible, be controlled, rigorous, systematic, valid and
verifiable, empirical and critical. Controlled- in real life there
are many factors that affect an outcome. The concept of control
implies that, in exploring causality in relation to two variables
(factors), you set up your study in a way that minimizes the
effects of other factors affecting the relationship.This can be
achieved to a large extent in the physical sciences (cookery,
bakery), as most of the research is done in a laboratory. However,
in the social sciences(Hospitality and Tourism) it is extremely
difficult as research is carried out on issuesrelated to human
beings living in society, where such controls are not
possible.Therefore in Hospitality and Tourism, as you cannot
control external factors, youattempt to quantify their impact.
Rigorous-you must be scrupulous in ensuring that the procedures
followed to findanswers to questions are relevant, appropriate and
justified. Again, the degree of rigorvaries markedly between the
physical and social sciences and within the socialsciences.
Systematic-this implies that the procedure adopted to undertake an
investigationfollow a certain logical sequence. The different steps
cannot be taken in a haphazardway. Some procedures must follow
others. Valid and verifiable-this concept implies that whatever you
conclude on the basis ofyour findings is correct and can be
verified by you and others. Empirical-this means that any
conclusion drawn are based upon hard evidencegathered from
information collected from real life experiences or observations.
Critical-critical scrutiny of the procedures used and the methods
employed is crucialto a research enquiry. The process of
investigation must be foolproof and free from
TYPES OF RESEARCHResearch can be classified from three
perspectives:1. Application of research study2. Objectives in
undertaking the research3. Inquiry mode employedApplication:From
the point of view of application, there are two broad categories of
research: pure research and Applied research.Pure
research:-involves developing and testing theories and hypotheses
that are intellectually challenging to the researcher but may or
may not have practical application at the present time or in the
future. The knowledge produced through pure research is sought in
order to add to the existing body of research methods.Applied
research:- is done to solve specific, practical questions; for
policy formulation, administration and understanding of a
phenomenon. It can be exploratory, but is usually descriptive. It
is almost always done on the basis of basic research. Applied
research can be carried out by academic or industrial institutions.
Often, an academic institution such as a university will have a
specific applied research program funded by an industrial partner
interested in that program.Objectives:From the viewpoint of
objectives, a research can be classified as descriptive correlation
explanatory exploratory
Descriptive research: - attempts to describe systematically a
situation, problem, phenomenon, service or programmed, or provides
information about, say, living condition of a community, or
describes attitudes towards an issue.Correlation research:
-attempts to discover or establish the existence of relationship/
interdependence between two or more aspects of a
situation.Explanatory research:- attempts to clarify why and how
there is a relationship between two or more aspects of a situation
or phenomenon.Exploratory research:-is undertaken to explore an
area where little is known or to investigate the possibilities of
undertaking a particular research study (feasibility study/ pilot
study).Secondary Data Collection for Effect of technology: -It can
be collected from internal as well as external sources like school,
home etc. A) Internal Source: Various internal sources like
Childrens, books, School, news paper, TV etc.B) External
Sources:Libraries, trade publications, literatures, etc are some
important sources of external data. The Researcher has used primary
data for the core purpose of the project and this primary data has
been gathered by survey method. The researcher has also used
secondary data Data collection Tools: To conduct a survey, the
Researcher has selected a structured questionnaire as an
instruction for gathering valuable information from the children.
Questionnaire, which is used for the survey, is consisting of
questions and checklist questions to check the impact of
technology.
A) Sampling Plan: The researcher has design a sampling plan that
is consist of five decisions.I) Sampling unit: Who is to be
surveyed?The Researcher has selected child, school, and home,
student (Age below 13) to conduct survey and to measure effect of
technology.II) Sampling types: There are two types of sampling i.e.
Probability Sampling and Non probability Sampling.Probability
Sampling: -Probability sampling means each unit of the universe has
equal chance of getting selected. Sample Size: Sample size means
limited numbers of respondents covered under the research study
from a population and the researcher has taken a survey of 100
respondents to know the effect of technology on Children.III)
Sampling Area: The researchers area for survey was: School (Student
age below 13 years) Game spot Social Media (Like
facebook,whatsup,twitter etc )
ReliabilityReliability is the proportion of variance
attributable to the time measurement of a variable and estimates
the consistency of such measurement over time from a research
instrument. It is a measure of the degree to which a research
instrument would yield the same results or data after repeated
trials. In order to ensure reliability the researcher issued the
questionnaires to the respondents, collected them and checked on
the responses. After two weeks the questionnaires were re-tested by
administering it at again to respondents with the same
characteristics. This ensured internal consistency of the
questionnaire and affirmed the responses from the selected sample.
ValidityValidity establishes the relationship between the data and
the variable or construct of interest. Its estimates how accurately
the data obtained in a study represents a given variable or
construct in the study .To ensure accuracy of the data the
researcher pre-tested the questionnaires and analyzed the results
and made corrections on the questions that were not clear.
The questionnaires provide accurate data due to the process of
pre-testing in the selected sample to maintain validity. Data
Analysis and ReportingData analysis is an iterative process. Data
analysis consists of three activities: Data reduction, Data
display, and Conclusion drawing/verification.Data reduction, this
process is applied to qualitative data and focus remains on
selection, simplification and transformation of data. In this
continuous process the data is organized throughout the research to
draw and finalize a conclusion (Miles and Huber man, 1994). In this
research, the data was reduced from critical elements in
implementation of E-learning to students academic performance.In
data display the data is displayed in an organized form or the data
has to be put into an order to easily draw the conclusion. Ethical
IssuesConfidentiality: The participants were guaranteed that the
identifying information will not be made available to anyone who is
not involved in the study and it will remain confidential for the
purposes it is intended for.Permission: The researcher sought
permission to carry out the research from the UniversityInformed
consent: The prospective research participants were fully informed
about the procedures involved in the research and were asked to
give their consent to participate.Anonymity: The participant
remained anonymous throughout the study and even to the researchers
themselves to guarantee privacy.
Data Analysis1) Age When children used Cell Phones
2) Which technology is used Mostly
3) Type of Phone children Used:
4) How Many Texts children Send per Day:
5) How many children having their Own Computer:
6) How children Communicate:
7) How much time children spend on Facebook:
8) When is it appropriate for children to play portable video
games while out to dinner with family?
9) Do you believe children exposed to technology are more
antisocial?
10) Used of technology is more beneficial as compared to
children
Interpretation:-This survey is done among 100 students.
Researcher asks the question about technology and observed that
student used technology is more beneficial than the children.
ConclusionFollwing are the conclusion that the researcher found
after the survey. From the above analysis the researcher concludes
that major respondents are children. Major respondents from all
respondents use technology. Effects of technology on both learning
in a content area and learning to use technology itself. Major
respondents using mobile phone to communicate with friends. Major
respondents are below 13 years and not having well knowledge of
technology but they are using it.
Limitation of Study Time consuming Inaccurate feedback More no
of resources required Quality of resources
Reference
Website:-D.A. Gentile, 2004 Mobile Technology Keeps Track of
Childrenhttp://aztechbeat.com/2014/02/best-apps-gadgets-keep-track-kids/
week (D.A. Gentile, 2004). Keep Track of Your Kids<
http://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10000872396390444464304577538664194226588>
(Tompkins, 2003).Effects of Video
Gamehttp://www.wakingtimes.com/2014/03/28/effects-video-games-childrens-brains/
http://www.essayforum.com/writing-3/effects-technology-children-negative-positive-53627/http://mashable.com/2011/08/09/kids-tech-developmental-health/http://smallbusiness.chron.com/advantages-disadvantages-technology-advances-12579.htmlhttp://everydaylife.globalpost.com/exposing-negative-effects-technology-kids-14909.htmlhttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/cris-rowan/technology-children-negative-impact_b_3343245.html?ir=Indiahttp://www.ukessays.com/essays/environmental-studies/how-technology-effects-children.phphttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Knowledge_gap_hypothesishttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Technology_gap48