What are the effects of children using electronics?

1 NAME Stephanie Prysiazniuk Central Piedmont Community College ENG 111 Cause and effect Essay of children using electronics What are the effects of children using electronics? When some children are exposed to electronics, they tend to get upset or start getting violent because their parents have taken it away from them. Afterward, they either give it back to their child or ground them for their behavior; and then the cycle repeats. Parents and family members fail to understand that not only are there potential behavior issues that these electronics could cause to their child’s brains, but also the learning problems that could potentially come with it. According to an article from The New York Times, the higher the age, from the ages of three to five, the greater the likelihood they are exposed to their electronic screens, and the poorer they do in their language skills. According to the article, 60% have their own portable devices and 41% of children have screens in their bedrooms. It is essential to know this data to show how much electronics can affect children (“Is It Too Soon to Give My Kid a Tablet?”). One of the main reasons this occurs is the children's parents. The New York Times article further explains how parents would give their children a device to use for car rides, air travel, and other potentially hairy situations. However, experts say that when a kid continually uses an 2 electronic device for boredom, it can be challenging to manage. This problem is for parents to consider, so they can establish rules or limit their children on their devices to balance it out with them. Furthermore, the results show that children highly exposed to electronic screen time, had parents who may not follow the American Academy of Pediatrics screen time guidelines and the idea that they did not know who they are (“Is It Too Soon to Give My Kid a Tablet?”). On their official site, the American Academy of Pediatrics is an organization of pediatricians that are committed to the physical, mental, optimal physical, and social health of their children, young adults, and adolescents (“About the AAP”). In their overview of media and children, they explain that children today spend seven hours a day on electronics and are exposed to social media influencers, hidden ads in video games, data collections, virtual reality encounters with strangers in games, and targeted social media advertisements that are intended towards children. Parents would go to these pediatricians with many questions about social media and what their child is exposed to. So pediatricians created a family media plan designed to help families make conscious choices about their children's well-being, health, education, and entertainment (“Media and Children”). Social media is another main reason children are considered to the extreme on their electronics. Social media has become such a huge impact on not only teens but on children too. They interact with other people separately with people that they know or would look at other people with a huge following. Which can be dangerous because of the attention seeking and the effect it can have on mental health (“The Science behind the Impacts of Technology Use”). This happens due to tech companies using a behavioral design to create highly addictive apps that keep us coming back for more. The “like” buttons and comments features entice children to return to the apps to check their status or the people they follow, and the endless 3 scrolling feature of most social media sites ensures that we are constantly exposed to updates, photos, and ads. It is not a coincidence that these features are there. They are part of a plan to maximize the amount of time we spend on our digital devices, despite the negative effects that come with it (“Digital Addiction: Should You Be Worried?”). It can also be the brain's chemical imbalances. Electronics are like drugs; every notification of a post, like, message, or reward in a game floods a person’s brain with a dose of dopamine, meaning hormones that are driving and reinforcing habits. However, that good moment you get from it does not last long. The brain longs for another dose of those hormones called dopamine, leaving children or teens longing for another reward, like, or notification (“Why Are Screens so Addictive?”). They also show that the brain structure, such as the prefrontal lobe of the brain, is responsible for complex thinking, complex behavior, and decision-making (“Technology Addiction Treatment in Austin TX”). In conclusion, children with electronics can provide numerous benefits for them, it is important to also know the potential negative effects on their mental health. Parents need to be responsible for setting limits on screen time and ensuring that their child is engaged in a variety of activities that do not involve a screen because it can potentially cause learning problems which can have difficulties with learning to read, write, and other educational structures. 4 Works Cited “About the AAP.” Www.aap.org, www.aap.org/en/about-the-aap/. Blogger, Guest. “Why Are Screens so Addictive?” Savvy Cyber Kids, savvycyberkids.org/2021/01/13/why-are-screens-so-addictive/#:~:text=The%20answer% 20is%20simple%3A%20it. Accessed 10 July 2023. Caron, Christina. “Is It Too Soon to Give My Kid a Tablet?” The New York Times, 17 Apr. 2020, www.nytimes.com/2020/04/17/parenting/tablet-child-screentime.html#:~:text=According %20to%20one%20recent%20study. “Media and Children.” Www.aap.org, www.aap.org/en/patient-care/media-and-children/. Marr, Bernard. “Digital Addiction: Should You Be Worried?” Forbes, www.forbes.com/sites/bernardmarr/2023/01/11/digital-addiction-should-you-be-worried/ ?sh=65d0631e59c3. Accessed 10 July 2023. Sweet, Charles. “Technology Addiction Treatment in Austin TX.” Specialty Clinic of Austin, specialtyaustin.com/technology-addiction/#:~:text=Some%20feel%20this%20addiction% 20is. 5 “The Science behind the Impacts of Technology Use.” Net Positive, 25 July 2022, www.benetpositive.org/post/the-science-behind-the-impacts-of-technology-useyou-ve-he ard-various-reports-on-the-impacts-that-t. Accessed 10 July 2023.