Cell phone usage has always been a contradictory and immense topic to speak about especially with the impact on younger generations. In this paper the information will be addressing the use of smartphones relating to effects it can have on children of all ages. There are many aspects of the situation, but it recently has become quite a much broader issue now that the faces behind the screen are young children and preteens. I will be discussing both the advantages and disadvantages with use of smartphones, when it comes to children. Smartphones can lead to many negative impacts in child development like health threats such as brain cancer; but the cellular devices children are so attached to can also be positive and help a child learn new topics and skills everyday through educational videos and apps. Furthermore, most cellular devices definitely have various positive effects on children as well as negative effects which will be discussed further on; the information presented will be used to develop my own perspective on the subject.
The first of many great aspects as to why cellular use for children is essential is due to the fact that it can help the child develop many great cognitive skills and at a youthful age. According to many studies, cyber children are prone to remember and develop important skills if exposed to a young age, which can later on enhance their productive capacities (Ebbeck et al., 2016). The sensitive period is when a child is more likely to remember various skills, learning activities and is able to learn foreign languages effectively and faster. All those listed can now be accomplished successfully through new applications on smartphones which allow the child to practice various learning activities while keeping the child entertained and focused. A great example of the learning activities on smartphones are games in smartphones, which children find amusing.
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In addition, not only do these devices help children become more intellectual faster, but they also increase social skills just as much. When children are exposed to the Internet for educational reasons, the Internet helps expands their repertoire of social encounters (Wennersten et al., 2015). There are many kid-friendly websites, such as Poptropica, that help children learn basic skills and improves social activity at school as well as improved vocabulary. Children are more likely to engage in social activities as well as making new friendships due to the cognitive activities they can learn online through smartphones as well as other devices like laptops. The applications which are in these devices definitely put children at a huge advantage; they have noticeably helped many children improve their knowledge in social, math and English skills.
Although smartphones have become an immense use nowadays, there has been an underestimation of absorbed radiation children intake every time they use a smartphone or a laptop. Radiation can lead to serious health risks which can take a huge effect on child development, leading to even more serious consequences such as tumors. Tumors are not very common in children of young ages, but these devices children use daily are more likely to develop them at a much faster rate rather another age group. These case control studies have also discovered that medium to heavy use of smartphones seriously put children at an increased risk for brain cancer (Gandhi et al., 2012). The amount of radiation in smartphones children are allowed to use leak an excessive amount of radiation which indeed is very dangerous. They are much more prone than adults to develop more health risks due to the fact their skull is much thinner and their bodies being far less developed.
Along with the health risks a developing child can take, there are also dangers children can witness on social media while using cell phones. These dangers include talking to strangers, inappropriate content, and social media influences. Especially in this generation, it is very common for preteens or even children to have an account on at least one platform of social media. The danger of complete strangers talking to children is very serious, children are innocent and may not know the serious circumstances they are, which can lead to serious issues such as exchanging crucial information. Another serious situation the use of smartphones and social media can bring to a child is cyberbullying, which is very common at younger ages. Cyberbullying not only affects a child’s emotions but it can also affect their sleep, eating habits, and way they communicate with their parents (Yan, 2018). Researchers of this situation strongly advise parents of these children to be cautious of the type of content a child is viewing if their child is to use these social media platforms.
Now, with all the gathered information, I definitely disagree with children being able to use smartphones at such a young age. There are various reasons as to why I disagree and it all comes down to the health risks as well as the dangers on the Internet and social media. The amount of radiation that children are being exposed to by simply using a cell phone or other devices is really harmful to their brain their body. As expressed before, these cell phones definitely affect the development of their bodies and can cause tumors on the brain at such a young age as well as a much faster rate. Not to mention the dangers of cyberbullying and offensive content are very likely to happen to a child. That’s why we must be cautious of children using smartphones for an excessive period of time or be aware of the content they look at.
In conclusion, there are many advantages or disadvantages depending on how people view a developing child with access to a smartphone. One of many of the great aspects are the easy improvement and use of learning activities that a child can use to learn skills at a much faster rate. But just like good aspects, bad aspects are also present, such as dangers to the child’s health and development these new cell phones and other device cause. Overall, the use of smartphones has always been a very contradictory subject to speak upon, especially with children or younger generations using them.
References
- Yan, Z. (2018). Child and Adolescent Use of Mobile Phones: An Unparalleled Complex Developmental Phenomenon. Child Development, 89(1), 5–16. https://doi.org/10.1111/cdev.12821
- Hardell, L. (2018). Effects of Mobile Phones on Children’s and Adolescents’ Health: A Commentary. Child Development, 89(1), 137–140. https://doi.org/10.1111/cdev.12831
- Gandhi, O. P., Morgan, L. L., de Salles, A. A., Han, Y.-Y., Herberman, R. B., & Davis, D. L. (2012). Exposure Limits: The underestimation of absorbed cell phone radiation, especially in children. Electromagnetic Biology & Medicine, 31(1), 34–51. https://doi.org/10.3109/15368378.2011.622827
- Wennersten, M., Quraishy, Z., & Velamuri, M. (2015). Improving student learning via mobile phone video content: Evidence from the BridgeIT India project. International Review of Education / Internationale Zeitschrift Für Erziehungswissenschaft, 61(4), 503–528. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11159-015-9504-y
- Ebbeck, M., Yim, H., Chan, Y., & Goh, M. (2016). Singaporean Parents’ Views of Their Young Children’s Access and Use of Technological Devices. Early Childhood Education Journal, 44(2), 127–134. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10643-015-0695-4
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