Why Technology Is Harmful For Kids

Why Technology IS  Harmful For Kids

By Maya Kent

Do you ever wonder why lots of kids never come outside? Well, the answer is technology. If you look around most kids are on their phones, tablets or other devices. Do you think this is good for them? Technology has many benefits to it, but it also has tons of things that are harmful to kids. Technology is not safe, it can change the way you act and kids are addicted. And these are just a few of the reasons why technology is not so great for kids.

One of the biggest reasons technology is bad for kids is because of how much they are on it. Kids get addicted and are constantly on devices playing video games, texting and much more. If they used it in moderation technology would not be nearly as bad, but that is not the case. Kids from the age of 8 to 18 are on technology and average of seven and a half hours a day, and the number is increasing. And it’s recommended to be on it only two hours a day. One of the reasons of obesity these days is kids don’t get enough exercise while they are inside on technology. 31% of kids are overweight, that is triple the amount from when our parents were little.

  Also since kids are addicted they miss out on other things like reading, which develops critical thinking, problem solving and vocabulary. And  playing outside which is essential for kids. Play is very important because it helps your brain develop and it lets children use their imagination and be creative. But now most kids don’t play that often because they are too busy on technology. What did you like to do when you were younger? I have so many memories of playing outside all day, building teepees, climbing trees, riding bikes. What memories will kids now have when they grow up, sitting inside playing video games?

Did you know that technology can actually rewire your brain? When you are on it too much it can change the way you think, act and it can affect your mood. Kids can have a hard time developing social skills and because they can always look things up they are not as good at remembering things.  

Technology is also not a very safe place for kids to be spending so much time on. Yes, technology has good things to it also, like it’s easy to access information, but it is also easy for kids to access inappropriate content. Whether its song lyrics, websites or a post on social media, it’s way too easy for kids to find something that is not appropriate. So one more big reason technology can be harmful is that there is not a lot of safety for kids.

Now that I have named a couple harmful aspects to technology does it still seem so good? Technology has changed the world in many ways both good and bad. Now it’s so much easier to communicate with people and you can do lots of cool things with technology, but overall in the way kids use it it’s harmful. And being unsafe, rewiring your brain, and getting addicted are just a few negative things. So stop reading this essay, go outside and do something!  

https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/the-power-prime/201212/how-technology-is-changing-the-way-children-think-and-focus

http://learningworksforkids.com/2015/07/how-much-time-do-kids-spend-with-technology/

http://stateofobesity.org/obesity-rates-trends-overview/

  http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/119/1/182