Technology is Harming Our Children Gina A. Rose American Intercontinental University Abstract With the tremendous increased use of technology over the past several years there are several harmful side effects affecting our children (aggression, obesity, and radiation emissions).
Without proper supervision children will over use these technologies and expose themselves to a number of dangers. There should be restrictions on the amount of exposure children have with personal digital technology (laptops, smart phones, tablets, televisions, etc. . Parents should monitor the amount of time and content of their children's exposure to these devices. The increased use of digital technology is having some dangerous side effects on our children such as; aggression, obesity, and exposure to radiation emissions. First, aggression in children could be caused by their increased exposure to physical and sexual violence in today's media, with the increase in exposure to violence children tend to be more aggressive and less sensitive to violent actions.
The American Psychiatric Association (2005) has an article which states "aggressive behavior had increased in children because of the violence that they were exposed to in the media, based on studies conducted regarding mass communication in the last thirty years". There was a study done by Houseman, Moose-Titus, Padlocks, and Iron (2003) that examined boys and girls in the ass's and ass's, in a follow up examination 15 years later they show a relationship between violence on television and aggression. It was proven that vivid or indirect violence on television was a risk factor for the health and well-being of developing children and adolescents. " (Cone and Archer, 2004) Secondly, obesity is becoming a national epidemic that is affecting our children, with the access children have to these technologies studies have shown that children in the United States average 8 hour a day using technology not related to school such as; television, video games, cell phones, pods, tablets, and other devices.This study also states that 65% of children have televisions in their bedrooms (Millionaire, 2009; Iridous, Venerated, & Wearable, 2003; Roberts, Offer, Iridous, & Broodier, 1999. Television shows targeted towards infants and toddlers occupy between 2 and 5 ours a day, and 60% of households have the television on all day (Millionaire, 2009; Iridous et al.
, 2003). With all of this access the time children spend playing outside is tremendously reduced and without participating in these activities they won't be able to maintain a healthy weight and do not develop proper motor skills.There was also a study done on Finnish twins born in 1983-1987 they were giving a questionnaire at the age of 17 during 2000-2005 and results showed that there was an increased risk of obesity in correlation with the time spent using home computers Lacunae, H. , Seeks-Reawaken, A.
, Plinking, L. , Rose, R. J. , Irishmen, A. , & Capri, J.
, 2007). Thirdly, the harmful radiation emitted from these devices could be harming our children.Although the studies so far do not show a relationship between these devices and cancer, there has only been a limited amount of data evaluated due to things such as; study not showing affects for longer than 10 years, most studies being done are self-reporting, the different types and models of cell phones used, and it is impossible to eliminate other source of radionuclide radiation (REF). There is however, concern of REF causing or promoting carcinogenesis and the potential for significant impact on our children.
In conclusion the effects of technology on our children are harmful; children should be monitored while using these devices. Limiting the content of what your children watch on television and the internet could reduce their aggression and how they react to violence. Controlling how much time is spent in front of the television, computers, and other technological devices would motivate kids to being more active outside of the house, getting exercise and therein reducing childhood obesity. Even though studies have not linked cancer to these technologies, there is that potential for danger that can be avoided.
