As technology continues to influence the daily lives of many, it is also affecting how parents are raising their kids. With more kids spending more time in front of a screen, some communities in the United States, including Little Silver, N.J., are taking a step back.
With the growing technology and new parenting practices, specialists are gathering how technology is affecting children, and the results are not so bright. According to a research study conducted by pewresearch.org, one in five parents of a child younger than 12 say their child has their own smartphone. Of those numbers, 25% say the device is “something to keep them entertained.”
Belinda Zungia-Ruiz (12) believes kids are changing because of social media and often compare themselves when seeing others online.
“I think technology is hurting kids both physically and mentally. It can change the way they act in school, and it can affect their grades. They also tend to compare themselves to others online who to them seem perfect, but in reality, they are just trying to change themselves to be like them to fit in,” Zungia-Ruiz said.
Compared to generations who grew up without smartphones, children are starting to lack important life skills. This includes certain body language, enhanced creativity or imagination for play rather than consumption, independence and learning patience for long-term goals. Studies from the National Library of Medicine have shown an increase in obesity, sleep disorders, depression and anxiety due to the increased screen time. While new technology has improved kids’ learning abilities and resources, there have been negative effects in the relationship between media multitasking, the act of using multiple forms of media at the same time, and standardized tests, resulting in lower scores on the tests.
Ligon Martin (11) believes technology can both benefit and hurt the younger generation, with new ways to learn, but it takes away from being outside.
“I think that technology can affect kids in both a negative and positive way. It can be bad if kids spend all their free time on technology and don’t spend any of it outside. But it can also help kids learn in awesome ways too. Not to mention technology helps kids who need extra help. Even younger kids are learning on iPads. Technology can take away face-to-face interactions and also can take time away from being in the moment,” Martin said.
Little Silver parent, Holly Moscatiello, noticed her children and, the community around her, being challenged by balancing screen time and making sure her daughter is being raised with independence and lasting memories. Remising on what she remembers about her childhood, Moscatiello founded The Balance Project, helping Little Silver become a device-free area where child independence thrives. According to time.com, many kids are now biking to schools, friends’ houses and community parks because they want to, instead of being on devices inside. Moscatiello has also taken attention to how families are interacting at restaurants, seeing families on phones instead of talking. Moscatiello encourages families to bring a box of toys or crayons to keep kids entertained, instead of parents resorting to a device to keep them quiet.
Moscatiello is not the only one who has noticed the upcoming generation’s dependence on technology for boredom or past times. Many new millennial and Generation Z, or Gen Z, parents are vowing to raise their kids with more restrictions. Because these generations have experienced firsthand the grip smartphones and social media can have, there is a general consensus to wait until kids are older to give them a smartphone or have a social media account, to spend more time focusing on life skills when the child is young and to spend more time outdoors. Though, since the technology is not going away, parents are instead investing in restrictive smartphones, phones that are only for communication or location tracking.
Ahmed Janah (10) thinks children and parents are becoming more reliant on technology for every day life, causing a negative effect.
“I think technology is hurting kids by taking away their ability to think on their own, especially with new AI models that can be used to do our work and replace our creative thinking. I also feel like parents are beginning to rely more on technology to keep their children busy, which can cause some kids to become addicted to their technology and worsen their relationship with their parents,” Janah said.
Whether a child is raised with modern technology advances or not, children need to be able to be independent and able to thrive in society. Parents should want their kids to excel in all areas of life, but as society has seen so far, modern parenting practices are doing quite the opposite.
